Centre signs headquarters agreement with CDRI, enables international status.

• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Government of India (GoI) signed a headquarters agreement in New Delhi.
• The agreement will enable the status of an ‘Independent and International Legal Entity’ for CDRI.
• The agreement was signed by Amit Prothi, Director General, CDRI and Noor Rahman Sheikh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, and will enable the institution to pursue functions internationally with all rights, immunities, and privileges, as per the United Nations (Privileges & Immunities) Act, 1947.

About

• The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) is a partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programmes, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector, and knowledge institutions that aims to promote the resilience of new and existing infrastructure systems to climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
• CDRI promotes rapid development of resilient infrastructure to respond to the Sustainable Development Goals’ imperatives of expanding universal access to basic services, enabling prosperity and decent work.

The following are CDRI’s strategic priorities: 

• Technical Support and Capacity-building: This includes disaster response and recovery support; innovation, institutional and community capacity-building assistance; and standards and certification.
• Research and Knowledge Management: This includes collaborative research; global flagship reports; and a global database of infrastructure and sector resilience.
• Advocacy and Partnerships: This includes global events and initiatives; marketplace of knowledge financing and implementation agencies; and dissemination of knowledge products.