TOP LEADERS FORUM 2023

10th TOP LEADERS FORUM
“Transforming Victims to Victors:
A Multi-stakeholder Approach to Inclusive Resilience”
October 13, 2023 I Function Rooms 1&2, SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Philippines

In 2012, SM Prime Holdings with the support of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) initiated the inaugural Top Leaders Forum under the theme “Building an Asian Private Partnership to Make Corporations Safer Against Disaster.” This visionary event marked the commencement of a journey aimed at addressing the complex challenges of disaster risk reduction and resilience building. Subsequently, from 2013 to 2019, the UNISDR and eventually the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) with ARISE Philippines and SM Prime Holdings, continued to host the Top Leaders Forum, unwavering in its mission to engage top leaders across government, the private sector, and diverse stakeholders. The central objective remained clear: to collectively identify strategies for fostering resilience within society.

The driving force behind the identification of collaborative strategies has been the recognition of the dynamic and evolving landscape of disaster risk. This commitment aligns with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, outlined by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). NEDA’s strategic blueprint acknowledges the paramount importance of disaster resilience alongside economic growth, thereby aligning the nation’s development goals with the imperative of building a more resilient society.

Moreover, the Philippines’ status as the highest-ranking country in terms of disaster risk, as highlighted in the World Risk Index Report for 2022, underscores the urgency of ARISE Philippines’ mission. This ranking reaffirms the nation’s vulnerability to diverse hazards and emphasizes the pressing need for proactive measures to mitigate disaster impacts. It reinforces the important role of ARISE Philippines and its partners in comprehensively addressing these challenges.

Recognizing the multifaceted impacts of disasters, ARISE Philippines is deeply committed to addressing issues of food security, water security, and peace and justice security. As indicated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the country’s progress in attaining food security has been slow, with food inflation on the rise due to declines in local production of key food commodities. This situation underscores the need for resilience-building strategies that encompass food security, including disaster-resilient agriculture and supply chain management.

In the Philippines, the intricacies of the water-food-energy (WFE) nexus are deeply rooted in the global and local contexts, as highlighted by the “Policy and Ethical Implications of the Water-Food-Energy Nexus” report from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies. This report highlights that these three critical resources—water, food, and energy—are inextricably intertwined and are all subject to external factors. These factors include the challenges posed by rising demand due to high population growth, rapid urbanization, consumerism in newly affluent societies, and market volatility.

The rising demand for these resources, coupled with the looming threats of resource scarcity, has significant implications for our nation’s development and resilience.
Projections by experts like Hoff (2011) indicate that by 2050, there will be a 70 percent increase in the demand for food and a 40-percent increase in the demand for energy. These demands entail the need for strategic planning and resource-efficient practices in our agricultural and energy sectors.

Likewise, by 2030, it is anticipated that the Philippines will face a 40 percent shortage in water supply (Hoff 2011). This alarming statistic shows the urgency of sustainable water management practices and disaster preparedness in the face of changing climate patterns.

In light of these global and local challenges, through the Top Leaders Forum, we can harness the collective wisdom, expertise, and resources of top leaders from government, the private sector, and diverse stakeholders. This resonates with the Philippine Development Plan’s vision, aligning disaster resilience with our nation’s development goals.

The Top Leaders’ Forum is part of a series of events that will be held throughout October for UN Month, which commemorates the founding anniversary of the United Nations and celebrates the collaborations between the UN and its partners in government, civil society, private sector, and the international community. With the theme “SDGs: A Race We Can Win,” this UN Month also aims to inspire action for the Sustainable Development Goals. At this critical moment—the midpoint to our 2030 deadline to achieve the SDGs—UN Month serves as an opportunity to highlight the continuing importance and role of multilateralism and collective action to turn our vision for a better future for all into reality.

OBJECTIVES:
1. To establish and leverage resilience as the foundation for ESG2.
2. To explore the food-water-energy nexus as it relates to disaster resilience.
3. To reinforce the MSME resilience framework by mainstreaming diversity and inclusion in its agenda.
4. To strengthen synergy between the private sector and the government to build inclusive resilience.
5. To promote the adoption of innovative technologies in Disaster Resilience.

View the full Program here.