Plan UK meets the All Party Parliamentary Group of Debt, Aid and Trade (12 December 2005)

Summary: Preparing for the worst: Protecting the poor from natural disasters - Plan UK and the All Party Parliamentary Group of Debt, Aid and Trade are organising a meeting in Parliament on Monday 12 December to launch the UK Department for International Development's latest policy on disaster risk reduction and two major new reports.

• Anders Wijkman MEP, former Director General of the Swedish Agency for Research Cooperation with Developing Countries (SAREC), Secretary General of the Swedish Red Cross, and President of the International Red Cross Disaster Relief Commission.
• Angela Penrose, a trustee of the NGO Plan UK and formerly Head of Policy at Save the Children UK.
• Senior representative from DFID's Conflict, Humanitarian Affairs and Security Department (CHASE).

Angela Penrose will address the role of children in disaster situations as outlined in her report Children and the Tsunami. Mr. Wijkman will examine the balance between high profile relief operations and disaster mitigation, and their roles in long-term development and EU policy. The CHASE representative will present the conclusions from DFID’s forthcoming policy paper on disaster risk reduction and will outline the role of this within the UK's international development strategy. Following the speakers there will be time for questions from the floor.

The discussion will take place on Monday December 12 in Committee Room 5, Houses of Parliament, London UK, at 17:00 pm. Please RSVP to [email protected].