About RP27
The IX Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean will be hosted by The Bahamas in Nassau in 8-11 March 2027.
RP27 is the principal regional forum for governments, intergovernmental bodies, civil society, science, the private sector, youth and local communities across the Americas and Caribbean to advance implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.
What is the Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction?
Regional Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction are recognised by the Sendai Framework (A/RES/69/283) as critical mechanisms to monitor progress on its implementation at the regional level. They play an instrumental role in the development of policies and strategies and in the advancement of knowledge and mutual learning.
Regional Platforms have provided an opportunity for governments, intergovernmental bodies, the private sector, civil society, the academic, scientific and technological community, and donors, as well as other relevant and diverse stakeholders in the region, to exchange experiences and support decision-making for the implementation of the Regional Action Plan (RAP) for the Sendai Framework in the Americas and the Caribbean.
The RAP, first agreed in March 2017 in Montreal, Canada, was updated under the auspices of the Government of Jamaica in November 2021, and further adjustments were then made in March 2023 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, to reflect the findings of the Midterm Review Process of the Sendai Framework in the region.
About RP27
At the heart of RP27 is a simple but urgent truth: resilience begins with good governance. At a time when climate change is increasing the intensity and/or frequency of some hazards and deepening vulnerability across the region, governance must be defined by bold decisions. The Bahamas knows this firsthand. Its Disaster Risk Management Act (2022) and the establishment of the Disaster Risk Management Authority have charted a new course for the country that can serve as a regional example.
The RP27 theme carries that lesson outward, challenging not only the host country but every Member State to summon the courage and resolve to lead with purpose. The words are deliberate. “Bold Decisions” because courage will be needed to redefine the status quo and move beyond rhetoric. “Resilient Futures” to ensure that disaster risk reduction remains at the core, because the lives and safety of people across the region are at stake. And “Governance for Innovation & Impact” to underscore that resilience is built through systems that foster creativity, drive action, and deliver results that communities can feel.
RP27 is an opportunity to reaffirm its political character and purpose, positioning it as a space where governments demonstrate commitment, foster bold decision-making, and advance a shared vision for resilience. Anchoring RP27 in high-level political engagement not only strengthens accountability but also ensures that its outcomes resonate with both national and regional priorities, offering a strategic opportunity to align discussions and proposed actions with the outcomes of the Sixth High-Level Meeting of Ministers and Authorities on the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, held in Saint Kitts and Nevis in December 2024, while developing a coherent pathway from technical dialogue to high-level political endorsement.
The RP27 will be the last Regional Platform before the Fourth United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Building on progress under the Sendai Framework, the post-2030 arrangements will need to consolidate existing gains while integrating new targets and commitments emerging from broader UN post-2030 processes, including negotiations on the sustainable development agenda and preparations for the Fourth World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and its outcome. In this context, the post-2030 agenda offers a critical opportunity to embed risk-informed development and investment, resilient infrastructure, and strengthened risk governance as core enablers of sustainable development, ensuring that future global commitments systematically address evolving, systemic, and cascading risks across social, economic, and environmental dimensions. RP27 will be a crucial step on the road to the post-2030 discussions, offering a space to gather regional priorities and inputs for the process while offering a space to understand the contributions of the RAP to advance in key areas, such as financing for disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure, among others.
Bold Decisions for Resilient Futures: Governance for Innovation & Impact
RP27 will focus on key thematic areas where action can drive impact and innovation in reducing disaster risk while strengthening recovery readiness: (i) comprehensive risk knowledge, (ii) financing resilient infrastructure, and (iii) locally led disaster risk reduction. These themes will prioritise building synergies with climate action and leveraging technology and innovation to maximise impact, with particular attention to the unique challenges and opportunities faced by SIDS.
