Permanent Representative Receives Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

The Permanent Representative of the Republic of Iraq to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Lukman Faily, received Mr. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), at the Permanent Mission on 16 July 2026. The meeting discussed ongoing cooperation between Iraq and UNDRR and ways to further strengthen it, particularly in the areas of early warning, resilience, and disaster risk reduction.

Mr. Kishore emphasized the importance of cooperation with Iraq and reviewed the programmes and activities implemented by UNDRR in coordination with its Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo. These include supporting national efforts to strengthen early warning systems within the framework of the Secretary-General’s Early Warnings for All initiative, as well as work at the local level in Baghdad and Erbil to enhance the resilience of cities and their capacity to respond to the impacts of disasters.

He also highlighted ongoing cooperation in developing and systematizing data on disaster-related losses and strengthening data resilience, underscoring the importance of building integrated systems that extend beyond the national level to include local and city levels.

Mr. Kishore further highlighted upcoming regional opportunities to strengthen Iraq’s engagement in disaster risk reduction efforts, including the regional conference for Arab States scheduled to take place in the Sultanate of Oman next year and a subsequent regional meeting in the State of Qatar in 2028. He also emphasized the important role of the Permanent Mission of Iraq in New York in supporting international efforts to prevent and reduce disaster risks and minimize related losses.

For his part, the Permanent Representative reaffirmed Iraq’s full support for the work of UNDRR and emphasized the importance of strengthening and expanding existing cooperation in line with national priorities and needs. He also expressed the Permanent Mission’s readiness to support UNDRR’s efforts in New York and contribute to advancing disaster risk prevention and reduction across relevant discussions and processes at the United Nations, underscoring the importance of investing in prevention, preparedness, and resilience to reduce the human and economic losses caused by disasters.

The Permanent Representative also discussed the event co-organized by the Permanent Mission on 10 July 2026 to commemorate the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms. The discussion explored ways to build on the outcomes of the event and strengthen future cooperation in this area, with a view to maintaining sand and dust storms as a priority within relevant international efforts on disaster risk reduction and enhancing international coordination and partnerships to address their transboundary impacts.