Mexican businesses launch “Unidos por Ellxs” virtual platform to boost disaster resilience

A coalition of Mexican businesses has launched the virtual platform “Unidos por Ellxs” to better foster collaboration between the private sector, government, the United Nations, and humanitarian partners before, during and after disasters. ARISE Mexico is part of this initiative, which supports private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction in Mexico to improve the country's disaster resilience in the face of more frequent and severe hazard induced emergencies.

“Unidos por Ellxs” is a joint initiative of the Mexican Government, the National Center for Epidemiological Emergencies and Disasters (CENACED A.C.), Connecting Business initiative (CBi), ARISE Mexico, including the regional office of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for Latin America and the Caribbean, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) as well as humanitarian partners. The virtual platform enables members to access training and institutional strengthening activities, identify real needs at the local level from reliable sources, have direct contact with disaster risk management stakeholders, and ensure the transparency of resources donated for the construction of resilient societies through effective accountability.

During the launch event of the platform this March, which was held at the United Nations Headquarters in Mexico City and attended by over 100 people, including representatives from more than 50 corporations, Raul Salazar, Chief of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of collaboration and shared responsibility in reducing disaster risks and improving disaster resilience. 

Salazar highlighted that disaster risk reduction is not the sole responsibility of any one entity or sector, but rather a shared responsibility that requires the involvement and commitment of both the government and private sector. In particular, he emphasized the significant role that both the government and private sector play in the construction of national assets.

Shelley Cheatham, Head of OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Dr. Roberto Delgado, the President of the Advisory Board of CENACED A.C. and President of the Foundation Cuervo, highlighted that "68% of the population has been affected by a disaster, a figure that just coincides with the number of people living in poverty and extreme poverty in Mexico. This shows that vulnerable people are also among the most affected by disasters."

The virtual platform will aid in addressing this challenge by enabling the private sector, government, and humanitarian partners to work together to improve disaster resilience in Mexico.

By working together through initiatives such as "Unidos por Ellxs," Salazar believes that the private sector, government, and humanitarian partners can effectively address the challenges posed by disasters and promote disaster resilience in Mexico. This will require a coordinated and collaborative effort that leverages the expertise and resources of all involved parties to build more resilient communities and ensure that vulnerable populations are better protected before and during times of crisis.

Additionally, Iria González, Regional Coordinator of the Connecting Business Initiative (CBi) for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasized the importance of disaster risk reduction and management to achieve the sustainable development of communities, and the need to work together from the government, humanitarian, development, and private sector entities.

The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) supports private sector engagement before, during, and after emergencies. Since its launch in 2016, CBi's Member Networks have responded to more than 100 crises and assisted around 18 million people. “Unidos por Ellxs” is a multisectoral articulation platform for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) that facilitates the involvement of institutions before, during, and after disasters through resilience and sustainability strategies, working together with ARISE Mexico and CENACED. ARISE is the UNDRR-supported Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies with 29 global networks, helping members big and small work together to prevent disasters so their enterprises and communities can thrive. ARISE Mexico contributes through working groups in all four ARISE focus areas: SME resilience, investment, insurance and resilient infrastructure.

Learn more about Unidos por Ellxs.

Learn more about ARISE Mexico.

Learn more about CBi.