WFO Highlights Farmers’ Role in DRR Policy Development and Implementation at UNDRR’s Europe & Central Asia Regional Platform.
On November 6, 2024, the World Farmers’ Organisation (WFO), represented by Francesca Mancarella, Advocacy, Policy and Partnerships Officer participated in the Europe & Central Asia Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, hosted by the Government of Montenegro in collaboration with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).
WFO representative joined the Stakeholders Group Meeting on behalf of the farmers’ constituency within the UNDRR Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism (UNDRR-SEM) to bring farmers’ perspective on the urgent need for their active inclusion in DRR policy development and implementation.
She underscored that incorporating farmers’ insights is critical for creating effective DRR policies, reflecting their first-hand knowledge of climate and environmental challenges. She also stressed that it’s crucial to ensure farmers’ active and meaningful involvement in global and regional fora, enabling them to influence agricultural, trade, and environmental policies that directly affect them.
This year’s Regional Platform sessions build on a series of priority actions identified by stakeholders at the Action-Oriented Dialogue held in Finland in December 2023. That meeting led to a Joint Position Paper outlining seven key actions for policymakers to enhance inclusive and resilient DRR strategies.
The session on November 6 in Montenegro focused on moving three of these priorities from theory to action, emphasising meaningful stakeholder engagement, community-led resilience building, and inclusive communication of risk information.
WFO’s commitment to elevating farmers’ voices in DRR discussions underlines the principle that disaster resilience and disaster risk management are most practical and relevant when they integrate the input of those most impacted by climate and environmental risks.