By: Kamal Kishore (Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction), Jarbas Barbosa (Director, Pan American Health Organization), Dima Al-Khatib (Director, United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation)
The Urgency of Coordination
The Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030) reveals a stark reality: risk creation is outpacing risk reduction. This is most clearly seen in our cities. As climate change accelerates and urban populations swell, cities worldwide are at the forefront of today’s most pressing development challenges – from disasters to health emergencies.
These challenges are multi-dimensional and transcend geographic boundaries. Therefore, addressing them demands three things: that we break bureaucratic silos for better coordination among sectors, involve all members of society to ensure no one is left behind, and foster international cooperation to share best practices and innovations.
Five Years of Transformative Learning
This is why the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) have been partnering together for the past five years, to turn shared knowledge and practical tools into tangible urban resilience. By facilitating peer learning and scaling localized solutions, South-South and triangular cooperation bridges the gap between policy and practice.
This UN partnership started at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and has resulted in five annual certificate training programmes, delivered via both live sessions and self-paced e-learning modules. This joint effort has to date benefited over 17,500 practitioners across more than 1,100 cities from 155 countries.
During our most recent joint training that concluded in March 2025, 1,846 participants from more than 700 cities across 151 countries and territories were convened. We are proud of the diverse makeup of the participants, as 44.2% were female, nearly half were youth (48.5% under age 35), and we had meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities (3% of participants). Moreover, 30% of participants represented local and national governments, ensuring the solutions shared take root where they are needed most.
That said, the most important metric has been the real-world impact. According to the post-training survey, 93% of participants said they gained actionable tools, 91% gained insights to address gaps in their DRR strategies, and 89% reported being satisfied with the training.
Here are some samples of the feedback from participants:
- “The integration of AI and GIS in disaster management was groundbreaking. I’m already applying these tools in my work,” said an urban planner from Türkiye.
- “Learning how communities, governments, and organizations collaborate to mitigate risks was eye-opening,” a Nigerian participant noted.
- A woman with disabilities and a leader of an Organization of Persons with Disabilities (OPD) in Cameroon said “The inclusive approach and emphasis on good practices were truly commendable. I am confident that such initiatives will continue to multiply, fostering greater resilience and sustainable development globally.”
- “This course showed how cities can transform preparedness into action,” said a participant from the Philippines.
- UNDRR advanced inclusive DRR by offering tools such as the MCR2030 Scorecard Annex to integrate persons with, and to capture their needs in the planning processes and ensure no one is left behind.
- PAHO/WHO focused on integrating health disaster risk reduction into building resilient cities and societies, including urban preparedness, response, and recovery, and addressing the disproportionate impact of health emergencies and disasters on populations in vulnerable situations, for a more inclusive and resilient future.
- UNOSSC supported the initiative under its “China-UN Global South-South Development Facility”, and showcased proven solutions and connected cities globally, fostering a global community of practice for local actors.
- UN + Countries + Cities collaborated through pooled funding, specializations, expertise and networks that amplify impact, peer-to-peer exchanges of urban solutions, and shared technological innovation. It has fostered a living network where national policy makers, city mayors, disaster risk managers, health professionals and their stakeholders co-create solutions, proving that multilateral cooperation is not just about resources, it is about transforming how we collectively build resilience.
