Germany National Platform

History

Following the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015 – 2030) the German Federal Government established an Interministerial Working Group for the implementation of the Sendai Framework (IMAG Sendai) (restructured in 2018). 

In the same year the National Focal Point (NFP) has been nominated within the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). The NFP coordinates and advises between the IMAG Sendai and other relevant actors in Germany. 

Since 2016, the German Red Cross has been organizing the German Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction with the support of the German Federal Foreign Office. The event's main focus is the dialogue on current topics, challenges and innovative approaches to enable synergies between international and national disaster risk reduction. This conference has provided the opportunity to record the overall progress in the implementation of the SFDRR and allowed public participation in the development of the German Resilience Strategy or the Monitoring. Therefore, the conference is currently supported by the NFP in Germany, the DKKV and the Katastrophennetz e.V. 

Since 2020 the German Webportal on Disaster Risk Management (KatRiMa.de) serves as a virtual information exchange platform. Every institution or organisation can participate and publish information on their mandate/activities, tools and good practices. Funding for this Webportal has been provided by the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development as well as the Ministry of Interior.   

Additional steps were taken in the past years to further develop the National Platform and enhance its outreach to various stakeholders from different sectors and levels. In 2023, an initial participation process with various stakeholders took place. 
 

Structure

Current permanent members and functions:

• The Interministerial Working Group for the implementation of the Sendai Framework (IMAG Sendai) steers all activities related to the SFDRR and the German Resilience Strategy. All federal government ministries are involved in this working group. 
• The Authorities Working Group consists of several federal authorities and provides technical support to the IMAG Sendai related to different sectors and various hazards. 

The IMAG Sendai as well as the Authorities Working Group currently form the institutional core of the German National Platform and meet bi-annually.

• The National Focal Point (NFP) has the role of a coordinating office for all joint meetings and activities of these groups and is mandated to act on behalf of the German Federal Government in various international processes related to the SFDRR.

The German  Resilience Strategy envisages the further development of a National Platform for Strengthening Resilience to Disasters in Germany. This includes the cooperation and exchange between the government institutions and the civil society stakeholders, the scientific community, the media and the private sector in Germany. 

In 2024 these non-governmental groups will be invited to elect members for a coordination group. In the sense of a network of networks the coordination group will pool expertise and interests by reaching out to a wider number of experts, which represent various stakeholders. The first formal meeting of the coordination group will take place in connection with the 2024 German Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. By then a working program will be jointly defined for the next years, related to topics such as progress monitoring and documentation of lessons learned. 
 

Mandate

The NFP within the BBK was mandated to guide the establishment of the National Platform and foster stakeholder participation in the implementation process of the SFDRR in Germany. As such it serves as information hub for organizations and initiatives involved in disaster risk reduction.