Your Excellency, Representative of Government of Italy

 Excellency My Sister Mami Muzitori, Representative of UN Secretary General and Head of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction

Distinguished audience, ladies and gentlemen, all Protocols observed.

1. I have the honour to welcome you to this special event on “Coordination and Cooperation for Multi-Hazard impact-based Early Warning Systems in Africa”, which is being held on the margins of the 8^th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.
2. Early warning systems save lives, livelihood, environment and economic development.
3. However, early warning systems can only be effective if they lead to early actions.
4. An early action depends on available and predictable financial, technical and logistical resources.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

5. Allow me to emphasize this nexus. First, an early warning system is irrelevant if it cannot trigger early action. Second, an early action fails if it is backed by reliable and long term financing mechanisms.
6. The reality of this nexus in African countries is complex.
7. Many African Union member states have been making important progress in establishing early warning systems.
8. However, there are generally inadequate early warning systems in many African states. Where they exist they are largely sectoral warning systems sitting in different line ministries. This does not only complicates coordination of early warning systems but, also, early and anticipatory action and preparedness.
9. Secondly, even where early warning information exists and well-coordinated, most often actions come too late or too little.
10. Fiscal constraints and inadequate institutional arrangements limit capacities to implement early action, preparedness and response.
11. In light of complexity in managing early warning and early actions issues in Africa, the African Union Commission has developed a Multi-Hazard Early Warning and Early Action Programme. Some of the key deliverables of the Programme include establishment of Multi-Hazard Early Warning Situation Room and development Institutional Framework for Multi-hazard Early Warning System.
12. The Government of Italy, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and CIMA Research Foundation have been our key partners supporting the programme. The Government of Sweden and UNDP have supported initial work that laid firm foundation for the programme.
13. The institutional framework was validated by member states during the multi-hazard early warning conference held in Nairobi in October 2021. In the coming days, the continental situation room will be inaugurated.
14. Other situation rooms supported through the programme include IGAD Disaster Operation Centre here in Nairobi, which was officially inaugurated by H.E. President Huhuru Kenyatta, President of Republic of Kenya. The other situation room is ACMAD advisory situation room in Niamey, Niger.
15. In the coming years and before 2030, we envision an Africa where all its member states and regional economic communities have a fully operational multi-hazard early warning systems as well as interoperable situation rooms.
16. Similarly we envision an effective institutional arrangements for early actions that significantly contribute to reduction of disaster losses.
17. The AU Commission will step up its advocacy efforts, employing its convening power to encourage member states to prioritize investment in disaster risk reduction and early warning systems.
18. We will continue to knock doors of our development partners to join us in this long journey and yet one of the cheapest and immediate means to reduce disaster losses in Africa by 2030.
19. In this special session, I wish to emphasize, once again, investment in early warning saves lives and protect development. Therefore, in light of increasing disaster risks, investing in early warning and early action is urgent and essential.

Thank you

Obrigado

Merci

Asante Sana

Shukuran