Its a pleasure to open this second High-Level Dialogue between the EU, Latin America, and the Caribbean on Disaster Risk Management. Special thanks to UNDRR for hosting. I also thank the signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding for joining us. You are a crucial part of this discussion.

Todays risks are more complex and unpredictable than ever, and they ignore borders. Recent hurricanes, floods, and wildfires on both sides of the Atlantic show why we need stronger coordination between our regions. This is how we address vulnerabilities and enhance our preparedness.

The EU has been working on disaster preparedness in Latin America and the Caribbean for over thirty years. Since 1994, weve invested over €390 million to help communities prepare, respond, and recover. Thats nearly 18% of our total humanitarian aid to the region. This year alone, the EU has allocated €120 million in humanitarian aid to Latin America and the Caribbean, including for disaster preparedness.

One year ago, our regions came together to sign the Memorandum of Understanding on disaster risk management — a milestone in our shared commitment to building stronger, more prepared societies. Since then, weve made real progress and are now focusing on turning our plans into action.

Congratulations to CDEMA and Chile for your excellent work as the first rotational members of the Secretariat. Your leadership has been invaluable. I also welcome CEPREDENAC and Cuba as you take up your roles. The European Union, UNDRR, and the outgoing Secretariat members will support your success.

Over the past year, weve taken concrete action — from training and best practice exchanges to simulation exercises. This has helped strengthen our ability to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters. An example is the growing interest in Copernicus training sessions, with recent ones held in Colombia and Barbados.

We are working closely with key EU partners, including the European Space Agency, the European Commission, and the Copernicus hub in Panama to ensure that the MoU signatories continue to benefit from this vital resource.

A recent example of the MoU in action occurred last month: representatives from Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization visited Brussels as part of the EUs Amazonia+ programme. This visit focused on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism, a model that could inspire mutual assistance in the region.

Finally, I want to highlight an important step forward: our growing partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank. This could become a cornerstone of the MoUs work, and we are committed to finding new ways to align our efforts and maximize our impact.

We have come a long way together. I thank each of you for the energy, dedication, and vision you have brought to this work. And this is just the beginning. Lets keep up the momentum because the Memorandum of Understanding isnt just words on paper; its a commitment to real action and real impact.

Together, we have the power to shape a safer, stronger, and more sustainable future for the people of our regions. Lets get to work and make it happen.