RI CALLS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL DISASTER MITIGATION SYSTEM

London, June 19 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has called for the development of a strong and cohesive global system to mitigate disasters including efforts to reduce disaster risks.

Head of the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) Dr. Syamsul Maarif made the call at the second plenary session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) in Geneva, First Secretary of the Indonesian Representative Office in Geneva Acep Somantri said on Thursday.

Maarif said Indonesia was ready to share its best experiences with other countries in mitigating disasters and reducing disaster risks.

On the occasion, the BNPB chief also spoke of the progress achieved by Indonesia in mitigating disasters and reducing disaster risks.

Indonesia enacted a law on disaster mitigation in 2008 and formed a national disaster mitigation board a year later, he said.

The adoption of a national platform for disaster risk reduction in April 2009 was one of the advances achieved in the field of disaster risk reduction, he said.

Different national stakeholders including civil society, enterpreneurs, academicians and the media got involved in the formulation of the national platform, he said.

Indonesia continued to intensify its commitment to reducing disaster risks by putting the commitment in the national agenda and integrating it with the national development plan, he said.

Disaster risk reduction efforts were also included in school curricula, he said adding universities were also encouraged to improve their education and training courses related to the efforts.

UN Assistant Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlstrom meanwhile warmly welcomed the BNPB chief's statement and expressed support for Indonesia's efforts to mitigate disasters and reduce disaster risks.

At a meeting with the BNPB chief, Margareta expressed hope the success achieved by Indonesia in the fields of disaster mitigation and disaster risk reduction would set a good example for other nations.