Indonesia, Jakarta, 15 May 2016 – Politics plays a very significant role in enhancing resilience, said Mr. Roberto Valent, Special Representative to United Nations Development Programme’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP).

“Palestine is occupied and Gaza has been blockaded. We see territorial fragmentation and identity fragmentation, which must be resolved by political decision.” He made the remarks at a forum on enhancing resillinece in IDB Group memebr countries, in Jakarta, on Sunday, 15 May, 2016 which was held in conjunction with the 41st Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB).

Ambassador Musa Kulaklikaya, Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), stressed that there are several ways to enhance resilience: inclusive development, social mediation, capacity building, and intensifying management practices.

H.E. Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood, Under-Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said that governments should involve youth and the wider community as a way to help reduce the risk of humanitarian disaster. “Every country should have a better planning and strategy for disaster management. Government should be involved in every level,” she said.

H.E. Dr. Mohammed Abdul-Wahed Al-Maitami is IsDB’s Governor from Yemen, whose country is currently in a protracted civil war. He urged OIC member countries and all partners to work together to develop short-term and long-term plans and funding for countries facing humanitarian and natural disasters.
“Despite civil conflicts, we managed to reach several development goals,” he said. “However, we need to focus on public infrastructure.”
The speakers concluded that all countries need to develop innovative strategies to tackle resilience.
The discussion took place during the side event “Enhancing Resilience in IsDB Member Countries – Humanitarian & Development Nexus.”

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About the Islamic Development Bank:
IsDB is a multilateral development bank with headquarters in Jeddah, KSA. It consists of 57 member countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. The purpose of the bank is to foster the economic development and social progress in its member countries, and Muslim communities in non-member countries. The Bank has regional offices in Kuala Lampur (Malaysia), Rabat (Morocco), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Dakar (Senegal), and several gateway offices and field representatives in different parts of the
world.
For more information:
isdb.org