Belize Strengthens Disaster Preparedness in Talks With UN Officials

Belize continues to advance its national disaster preparedness and resilience strategy following a high-level engagement between the Government of Belize and senior United Nations officials. Minister of the Public Service and Disaster Risk Management, Henry Charles Usher, along with Chief Executive Officer Rolando Zetina, met on February 12 with Saskia Carusi, Deputy Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for the Americas and the Caribbean, and Raúl Salazar, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Belize and El Salvador.  The discussions focused on expanding Belize’s Comprehensive Disaster Management Country Work Programme and reinforcing cooperation with the United Nations system on disaster risk management, governance, and emerging threats.  Central to the meeting was strengthening Belize’s coordination framework and policies for disaster preparedness. The parties also examined new and evolving risks, including cybersecurity and technological threats, while identifying strategic initiatives aimed at building national resilience.  Officials additionally reviewed Belize’s progress under the Early Warnings for All (EW4All) initiative, which seeks to provide accessible and inclusive multi-hazard early warning systems nationwide. The programme forms part of the country’s long-term strategy to improve risk knowledge and preparedness for climate-related hazards.  The engagement builds on earlier high-level talks held in August of last year and reflects continued alignment between Belize’s national priorities and international disaster risk reduction frameworks.  For her part, Carusi highlighted the need for proactive risk governance across sectors, while Salazar reaffirmed the UN’s support through coordinated technical assistance and strategic programming designed to deliver measurable benefits to Belizeans.