SELA, CISS and CELAC will address continuity of government and operations in the face of emergencies and disasters in webinar

On Tuesday 18 May 2021, the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System (SELA) and the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS), together with the Pro Témpore Presidency of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), in charge of Mexico, will hold the virtual seminar: "Continuity of Government and Operations in Emergencies and Disasters".

The economic and social development of the region could be hampered by disasters if the necessary preventive measures are not taken to mitigate their negative impact. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the need to refine strategic and operational plans in the face of potential catastrophic events of this type.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, it has been proved that protocols, procedures and legislation need to be strengthened in order to ensure continuity of government when the chain of command and governance is affected, as well as the provision of essential public services in emergency situations. Equally important is the cooperation and coordination that must be carried out within each country and externally with neighbouring nations to ensure the proper functioning of government and private institutions, as well as the care for citizens so as to guarantee the necessary public services, in particular those related to health.

Hence the importance of establishing public policies that incorporate early forecasting and reduce the surprise factor in unfavourable incidents, mainly in the protection and social security sectors, closely linked to governments and the private sector. The better prepared the institution with programs or protocols is, the better its conditions for responding to disaster situations will be.

This webinar will discuss the continent's recent Operations Continuity (COOP) and Continuity of Government (COG) strategies, guiding institutions to generate preparedness and response capabilities to mitigate the negative impact of a disaster and continue their operations. The Webminar will also provide a space to identify regional experiences in the fight against COVID-19.

The panel will be made up by Claudia Herrera, Executive Secretary of CEPREDENAC; Colonel. (R) Sergio Rico, National Director of SINAE; Elisa Trujillo, Director of the NATIONAL NETWORK ARISE Mexico, and Nelson Hernández, Specialized Professional and leader in Prospective Intervention and Financial Protection of the Sub-Direction for Risk Reduction in the Pro Témpore Presidency of Colombia of CAPRADE. The moderator of the event will be Ana Ramírez Cuevas, of the Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Environment and Caribbean Sea of the Association of Caribbean States (AEC).

The opening session will be in charge of the Permanent Secretary of SELA, Ambassador Javier Paulinich; Dr. Efraín Guadarrama Pérez, National Coordinator of Mexico to CELAC, and Dr. Daisy Corrales Díaz, Director of the Inter-American Center for Social Security Studies of the CISS.

For registration click of the following link: https://bit.ly/3aBAnkb