A three-day international workshop on humanitarian assistance and disaster response hosted by the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) started in Taipei yesterday to promote cross-border partnerships, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said.
Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chief Representative Kazuyuki Katayama and National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Cheng-wen (吳誠文) gave the opening addresses at the workshop, titled “Global Public-Private Partnerships in HA/DR [humanitarian assistance/disaster response]: Disaster Governance and Sustainable Operation,” said the AIT, one of the organizers of the event.
More than 150 people — including 47 international participants from 34 countries and areas, some of whom are senior government officials, humanitarian aid professionals and private-sector leaders — attended the opening day of the workshop, which ends tomorrow, the AIT said in a statement.
Photo courtesy of the NSTC
Through six thematic sessions and two panel discussions, the program is to explore the role of non-governmental organizations, public-private collaboration in building disaster resilience, the application of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and early warning systems, and practices in international coordination, it said.
After day two, participants are to examine Taiwan’s disaster preparedness and coordination, with visits to the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation for a demonstration of innovative humanitarian technologies, the National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction and the Taipei Central Emergency Operation Center, it said.
The GCTF was launched in 2015 by Taiwan and the US as a platform to enable Taiwan to share its expertise on and contribute to global issues alongside international partners, as Taipei has been sidelined at major international organizations due to Chinese pressure.
Japan, Australia and Canada joined the framework as full partners in 2019, 2021 and last year respectively.
Since its launch, the GCTF has held 88 international workshops on topics such as public health, law enforcement cooperation, women’s empowerment, energy efficiency, e-commerce, cybersecurity, HA/DR and media literacy.
More than 10,000 government officials, experts and civil society representatives from 133 countries have participated in the events, which were held locally and in 17 countries worldwide, the AIT said.
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