Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction

      First session, Geneva, Switzerland
      5 - 7 June 2007

 

GP Acting with common purpose
Acting with Common Purpose
Proceedings of the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
[English] - [Spanish]


UN/ISDR logo
United Nations
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

 

Programme

 

The session put particular emphasis on topical issues of concern to policy makers and specific substantive themes linked to the first priority for action in the Hyogo Framework: Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a national and a local priority with a strong institutional basis for implementation. Please check the Provisional Agenda and the Timetable for further information.

 

On the first day of the session, a high level dialogue considered the urgency for all stakeholders to engage in disaster risk reduction from three perspectives:

  • Reducing disaster risk through the Hyogo Framework for Action as a key strategy for climate change adaptation.

  • Challenges in reducing disaster risk in urban settings and mega-cities.

  • Roadblocks, costs, and opportunities to implement disaster risk reduction policy.

These discussions brought together senior policy-makers, experts and practitioners who shared views from their respective experiences.

 

On the second day a series of session workshops addressed thematic priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action. They provided an opportunity for participants to exchange good practice and lessons learned from their work experience. They also offered guidance in specific subject areas. The themes chosen for the first session are:

  • Make disaster risk reduction a national and local priority: exchange of experience among countries and organizations on different institutional options and national platforms.

  • Integrate disaster risk reduction in different sectors: exchange of experience among a range of stakeholders on lessons learned in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in the fields of:

- Reducing Risk in Health Facilities and the Health Sector
- Education for Disaster Risk Reduction and Safer Schools in Communities at Risk
- Ecosystems and Environmental Management for Risk Reduction
- Strengthening Disaster Risk Reduction through Preparedness

On the third day of the plenary sessions focused on monitoring progress in implementation of the Hyogo Framework and identified gaps, opportunities and priorities for further action by ISDR system partners. The results of the workshops were brought to the plenary on the third day.

 

The Global Platform provided a venue for parallel meetings and side events, independently arranged by ISDR system partners addressing a range of issues of relevance to disaster risk reduction.