Finance Ministers from the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth, many of who are Africans, are converging at the margins of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings this week in Bali, Indonesia.
Ms Josephine Latu-Sanft, Senior Communications Officer at the Commonwealth Secretariat, said that the meeting would discuss financing solutions to help counter the risk of natural disasters in their countries.
Under the theme ‘Enhancing national capacity to reduce disaster risk’, the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting would consider Commonwealth proposals.
The proposals, includes an online portal to simplify access to disaster finance and placing long-term advisors in member countries to develop funding applications for disaster risk
management.
management.
The Commonwealth’s Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said: “Natural disasters are increasingly inflicting massive negative economic and environmental impacts on Commonwealth countries.
“There are dreadful human and social costs resulting from the loss of lives and livelihoods they cause.
“We have seen rising levels of frequency
and intensity in the devastating disasters that have affected countries
in many regions of the world in recent years, including fatal
hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis.
and intensity in the devastating disasters that have affected countries
in many regions of the world in recent years, including fatal
hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes and tsunamis.
“However, finding the means to respond to disaster risks can be complicated.
“The measures to be discussed by
ministers directly address the obstacles linked to mobilising disaster
finance, in order to assist member countries with reducing, managing,
and adapting to disaster risk.”
ministers directly address the obstacles linked to mobilising disaster
finance, in order to assist member countries with reducing, managing,
and adapting to disaster risk.”
Ministers would also discuss Commonwealth
work on defining and measuring vulnerability at the meeting on
Thursday, which would be chaired by Nauru’s Minister of Finance, David
Adeang.
work on defining and measuring vulnerability at the meeting on
Thursday, which would be chaired by Nauru’s Minister of Finance, David
Adeang.
It would feature a keynote address by the
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Disaster Risk
Reduction, Mami Mizutori.
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Disaster Risk
Reduction, Mami Mizutori.
The proposed Commonwealth Disaster Risk
Finance Portal would serve as a ‘one stop shop’ for streamlined access
to the numerous financing tools already available.
Finance Portal would serve as a ‘one stop shop’ for streamlined access
to the numerous financing tools already available.
It would include guidance on navigating
the complex funding processes and broad range of providers, each with
differing eligibility and access criteria, and challenging terms and
conditions.
the complex funding processes and broad range of providers, each with
differing eligibility and access criteria, and challenging terms and
conditions.
Ministers would consider extending the
Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub’s advisory and technical support
to cover disaster finance more widely, especially for smaller and more
vulnerable Commonwealth countries.
Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub’s advisory and technical support
to cover disaster finance more widely, especially for smaller and more
vulnerable Commonwealth countries.
The support would broaden the success of
the of the programme, which already has been instrumental in helping to
mobilise more than £4 million for climate projects in various parts of
the Commonwealth, with a further £140 million
in the pipeline.
the of the programme, which already has been instrumental in helping to
mobilise more than £4 million for climate projects in various parts of
the Commonwealth, with a further £140 million
in the pipeline.
Ministers would also discuss the concept
of a new universal economic vulnerability index to focus on the
economic, environmental, socio-political causes of vulnerability.
of a new universal economic vulnerability index to focus on the
economic, environmental, socio-political causes of vulnerability.
The meeting of finance ministers is the
longest established annual ministerial meeting in the cycle of
intergovernmental Commonwealth gatherings.
longest established annual ministerial meeting in the cycle of
intergovernmental Commonwealth gatherings.
It provides an opportunity for ministers
collectively to consider approaches to emerging global issues and the
economic development work programme of the Commonwealth.
collectively to consider approaches to emerging global issues and the
economic development work programme of the Commonwealth.
Senior officials and Commonwealth Central
Bank Governors would meet on Wednesday, prior to the ministerial
meeting, to discuss disaster risk reduction and financial technology
issues respectively
Bank Governors would meet on Wednesday, prior to the ministerial
meeting, to discuss disaster risk reduction and financial technology
issues respectively
