To follow through the consensus of the 14th BRICS Summit, the Ministry of Emergency Management of China held the 3rd Meeting of BRICS Ministers for Disaster Management in Beijing via video link on September 23. Wang Xiangxi, Minister of Emergency Management attended the meeting and delivered a keynote speech. Heads of disaster management authorities of BRICS countries, including the South African Department of Cooperative Governance and Department of Traditional Affairs, the Brazilian Ministry of Regional Development, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs attended the meeting online. All parties shared their policies and practices on disaster management and the existing cooperation projects within the BRICS framework around the theme of "Modernizing Disaster Prevention and Control Capabilities to Facilitate High-quality Development in BRICS Countries". The meeting reached a broad consensus on future cooperation areas and directions, and issued the Beijing Declaration of the BRICS Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management. For the first time, the heads of disaster management authorities of other developing countries, such as Argentina, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, were invited to attend the meeting and deliver speeches. Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) delivered a video message. 

Wang Xiangxi pointed out that the Chinese government attaches great importance to disaster risk reduction. Since its establishment, the Ministry of Emergency Management has thoroughly implemented President Xi Jinping's important instructions on emergency management by upholding the people-centered development philosophy and the principle of "people first, life first," and accelerated the modernization of emergency management systems and capabilities. With a strong sense of responsibility, MEM has spared no effort to prevent and defuse major disaster risks, curb major accidents, and safeguard people's lives and property, so as to create a safe and stable environment for economic and social development. Wang Xiangxi said that BRICS countries, all with emergency markets are influential. They are prone to various natural disasters. It is the consensus of all parties to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, enhance capacity for comprehensive disaster reduction, build partnerships and expand influence. China stands ready to work with other BRICS countries and follow the strategic guidance to build a consensus on disaster reduction; to share experience and jointly improve disaster risk reduction capacity; to collaborate with each other to address major disaster challenges; to promote the development of emergency science and technology through innovation; and to build a global partnership for disaster management based on the principle of openness and inclusiveness. China is willing to jointly deepen substantive "BRICS plus" cooperation in disaster management, help advance the Global Development Initiative, accelerate the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and build an international community on development. All participants expressed their gratitude to China for hosting this ministerial meeting and a series of side events. Representatives of BRICS countries agreed that BRICS countries have achieved fruitful results in disaster management cooperation in 2022thanks to China's contributions. BRICS countries are willing to continue to deepen cooperation, make improvements together, and jointly deal with disaster challenges. The representative of “plus” countries and UNDRR appreciated the efforts of BRICS countries in facilitating global cooperation on disaster management. They expressed their willingness to strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, expand pragmatic cooperation, improve disaster prevention and control, and help achieve high-quality economic and social development and the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Xu Jia'ai and Qiong Se, leaders of the Ministry of Emergency Management, officials of relevant departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Management, and representatives of China's embassies to the participating countries and participating countries' embassies to China attended the meeting. 

By Wang Guangyuan, Department of International Cooperation and Rescue, Ministry of Emergency Management, China