President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Tuesday called on Asia and the Pacific, the world’s most disaster-prone region, to craft an international legal framework to guide disaster prevention and response and ensure the protection of individuals during and after disasters.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference in Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR), Marcos said the Philippines is ready to lead the development of an international legal instrument for the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters.
“This endeavor aims to fill critical gaps in international disaster response laws, uphold the rights and dignity of affected persons, establish clearer obligations, and enhance humanitarian coordination,” Marcos said.
The Philippines is hosting the APMCDRR for the first time from Oct. 14-18 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, gathering governments, civil society organizations, the private sector, science, academe, and stakeholder groups to strengthen cooperation on disaster resilience and risk reduction in Asia and the Pacific region.
Around 4,000 delegates gather from 70 countries in Manila to put urgency on strengthening regional efforts to ensure a safer future for all. (Darryl John Esguerra, PNA)
