Strong leadership at all levels will help break the silos approach that often choke disaster operations says Minister for Disaster Management, Inia Seruiratu.

This was highlighted in his statement at the opening ceremony of the 2nd Session of the Stakeholder Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction in Bali, Indonesia yesterday.

Seruiratu says to have a good system, a strong leadership and vision is needed at the decision making process in Government.

He therefore acknowledged the leadership and vision of Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama for taking decisive and bold actions when it comes to disaster and climate change matters.

Seruiratu says in order to remove working in silos mentality in DRR, a robust governance and legal framework is needed to execute decisions made.

He stressed that a good legislative framework can be a conduit of good operations and better results and outcomes.

He adds that technical support from peer disaster management offices, experts and donor partners also play a critical role in ongoing review and continuous improvement.

Seruiratu stated that from policy development to project implementation, working in silos has never been a successful model.

He says a whole-of-society community inclusive approach is a best fit for creating and prioritising DRR policies and strategies.

The Stakeholder Forum gave an opportunity to share experiences and promote an all-of-society approach for the successful implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

This was the first key agreement of the post-2015 development agenda.