Latin America and the Caribbean

From February 4 to 15, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan hosted the 21st Invitation Program for Young Leaders of FEALAC.

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan has been hosting this Program since 2001, soon after FEALAC was established, with the aim to deepen the understanding on common issues in Asia and Latin America, and strengthening the relationship among FEALAC member countries. The theme for this year's program was "Application of Science and Technology for Disaster Risk Reduction", a shared challenge between Asia and Latin America.
2. The program was held online for 4 days during the period and was participated by 30 young leaders from FEALAC member countries participated in this program. On February 4, the FEALAC young leaders received a lecture on Japan's efforts for disaster risk reduction by Cabinet Office, and Higashi Matsushima City explained about the “FutureCity” Initiative. On February 8, Ishinomaki City shared its experiences of Great East Japan Earthquake and the history of reconstruction, as well as Disaster Prevention Research Institute of Kyoto University gave a lecture on the use of technology and disaster risk reduction plan. On February 10, NEC Corporation introduced its efforts for disaster risk reduction with the use of ICT. During the program, the participants exchanged opinions on the cooperation between FEALAC countries and Japan to improve disaster prevention capacity, and on how Latin America and Asia can cooperate amid the pandemic.
3. This program was a meaningful opportunity to introduce Japan's disaster risk reduction effortsas well as to share each country’s efforts and awareness of issues among the participants, with the aim of deepening understanding of common issues in Asia and Latin America and strengthening relations among FEALAC member countries.