ADR2022 Panama
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ADR2020 Panama
ADR2023 CEPREDENAC Workshop
4:30pm Tuesday, February 21st


The need for a database of local suppliers for States and International Organizations in an emergency situation.

 
Background:






Central America is a region highly exposed to the occurrence of disasters, with a high vulnerability of the region due to its geographical location, being exposed to the incidents of various threats such as hurricanes, floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic activity, droughts and forest fires. Central America is also the second most vulnerable region in the world to climate risks.
 
The impact of disasters on the ability of Central American countries to invest in their development was evidenced in 2020, by the complex emergencies generated by the passage of hurricanes Eta and Iota, in the midst of the health crisis associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The occurrence of multiple disasters and emergencies simultaneously, or in a short period of time, amplifies the impact and makes care, rehabilitation, recovery, and financing tasks more complex. The financial and economic impact goes beyond direct damages and losses: economic activity and the fiscal situation are affected, both through reduced income and increased expenses, and increased debt, which reduces the attention and resources dedicated to the execution of development plans and strategies.
 
According to the United Nations Regional Assessment Report on Disaster Risk in Latin America and the Caribbean (RAR), the annual average of disaster losses between 1980 and 2018 in Latin American countries has been equivalent to 1.5%. of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Executive Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Finance of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (SE-COSEFIN) emphasizes the difficulty that countries of the region have in balancing efforts to increase public spending on social protection, reduce the tax burden and the debt burden, especially considering that the countries of the region with the lowest level of GDP per capita are, in turn, the most affected by the losses caused by disasters. Consequently, the region must prepare to respond to new emergencies, but at the same time redouble efforts to transform the path of its development, so that it is sustainable, safe, resilient, and inclusive.
 
World Bank reports indicate that the economic cost of climatic and hydrometeorological disasters (droughts, floods, among others) registered in Central America in the last 20 years is around 37,338 million dollars.
 
Countries and international organizations, as part of their preparation process, pre-position an inventory of supplies for emergency use, but in most cases, it is necessary to urgently purchase equipment, utensils, and supplies to meet demand.
 
One of the main problems is finding local suppliers that meet the conditions, standards, and response times. Approximately 60% of the acquisitions during the emergency process are requested from suppliers in Asia and the United States, but the time of transportation, customs entry and reception impacts the agile response process.
 
Justification:
Given the above context, the Council of Representatives of CEPREDENAC has instructed to consolidate the Regional Humanitarian Assistance Mechanism (MEC-REG/SICA), complementing it through initiatives linked to the operational technical response in the field, within the framework of assistance and humanitarian aid among the member countries of CEPREDENAC.
 
The new version of the MEC-REG / SICA, has been updated in 2023 taking into account the action plan mandated at the LV Meeting of Heads of State and Government of the Central American Integration System (SICA) on June 24, 2021, and the agreements of the Council of Representatives of CEPREDENAC to consolidate it.
 
The updating axis of this new Regional Mechanism focus on streamlining customs processes during land, sea and air transit in emergency situations, as well as structuring a database of regional suppliers, previously validated, who have the ability to position the requirements of countries and international organizations in the shortest possible time, during an emergency, disaster or calamity situation.
 
Objectives:
Publicize the coordination processes of humanitarian assistance that facilitate the application of the protocols and procedures of the Regional Mechanism for Humanitarian Assistance on Disasters in the SICA region at different levels.
  • Publicize the Regional Humanitarian Assistance Mechanism, MEC-REG/SICA.
  • Present the Regional Computer System that operates the Regional Humanitarian Assistance Mechanism, MEC-REG APP.
  • Publicize the registration bases of regional providers for the new administrative module.
Workshop Topics:
  • Context of the Region.
  • What is the Regional Humanitarian Assistance Mechanism (MEC-REG/SICA)?
  • The MEC-REG APP.
  • Supplier Registration Bases.
  • Supplier Validation Phases.
  • Planning to Start the Process.