New Delhi: The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) on Tuesday designated union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champion for the Asia Region.

The honor was conferred by Margarete Wahlstrom, special representative of the UN Secretary General for Disaster Risk Reduction, during the inaugural session of the Asia Leaders' Meeting towards Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR in Asia.

Lauding Rijiju's performance, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said: "The constant efforts of Kiren Rijiju in the field of Disaster Management have resulted in recognition of India as DRR regional champion by the United Nations."

Accepting the honor, Rijiju said: "This recognition is an onerous responsibility on India and in my personal capacity to make India, Asia-Pacific and the world a whole safer and better prepared to deal with any disaster."

Emphasizing the role of DRR in development and poverty eradication, he said: "We recognize the importance of including disaster and climate risk management as an integral part of development planning and programs to realize the global goals of sustainable development and poverty eradication."

The function was attended by Afghanistan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea and Thailand ministers and delegates from various countries and international organizations.

(IANS)