IGAD participated in the African Union organized meeting of Africa Disaster Managers Platform (ADMAP) in Midrand, South Africa from 27-30 April.
Following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, a declaration was issued by the Heads of State of the African Union at the Fourteenth Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Union, for the Chairperson of the AU Commission to “examine the modalities of establishing an African humanitarian mechanism to provide a rapid response, in a coordinated, harmonized and efficient way, to serious humanitarian situations which could occur in Africa and in other parts of the world. The AUC in response to this request began to work on the AU Humanitarian Policy Framework and its associated Disaster Management Program. The range and number of disaster management entities working/collaborating with the African Union (AU) and its affiliated Regional Economic Commissions has since been expanding.
The recommendations from the Humanitarian Affairs Segment of the UN Economic and Social Council meeting that took place in July 2013 and the Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination Roundtable in December 2013 were for the African Union Commission to establish a continental platform for disaster managers. This platform would ensure experience sharing and exchange of information on disaster management and related issues.
The aim of the Platform is to promote capacity building; develop strategic relations; and provide support for the mobilization of resources and the creation of an enabling environment for effective collaboration among its members; with the African Union and the regional economic communities. The disaster managers’ platform will also serve as a discussion forum for promoting the interests of its members and a consultative framework for identifying opportunities and challenges faced by disaster management workers in their interventions with the African union and the regional economic communities. Accordingly, the objectives of ADMAP is to:
a. Facilitate communication between members of the Platform, the African Union Commission, the regional economic communities, the national focal points, experts and institutions involved in disaster management.
b.Support and facilitate knowledge sharing between members of the Platform, the African Union Commission, the regional economic communities, the national focal points, experts and institutions involved in disaster management.
c.Support members in the mobilization of resources; material and financial, for disaster-related emergency situations.
d.Host of a directory of capacities for emergency logistics and equipment and emergency staff, organized by country and by region.
e.Facilitate capacity building, technical assistance and support to its members.
f. Identifying disaster management tools and approaches that could be further developed or adapted.
