Mr. BAN-Ki Moon, highlighting the importance of linking disaster risk reduction to sustainable development and efforts to tackle climate change.
UN Secretary-General BAN-Ki Moon (R), UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner (C) and WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud at the opening of the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction
14 March 2015,The UN Secretary General BAN-Ki Moon opened the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction today in Sendai, Japan. “Sustainability starts in Sendai”, stated Mr. BAN-Ki Moon, highlighting the importance of linking disaster risk reduction to sustainable development and efforts to tackle climate change. With annual economic losses from disasters now exceeding over $US 300 billion, he said “we can dramatically lower those figures by investing in sustainable development”.
With over 4,000 people in attendance, including representatives from 186 countries, Mr. BAN-Ki Moon further added that this conference “was the highest-level meeting on disaster risk reduction in history” and the first stop towards shaping the sustainable development and climate change agendas which will be deliberated on later this year.His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress of Japan were among the high-level attendees to honour the conference with their presence.
Also speaking at the Opening Ceremony, the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe, today pledged $US 4 billion to support implementation of the “Sendai Cooperation Initiative for Disaster Risk Reduction” over the next four years.
Also in attendance wasUN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director Mr.Achim Steiner, who moderated a Special Session with UN Chief Executives as panellists. Entitled “United Nations, People and Action for Resilience”, the session stimulated discussion amongst UN principals on their vision of a post-2015 DRR agenda, what is needed to significantly scale-up disaster risk reduction efforts, and how the UN can collectively support the resilience of countries and communities.
The importance of understanding disasters primarily as a development challenge and the need for risk-sensitive development programming in countries was an overarching message echoed by UN principals. Learning how to become agile in responding to the volatility and uncertainties of climate change impacts was another key message.
UN agencies represented in the panel discussion included the UNDevelopment Programme, the Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Water and Disaster Risk Reduction, the UNOffice for Project Services, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations University, the International Organization for Migration and the World Bank.
Mr. Steiner highlighted the importance of identifying solutions that rich and poor, developed and developing countries, are able to implement in tackling disasters. Among these include ecosystem-based solutions that help reduce disasters and build resilience. He cited the recent example in the Philippines where the government pledged $US 22 million to rehabilitate coastal forests as natural buffers against storms, as part of recovery efforts from Typhoon Yolanda.
Negotiations will continue at the five-day Conference to agree on a new framework for disaster risk reduction, which will be the successor to the current Hyogo Framework for Action expiring this year and guide new investments for the next ten years.
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