GNDR post HFA debate - regional and online discussions

Introduction

Work is under way to fashion a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Reduction, which was established by the UN in 2005 for a ten year period. During that time the Global Network for Disaster Reduction has been founded and has pursued the 'Views from the Frontline' programme of complementary assessments of the Framework. This action research has highlighted challenges including a persistent gap between policy and action, limited progress in addressing underlying causes, the need to strengthen local level participation and governance and the need to engage local people as active contributors to building resilience.

As a contribution to the development of a successor framework GNDR produced a discussion paper which informed a number of regional and online discussions. It asserts that:

" . . . for a combination of fundamental and strategic reasons the current HFA will not arrest or reverse disasters losses by 2015. Building the resilience of nations and communities will not be achieved by designing HFA 2 as a more nuanced version of HFA 1. Radical changes are required in the way the post-2015 framework is conceived, designed and executed to adequately represent experiences of vulnerable people and ensure full participation of all stakeholders in the process to reduce risk to acceptable levels . If this were to happen the post-2015 instrument could serve to inspire a truly global partnership for a resilient world."

The document launched discussions held in the following locations:

Southern Africa: Potchefstroom, South Africa, as part of the meetings inaugorating the South African Society for Disaster Reduction (approx 25 participants)

Asia: Yogyakarta, Indonesia as part of the Civil Society pre-meeting to the Asian Ministerial meeting on DRR (approx 90 participants)

Latin America: San Salvador, El Salvador; As part of the GNDR regional meeting for Latin America (approx 25 participants)

East Africa: Nairobi, Kenya; As part of the GNDR regional meeting for East Africa. (approx 30 participants)

Online: four discussions concerning a discussion paper, the current HFA, challenges for a future framework and the shape of a future, post HFA framework (approx 90 participants)

Nearly all participants were GNDR members who are practitioners working on DRR and related themes at local level.