Geneva, 14 December 2021. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kamar Dagang dan Industri Indonesia, or KADIN) has joined the OCHA-UNDP Connecting Business initiative (CBi) as its newest Member Network. The partnership between CBi and KADIN will help strengthen private sector disaster preparedness, response and recovery in Indonesia.
Norimasa Shimomura, UNDP Resident Representative in Indonesia, said "UNDP is pleased to welcome the UN’s new collaboration with KADIN which will provide much-needed support to Indonesia’s most vulnerable communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the importance of forging new collaboration with non-traditional development players to meet the needs of vulnerable populations. This new partnership is in line with our continued actions with the government and the private sector to ensure that no one is left behind."
Indonesia is highly exposed and vulnerable to natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, droughts, and landslides. Following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, one the deadliest disasters in history, Indonesia has heavily invested in disaster preparedness and resilience. But as climate change and rapid development increase the country’s disaster risks, collaboration between the private sector and other stakeholders is needed more than ever to integrate disaster resilience into development.
According to Arsjad Rasjid, KADIN Chairperson, “Partnering with the Connecting Business initiative will help us strengthen the links between the Government, the private sector and the UN so that our local businesses and communities are able to manage disasters more efficiently. From the business perspective, it’s a smart thing to do.”
CBi will provide technical support to KADIN in risk profiling and business continuity planning for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and will help KADIN launch a Business Emergency Operations Centre. These activities align with the priorities announced by Indonesia as it assumes the G20 Presidency in 2022 as well as local needs identified by KADIN as priorities for this new collaboration.
“As humanitarian needs around the world reach an all-time high, the contributions and expertise of the private sector are crucial to help save lives and support livelihoods,” said Victoria Saiz-Omenaca, Head of OCHA’s Office in Indonesia.
A joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) initiative, CBi supports private sector engagement before, during and after disasters. Since CBi’s launch in 2016, its Member Networks have responded to more than 100 crises and assisted around 17 million people.
For more information about the Connecting Business initiative, visit connectingbusiness.org.
For media inquiries, please contact Priscilla Lecomte: lecomte@un.org.