Chile and Japan sign a memorandum of cooperation in disaster risk reduction
Both countries have committed to implementing a specialized training program for approximately 2000 professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean within a five year period, highlighting the resilience of Chile and Japan in the prevention and response to earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
Santiago, July 31th, 2014. – Within the context of the official visit of the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to Chile, representatives of the Chilean International Cooperation Agency (AGCI) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to implement a specialized training program in the area of Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean, underlining the extensive experience and resilience of both countries in the face of natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and floods.
After decades of joint collaboration, which began in 1958, the governments of Chile and Japan, represented by Toshiyuki Kuroyanagi, Vice President of JICA, and Ricardo Herrera, Executive Director of AGCI, signed the Agreement, which focuses on four important areas: specialized training for professionals, strengthening the capacity of implementing agencies, creating an information sharing network for participating countries, and promoting Japanese technology and knowledge.
The Training Program will also promote the active participation of Latin American and Caribbean Universities to conduct research and develop new technologies in this area, further enriching the region´s professionals.
In addition, over 2000 professionals from Latin America and the Caribbean, including Chileans, will expect to be trained during a 5 year period.
Mr. Toshiyuki Kuroyanagi, Vice President of JICA, emphasized, "We hope that AGCI will lead the creation of a national coordination mechanism and a regional network of specialists in disaster risk reduction. Our partnership will strengthen training in Chile of specialists in order to support institutions and communities in Latin America, and will recognize Chile as a regional training center in disaster risk reduction."
Meanwhile, Mr. Ricardo Herrera, Executive Director of AGCI, highlighted that, "This new agreement confirms the commitment of Chile and Japan to collaborate in social and institutional strengthening for managing effective prevention and timely responses to natural disasters, using not only our previous experiences, but also the expertise and introduction of technologies to measure earthquake magnitudes and provide early warnings".
The highest authorities of AGCI and JICA participated in the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Cooperation as well as other important national sectors such as the National Emergency Office of the Ministry of Interior (ONEMI in Spanish) and the Ministry of Public Works, Chile (MOP in Spanish). After the ceremony, both representatives will exchange the respective Memoranda in the presence of Prime Minister Shinzō Abe of Japan and President Michelle Bachelet in the Presidential Palace with the purpose of highlighting the commitment of both Governments for cooperation in the Region.
