The XVIII Meeting of the INSARAG Regional Group in the Americas and the VI UNDAC Regional Consultation meeting were held jointly from 12-14 November 2019 in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The meeting was hosted by the Government of Argentina through the White Helmets Commission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, in its capacity as INSARAG Regional Chair and organized jointly with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in its capacity as INSARAG Secretariat.
The meeting was opened by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Argentine Republic, Ambassador Jorge Marcelo Faurie in the Palacio San Martin. The Minister underlined his country’s commitment to INSARAG and multilateralism under the coordination of the United Nations, inviting participants to take advantage of the forum of the meeting to promote and improve the work carried out jointly. Ambassador Alejandro Daneri, President of the White Helmets Commission and INSARAG Regional Chair in 2019, Mr. Carlos Passarelli, United Nations Resident Coordinator ad interim and Mr. Dario Alvarez, representative of the OCHA Regional Office also gave welcoming speeches.
A total of 49 participants from 16 countries, as well from the Organization of American Firefighters (OBA in Spanish) and OCHA gathered in the meeting. Countries and organizations were represented by their INSARAG and/or UNDAC focal points.
Unlike previous years, it was this time to fully integrate the UNDAC and INSARAG agenda into one meeting, with the intention of promoting the identification of synergies and increasing the level of awareness of both networks by all participants.
Below is a link to the summary of the meeting. All presentations as well as meeting documents can be found on the meeting website of the Virtual OSOCC (https://vosocc.unocha.org/rss/6482w_INSARAGUNDACArgentina2019.html)