23 March 2023, 14:00 – 15:15 ET l 19:00 – 20:15 CET
Conference Room 6, UN Headquarters, New York
Co-organized by: The Netherlands, IFRC, UNDRR, and WMO and co-sponsored by AOSIS
This high-level side event will bring together key governments, the UN system, the IFRC
network, and stakeholders:
1) call for significant and urgent investment in locally led climate adaptation measures
now, to protect the lives and livelihoods of billions of people worldwide, especially
those, who are most vulnerable to water related climate disasters;
2) raise awareness of the urgent need for and importance of breaking down silos and
creating incentives for greater alignment of humanitarian, development, and climate
investments across the water, climate and disaster risk reduction sectors;
3) highlight partnerships and initiatives that aim to build community resilience to water
related hazards and demonstrate how the innovate approach of these initiatives can
be scaled.
Programme:
Welcoming remarks by moderator (4 mins)
• Ms. Toni-Shae Freckleton, Chief, UN Disaster Risk Reduction - Liaison Office in New
York (tbc)
Opening remarks (4 mins each)
• H.E. Ms. Liesje Schreinemacher, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development
Cooperation, Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Mr. Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General, IFRC
Setting the scene – Voice from the Ground (4 mins)
• Mr. Robert Kwesiga, Secretary-General, Uganda Red Cross
Spotlight on “Placing Water at the Heart of Climate Action” partnership (3 mins each)
• Ms. Loretta Hieber Girardet, Chief, Risk Knowledge, Monitoring and Capacity-
Development Branch, UNDRR
• Dr. Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director of Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere, WMO
• Mr. Derk Segaar, Director of International Assistance, Netherlands Red Cross
Complementary interventions by UN Member States and stakeholders from the floor (3
mins each)
• H.E. Carlos Mesquita, Minister of Public Works, Housing and Water Resources,
Mozambique
• Ms. Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality,
United States
• TBC
Closing remarks (4 mins each)
• Mr. Petteri Taalas, Secretary-General, WMO
• Ms. Mami Mizutori, Assistant Secretary-General, UNDRR
• H.E. Mr. Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Dr Pa’olelei Luteru, Permanent Representative of
Samoa to the UN and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States
Final wrap-up and thank you (2 mins)
• Mr. Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General, IFRC
