Pereira, Colombia, develops inclusive resilience plan

The inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction strategies and plans took center stage at an event held in Pereira, Colombia. This event was jointly organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management (UNGRD), the Secretary of Social and Political Development of Pereira, and the Disaster Risk Management Directorate of Pereira (DIGER). It brought together 55 participants, including representatives of organizations for people with disabilities and both municipal and national officials.

The primary purpose of this meeting, primarily supported by the government of Finland, was to develop a resilience plan with a central focus on the inclusion of people with disabilities within the framework of disaster risk reduction. To achieve this, three specific objectives were outlined:

1. Implementation of the Scorecard Self-Assessment tool: an appendix for the inclusion of people with disabilities.
2. Development of a sensitization workshop on disaster risk reduction and the inclusion of people with disabilities.
3. Gathering data and input from the disabled population to formulate an initial proposal for a local resilience plan.

As part of this activity, the significance of the "Appendix for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities: Strengthening Resilience and Inclusion in Cities" was highlighted. This appendix has been conceived as a complement to the Scorecard Self-Assessment tool. It focuses on assessing the capabilities of local administrations to integrate people with disabilities into disaster risk reduction, thereby contributing to the development of stronger and more accessible cities.

This initiative responds to the call made by the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in June 2019, emphasizing the importance of including people with disabilities in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Hamilton Ramirez Vargas, director of the Secretary of Social and Political Development, stated that "the inclusion of people with disabilities in the design and implementation of Disaster Risk Reduction Plans not only improves the care provided to this population but also empowers them to take an active role in their own development while increasing awareness of risk, thus fulfilling the principle of leaving no one behind."

The next step in this initiative will involve the development of an Action Plan in collaboration with UNDRR and UNGRD, linking Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience processes with people with disabilities in the municipality of Pereira, in line with the MCR2030 platform.