Public Awareness as a Cornerstone for Disaster Risk Reduction

Towards the anniversary of Spitak devastating earthquake, Ministry of Emergency Situations of RA and “Emergency Channel” informative NGO within the framework of DRR National Platform of Armenia intend to convene a 2-day International Conference on “Public Awareness as a Cornerstone for Disaster Risk Reduction”, to be held on December 3-4, 2014 in Yerevan.

Considering emergency information and communication issues as integral part of DRR in the light of post-2015 DRR developments the Conference aims to bring together the world best practices in the field of public awareness, emergency communications and work with journalists and to prepare final package of public awareness suggestions for DRR World Conference in Sendai 2015, Japan.

The Conference will be open for involved international organizations, experts from various countries, state officials, information responsibles, famous journalists with relevant experience, world biggest information agencies.

Topics to be discussed:

1. Lessons learnt from disasters – Spitak earthquake, Kobe earthquake and Fukushima disaster, earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, Turkey, Iran, China…
2. Emergency and civil protection information policy of states; effective information management, inter-agency information centers; legal field; informative plans and programs;
3. Emergency and crisis information management guidelines of inter-governmental and international organizations;
4. Experience of UN agencies, European Union, Council of Europe, NATO, OSCE, Red Cross and Red Crescent;
5. Public awareness new creative solutions and tools;
6. DRR public awareness and social networks, DRR public awareness and new information technologies;
7. World-known journalist’s memories, impressions and suggestions;
8. Safety culture and kids: kids as main target group;
9. World biggest information agencies and emergencies. experience, journalistic code of ethics and recommendations;
10. Hyogo Framework of actions and prior, midterm and long-term issues of public awareness;
11. Public awareness indicators (results of pilot program implemented in 5 countries);
12. Preparing and summarizing of final package of public awareness suggestions for DRR World Conference in Sendai 2015, Japan;
13. Setting up of international working group for creating a depository of DRR information management, public relations and public awareness best practice, as well as for developing regional and and international programs.