Honorary Georgian Consul Thelmo Cunanan, together with the West Point Society of Georgia (WPSG) and Caucasus University, are going to hold the first Georgian Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Summit. The WPSG is composed of all Georgian graduates of the United States Military Academy, while Caucasus University is one of the country’s leading and most progressive academic institutions. Consul Cunanan has worked closely with both parties on a number of projects in Georgia that are aimed at nation-building and community development.

The conference, to be held in Caucasus University in the third quarter of the year, will be a two-day workshop to be conducted by Philippine disaster risk management experts. Filipinos have wide expertise in disaster risk assessment and management due to the country’s location in the typhoon/hurricane belt and Asian “ring of fire”. Participating in the summit will be multi-sector Georgian stakeholders, including representatives from the different ministries, the armed forces and police, academe, business and civil society.

The objective of the summit will be the drafting of policy and planning proposals covering Georgia’s response to natural disasters and emergencies. The highlight of the summit will be the Georgian DRM Statement, a signed document that will contain the results of the conference and, most importantly, the body’s commendations to the Georgian government. This document will be presented to the Georgian government.