XU Jia’ai, Vice Minister

Ministry of Emergency Management of PRC

Distinguished envoys and guests

Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends,

With the joint efforts of everyone, the First Coordinators’ Meeting of BRIDRREM has successfully completed all agenda items and is coming to an end. At this meeting, we exchanged views on the work of BRIDRREM for next step, the second Belt and Road Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (BRIDRREM Forum) and other relevant arrangements, and reached a preliminary agreement on the BRIDRREM Charter. Minister Wang Xiangxi put forward ardent expectations for promoting the development of BRIDRREM. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction Ms Mami Mizutori, UN Resident Coordinator in China Mr. Siddharth Chatterjee, and the Ambassadors of Pakistan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Chile to China made positive comments and suggestions on the future development of BRIDRREM. We are deeply grateful for this.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative, and BRIDRREM has embraced a good opportunity to fully realize its substantive operation. To this end, I propose the following:

First, continuously improve BRIDRREM and achieve consultation for cooperation as soon as possible. We have initially set up the organizational framework of BRIDRREM. National emergency management authorities, United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations are invited to appoint personnel to BRIDRREM Council and Coordinators as soon as possible, and to recommend experts to the BRIDRREM Advisory Committee and the leading or participating organizations of the Clusters of BRIDRREM Network. Interested countries are invited to apply for the position of Vice-President of the Council. The list of members of the Council, the Coordinators and the Advisory Committee will be officially announced at the first Council Meeting held during the Second Belt and Road Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management (BRIDRREM Forum). Next, we will set up a liaison working group soon and invite representatives at the working level of all parties to join and establish a regular liaison mechanism.

Second, promote practical cooperation and joint development of BRIDRREM. We will comprehensively promote practical cooperation under BRIDRREM this year, including holding the Second Belt and Road Ministerial Forum for International Cooperation in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management, co-organizing thematic activities with UN agencies, conducting small and beautiful cooperation projects that benefit people's livelihoods with quick outcomes. We will create highlights of cooperation, and build BRIDRREM into a new platform for global disaster governance featuring policy dialogue and communication, knowledge and information sharing, technological exchange and innovation

Third, maintain openness and continuously expand the sharing of cooperation outcomes. BRIDRREM welcomes more countries and international and regional organizations to join and will synergize with multilateral platforms. It is hoped that all parties will actively promote BRIDRREM, continuously expand its influence and "circle of friends", attract more like-minded partners to jointly contribute to the development of emergency management in the world. The results of BRIDRREM are taken from and used by all parties. Let’s continue to expand the fruits of cooperation to benefit all parties.

Let’s work together to develop and maintain BRIDRREM, to continuously enhance the well-being of the peoples of the Belt and Road countries, and inject new impetus to the joint building of a community with shared future for mankind, and a community with shared future for global development. Here, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the representatives from emergency management authorities, United Nations agencies, international and regional organizations and diplomatic envoys in China attending the meeting! I would like to express my sincere gratitude to colleagues from organizations at home who support the building of BRIDRREM! I look forward to meeting you in Beijing in November.