- Hon Mark Mitchell
An agreement signed on Thursday between New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Public Safety Canada will strengthen international cooperation on emergency management matters says Emergency Management and Recovery Minister, Mark Mitchell.
"With the frequency and severity of emergencies increasing globally, it's important, now more than ever, that countries work together to build resilience and reduce risk.
"The Government is committed to improving our global and national emergency management system, and the Memorandum of Cooperation signed is another positive step towards this.
"This new Memorandum will help to strengthen risk reduction, readiness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and emergencies in both our countries.
"New Zealand and Canada both face significant challenges from natural hazards and other emergencies, so there's a lot we can learn from each other, including sharing best practices and lessons learned from past emergencies.
"The Memorandum of Cooperation will formalise the already strong working relationship between NEMA and Public Safety Canada through information and data sharing between our two countries, and boost opportunities to engage in joint research, conferences, workshops, and exercises.
"The agreement will support our ongoing engagements and allow us to draw on Canada's experience and expertise on issues that are top of mind for New Zealand, such as catastrophic planning, incorporating indigenous knowledge and capability, and uplifting the emergency management system," Mr Mitchell says.
Media contact: Fleur Thompson - 021 895 619
Notes to editors:
The agreement is part of NEMA's work as an internationally recognised leader in emergency management. NEMA supports Emergency Management initiatives in the global arena with a specific focus on the Pacific and commitments under the United Nations and regional frameworks.
NEMA also has Memorandums of Cooperation with the Australian National Emergency Management Agency, Fiji National Disaster Management Office, the United States' Federal Emergency Management Agency and The Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Authority.
