An inception workshop will be held on 29 November 2006,
from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Central
Plaza to introduce a new Disaster Risk Management (DRM)
programme between the Ministry of Civil Affairs (MOCA),
China International Centre for Economic & Technical
Exchanges (CICETE), and the United Naitons Development
Programme (UNDP). The US$1.2 million programme will assist
communities to become better aware of and prepared for
disasters to reduce the risk of damage and deaths. It will
also help strengthen the coordination function at the
government decision making level, to help prepare for and
ensure rapid response and rehabilitation when a disaster
strikes of any kind -- natural, industrial or biological.

    (Logo:
http://211.154.41.99:9080/xprn/sa/20061107113358-34.jpg )

    The initiative is in partnership with the United
Nations Disaster Management Team (UNDMT), a working group
composed of all the UN agencies in China, to coordinate UN
assistance and response to disaster preparedness, response
and rehabilitation. Mr. Shao Xuemin, Representative of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in China, will
provide, on behalf of UNDMT, the vision and objectives of
the UN System in its support to the Government of China on
disaster related matters. 
 
    With a population of 1.3 billion, China has a high
prevalence of natural disasters that affect the lives of
countless citizens. Floods, earthquakes, landslides,
typhoons and droughts are the main disasters in China. The
objectives and activities of the DRM programme is based on
the commitments signed at the 2005 Asian Conference on
Disaster Reduction (ACDR), a ministerial level meeting
co-hosted by MOCA and the United Nations in Beijing.  The
DRM will support improvements in the ways risk is
identified, assessed, managed, monitored and communicated.
 
    WHAT:            Inception Workshop on Disaster Risk
Management Programme
 
    WHERE:           Holiday Inn Central Plaza, The
Strawberry Room
                     No.1, Caiyuanjie, Xuanwu District
 
    WHEN:            9:00 AM -- 12:00 PM, 29 November 2006
(Wednesday)
 
    WHO:             Mr. Zou Ming, Deputy Director General,
Department of 
                     Disaster and Social Relief, Ministry
of Civil
                     Affairs 

                     Ms. Alessandra Tisot, UNDP Senior
Deputy Resident
                     Representative in China

                     Mr. Shao Xuemin, UNEP Representative
in China 

                     Mr. Wang Yue, Director General,
Ministry of 
                     Commerce, CICETE
 
    For access purpose, media are kindly requested to
confirm your participation with Ms. Wu Tao, Programme
Assistant, UNDP China, at (86-10) 8532 0714, or
tao.wu@undp.org by  Monday, 27 November.

SOURCE  United Nations Development Programme