Key focus areas
- Resilient recovery — breaking the cycle of repeated disaster through risk-informed reconstruction
- Risk financing — adequate, equitable and effective financing for Caribbean SIDS and the wider region
- Proactive disaster governance — comprehensive legislative and institutional frameworks
- Multi-hazard early warning — advancing Sendai Target G and the Early Warnings for All initiative
- All-of-society approaches — inclusive participation of women, youth, Indigenous peoples and local communities
- Sendai Framework 2030 review — regional stocktake ahead of the final framework assessment
Previous Regional Platforms
The Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Americas and the Caribbean has convened since 2009, providing a continuous mechanism for regional accountability under successive international frameworks.
VIII Regional Platform convened under the slogan Science and Technology for the Comprehensive Management of Disaster Risk. It placed science, technology and Early Warning Systems at the centre of the regional agenda.
The VII Regional Platform convened under the theme ‘Building Resilient Economies in the Americas and the Caribbean’ to raise awareness of the increasing economic and human cost of disasters in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Hosted by the Government of Colombia in cooperation with UNDRR, the Regional Platform represented an opportunity for governments, private sector, civil society and other actors to exchange experiences for the implementation of the Regional Action Plan.
The main focus of the V Regional Platform was to discuss how governments, ministers, civil society leaders, technical and scientific institutions, private sector, media could drive the implementation and measurement of the Sendai Framework.
The IV session held in Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2014 was a multisectoral participatory forum which reflected the commitments and concerns of governments, intergovernmental and international organizations, community organizations, scientific and media.
The III Regional Platform brought together key disaster risk reduction actors from across North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Held under the Hyogo Framework for Action, it organised its work around technical cooperation, public investment, urban risk, civil society participation and public policy.
The II Regional Platform brought together governments, civil society, intergovernmental agencies, academia and the private sector from across the Americas and the Caribbean. Held under the Hyogo Framework for Action, it focused on disaster risk reduction as an integral part of development processes at the regional, national and local levels.
The I Regional Platform, held in Panama City, was the founding session of the region's disaster risk reduction forum, bringing together governments, international agencies, civil society and the scientific and private sectors from across the Americas. Held under the Hyogo Framework for Action, it set out to establish a permanent, hemisphere-wide multi-stakeholder mechanism and bridge the Global and National Platforms.
About UNDRR
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) is the focal point in the UN system for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030. UNDRR oversees and supports the implementation of the Sendai Framework, monitors and reports on its progress, and convenes the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and Regional Platforms.
UNDRR's Regional Office for the Americas and the Caribbean works with governments, civil society and the private sector across the region to reduce disaster losses and build resilience. The office supports countries in developing national and local disaster risk reduction strategies aligned with the Sendai Framework and the Regional Action Plan.
About the host country
An archipelago nation of 700 islands and cays, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas has become a regional leader in proactive, community-centred disaster risk management.
The Bahamas lies at the intersection of Atlantic hurricane tracks and is among the most disaster-exposed nations in the Caribbean. Following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Dorian in 2019, the Government of The Bahamas undertook a comprehensive reform of its disaster risk management architecture. The Disaster Risk Management Act 2022 — which came into full effect in 2024 — consolidated all phases of disaster management (prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery) under a single national authority and established innovative financing mechanisms including dedicated national resilience funds.
Community preparedness programmes across the Family Islands ensure that resilience is built from the ground up, with local disaster plans developed through genuine community participation. Regular Regional Disaster Readiness Exercises (RDRX) and tabletop simulations, conducted in partnership with UNDRR and regional organisations, have made preparedness a lived practice rather than a periodic exercise.
Disaster Risk Management Authority
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) / Disaster Risk Management Authority is the specific national authority responsible for coordinating comprehensive disaster risk management in The Bahamas. It is the co-host of RP27 alongside UNDRR.
Nassau, The Bahamas
Nassau is the capital and largest city of The Bahamas, located on the island of New Providence. It is a major hub for Caribbean regional diplomacy and home to a number of regional and international organisations. Practical information on travel, accommodation and accessibility will be published as RP27 preparations advance.