India and International Organisations

Participation in International Efforts

India actively participates in global disaster management initiatives and is a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The country remains committed to achieving its priorities and objectives through structured and institutional efforts.

With its diverse initiatives and expertise, India plays a key role in enhancing regional cooperation among South Asian nations to minimize disaster risks.

India collaborates closely with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) as one of its participating countries.

The country has established agreements with various nations to facilitate cooperation in disaster management. India continues to engage with multiple countries to share knowledge and expertise in this field.

Accepting Foreign Assistance

As a matter of policy, the Government of India does not issue any appeal for foreign assistance in the wake of a disaster. However, if the national government of another country voluntarily offers assistance as a goodwill gesture in solidarity with the disaster victims, the Central Government may accept the offer.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India is required to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, which is primarily responsible for reviewing foreign offers of assistance and channelizing the same. In consultation with the concerned State Government, the MHA will assess the response requirements that the foreign teams can provide.

Accepting Multilateral Assistance

India will consider offers of assistance from UN agencies based on various factors and will accept them only if deemed necessary by the government. If accepted, the Government of India will direct the relevant Ministry or State Government to coordinate with the concerned UN agency.

Any financial aid from UN financial institutions that involves foreign exchange must be approved by the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India.

UN agencies and international NGOs that were already operating in the country before the disaster will be permitted to continue providing humanitarian aid in affected areas. Their efforts must be coordinated with the relevant Central Ministries, Departments, and State Government, following established norms and protocols.

Fostering Partnerships

India is keen to share expertise and work with other countries in the areas of disaster management. India can play a major role for capacity building in the Asia Pacific region and is looking forward to build sustained regional and international partnerships under the Sendai Framework. India is committed to work with countries in the region and beyond in building resilient nations and communities, against disasters.

India is looking forward to engage with the international community in providing humanitarian assistance to other countries in need.

India and International Organisations

The Government of India has a partnership with various international and regional organizations/agencies in the field of Disaster Management such as the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR), Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), SAARC Disaster Management Centre - Interim Unit (SDMC-IU), Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre (ADPC), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and BRICS etc. India was unanimously elected as co- chair of the Consultative Group (CG) of GFDRR for the year 2020 and continued for the year 2021.

In addition, various Meetings/ Conferences/ Exercises were hosted by the Government of India for International and Regional cooperation in the field of disaster management since 2015:

• South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise

(SAADMex) of 2015, in New Delhi.

• Meeting of BRICS Ministers for Disaster Management was held in 2016 in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

• Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016 from 3-5 November 2016 in collaboration with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in New Delhi.

• First Annual Disaster Management Exercise for ‘Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries (BIMSTEC DMEx-2017) in New Delhi

• First India-Japan Workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction

in March, 2018, New Delhi.

• Joint Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Member States to improve collective preparedness in 2019 in New Delhi.

India on assuming the Presidency of the G20 from Indonesia established the first G20 working group on Disaster Risk Reduction, to encourage collective work by the G20, undertake multi-disciplinary research and exchange best practices on disaster risk reduction.

International Engagements In Disaster Management

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh on cooperation in the field of Disaster Management, Resilience and Mitigation.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Italy on Cooperation in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

Agreement between the Republic of India and the Swiss Confederation on Cooperation in the event of Disasters.

Agreement between India and Russia on cooperation in the field of Emergency Management