The Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre for the Development
of Disaster Information Management (APDIM) held its third session in Tehran on
19 December 2018.
The Council reviewed the Centre’s work since its second session and
expressed its appreciation to the Centre for initiating all the key programmes of the
approved workplan for 2018 in accordance with the strategic plan and the three
thematic pillars, which were endorsed by the Council at its first and second sessions.
The Council also reviewed the administrative and financial status of the
Centre. It welcomed the opening of the Centre and its operationalization in Tehran
and noted with appreciation that efforts were pursued to give effect to the host country
agreement and the administrative and financial support agreement to establish
APDIM as a regional institution of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia
and the Pacific (ESCAP) in line with Commission resolution 71/11.
The Council endorsed the Centre’s proposed workplan for 2019 and its
proposed deliverables under the Commission’s programme of work for 2020. The
Centre’s key programmes for 2019 comprise the operationalization of the
Asia-Pacific disaster risk atlas as a regional repository of cross-border multi-hazard
information; national capacity-building on the Sendai Framework monitor and
disaster loss databases; and the development of an action plan for a subregional
cooperation mechanism for slow-onset hazards with a focus on sand and dust storms
in South-West and Central Asia.
The Council expressed appreciation to the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran for its continued funding and support to the Centre and to the
Government of Macao, China for its additional voluntary cash contribution. It
strongly encouraged all ESCAP members and associate members to contribute to the
Centre and participate in its programme of work.
The Commission may wish to review the report of the Council and provide
the secretariat with guidance on the future work of the Centre.