Developing coherent international crisis emergency preparedness and response plans through South South Cooperation
Director of ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia addresses the First Coordinators’ Meeting of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management
Beijing (ILO News) – On 15th February 2023, Dr Chang-Hee Lee, Director of ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, addressed the First Coordinators’ Meeting of the Belt and Road International Cooperation Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (BRIDRREM), hosted by the Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) of China, on the importance of strengthening South-South Cooperation in emergency preparedness and work safety. Initiated by the MEM together with some other BRI countries in 2019, the BRIDRREM aims to facilitate countries and regions along the Belt and Road to strengthen exchanges and mutual understanding, deepen practical cooperation, and build capacity for disaster risk reduction and emergency management.
Dr Chang-Hee Lee, Director of ILO Beijing At this meeting, Dr Lee said that the world is more interconnected than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic and disasters happening in different parts of the world show. Therefore, the challenges facing countries require coordinated global action through multilateral collaboration. He highlighted the potential of the BRIDRREM as an important open forum for facilitation of cooperation and coordination in developing coherent international crisis emergency preparedness and response plans and bringing tangible benefits to well-being of the people in different countries and contribute to progress towards SDG.
Amongst the many lessons learned from the pandemic, is the need for countries to have an effective OSH system and integrate OSH preparedness into national emergency plans for more resilient society and economy. That is why ILO put OSH as one of fundamental principles and rights at work. Occupational Safety and Health is one of the core mandates of ILO in China. The ILO has close cooperation with the MEM in improving workplace safety and signed a MOU with MEM on South South Cooperation on Work Safety under the Belt and Road Initiative Framework in 2019. Dr Lee encouraged China to strengthen work safety South-South Cooperation with other developing countries and share its valuable lessons in improving work safety.
