Susilo honored as 1st Global Champion of Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday officially recognized the appointment of the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the first global champion of disaster risk reduction on the sidelines of a bilateral meeting between UN and Indonesia. The President is the first person to be designated a global champion by the UN office for disaster management, UNISDR, for making disaster risk reduction a national priority following the Asian tsunami that hit the country on Dec. 26, 2004, just two months after he took office. Margareta Wahlstrom, the UNISDR Chief, said earlier, "Within weeks of taking office, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was confronted with one of the worst disasters in his country's history. He rose to the occasion and set about transforming risk management in Indonesia through a series of far-reaching measures which will be an enduring part of his political legacy." As part of his new role as Global Champion, the President will continue to advocate and promote the importance of disaster risk reduction, particularly in the areas of school and hospital safety. The UN-Indonesia meeting is part of the ongoing 19th ASEAN Summit and related Summits on Nov. 17-19 in which leaders from Indonesia and UN exchanged views on fostering relations, strengthening the resilience of communities and individuals in face of disasters, as well as enhancing cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation.