GDRC invited to preparatory discussions for UN Conference
Fri, 31 Oct 2014 09:48:00 GMT
Global Disaster Resilience Centre Professors Dilanthi Amaratunga & Richard Haigh have been invited to be part of the Preparatory Committee (Prep Com) second session discussions, leading up to the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held in Geneva Switzerland in November 2014.
The United Nations General Assembly has set the stage for a new global agreement on reducing the impact of disasters by confirming that the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction will take place in Sendai City, Japan in March 2015. The main item on the Conference agenda is agreement on and adoption of a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), which was, adopted at the last such Conference in 2005 within weeks of the Indian Ocean tsunami and which was attended by representatives from 168 UN Member States. It is also aimed at identifying modalities of cooperation based on commitments to implement a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction; and to determine modalities to periodically review the implementation of a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. Over 8,000 people are expected to attend the 2015 event including heads of State, government ministers, parliamentarians, academics, NGO and other civil society representatives.
General Assembly resolution 68/211 of 2013 established an Open-ended Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee to review organizational and substantive preparations for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. The Preparatory Committee's first session agreed on a draft agenda and proposed rules of procedure for adoption by the Conference. A second session (November 2014) will meet to approve the Conference programme of work and develop the draft post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction.
At the Prep Com, there will be considerations on the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction Zero draft submitted by the Co-Chairs of the Preparatory Committee. Discussions will also include: Priorities for action (Understanding disaster risk; Strengthening governance and institutions to manage disaster risk; Investing in economic, social, cultural, and environmental resilience; Enhancing preparedness for effective response, and building back better in recovery and reconstruction; Role of stakeholders; and International cooperation and global partnership). This will be an ideal opportunity for Richard and Dilanthi to provide valuable input towards this high level activity by incorporating their research findings into the Prep Com process thereby contribute to the HFA successor which will be adopted in 2015.
