Pretoria: The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, is set to officially inaugurate the inaugural virtual meeting of the Group of Twenty Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (G20 DRR WG) under the South African Presidency on Thursday. This event marks the beginning of a series of similar meetings aimed at addressing global disaster risk reduction.

According to South African Government News Agency, South Africa will host the G20 with a focus on ‘Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability’, which will guide the collaborative efforts of the group. This initiative provides South Africa with an opportunity to strengthen the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, with an emphasis on accelerating early warning systems, a global target established by the United Nations.

The Sendai Framework underscores the necessity of implementing strategies that address disaster risk across three dimensions: exposure to hazards, vulnerability and capacity, and the characteristics of hazards. The framework’s primary objectives are to prevent new risks, reduce existing risks, and bolster resilience.

The South African Presidency aims to build on the progress made by India and Brazil in enhancing the G20 DRR WG by maintaining the six priorities previously established. The meeting, led by Hlabisa, is part of a broader agenda of ministerial and working group sessions scheduled to continue throughout 2025, ultimately leading to the G20 Leaders’ Summit in November 2025.