News

Kathmandu, April 29, 2025 – The NDRRMA in collaboration with DPNet organized a preparatory meeting to coordinate Nepal’s participation in the upcoming Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR). The meeting was held at NDRRMA’s office and brought together key stakeholders from government agencies, development partners, and civil society organizations.

Dr. Raju Thapa opened the session with a comprehensive presentation on the GPDRR, outlining its objectives, structure, and the significance of Nepal’s engagement. He also shared updates on preparatory activities undertaken to date. Following his presentation, participants engaged in a detailed discussion to further shape Nepal’s strategy and contributions to the global platform.

One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the formation of a committee to guide and oversee all preparatory activities for the GPDRR. The committee is chaired by Mr. Dinesh Prasad Bhatta, Executive Chief of NDRRMA. It comprises representatives from various government bodies, international and national organizations, including Dr. Tokraj Pandey from the Ministry of Home Affairs; Ms. Roshni Kumari Shrestha and Ms. Gomadevi Chemjong from NDRRMA; Ms. Luna Khadka from AINTGDMCC; Dr. Raju Thapa from DPNet; Mr. Surya Bahadur Thapa from DiMaNN; Ms. Sama Shrestha from UN Women; Mr. Dharmadatta Bidari from NRCS; Mr. Ragindra Rajbhandari from UNRCO; Mr. Rajendra Sharma from the NGO Federation of Nepal; and Mr. Suresh Khatiwada from NDRRMA, who will serve as the Member-Secretary.

The meeting also decided to prepare a detailed cost breakdown of all preparatory activities for the GPDRR. NDRRMA will mobilize both financial and technical support from United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to ensure effective and inclusive participation.

In addition, a separate committee has been established to draft Nepal’s official Statement and Position Paper for the GPDRR. This committee is coordinated by Ms. Gomadevi Chemjong, Under-Secretary at NDRRMA. Members include Dr. Basanta Adhikari from Tribhuvan University’s Institute of Engineering; Dr. Dharam Upreti from Practical Action; Dr. Raju Thapa from DPNet; Mr. Ragindra Rajbhandari from UNRCO; Mr. Ram Prasad Bhandari from DPNet; Dr. Jibaraj Pokharel from NCDM; Mr. Rijan Gajurel and Mr. Nisan Kumar Aryal from NHSRP; Ms. Reena Chaudhary and Ms. Smita Paudel from NDRRMA, with Ms. Paudel serving as the Member-Secretary.

Concluding the meeting, Executive Chief Mr. Dinesh Prasad Bhatta thanked all participants for their active engagement and urged them to continue contributing diligently to the national preparatory efforts. He emphasized the importance of Nepal’s meaningful representation at the GPDRR and called for collaborative action in the coming weeks.