Mind-Alliance Systems joins UN disaster risk reduction private sector partnership
Mind-Alliance, the leader of Information Sharing Management software for homeland security, emergency preparedness, and business continuity professionals, today announced that it has joined the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Private Sector Partnership to support work aimed at enhancing national and local resilience to disaster.
The Partnership supports the UN International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and seeks to raise awareness of risk management and contingency planning by partnering with leading organizations in the private sector.
As a member, Mind-Alliance will sign the UNISDR’s ‘Statement of Commitment’, which pledges support to UNISDR’s fundamental principles – achieving a substantive reduction in disaster losses and building resilient nations and communities as an essential condition for sustainable development.
In order to manage global risks to human health and safety, the environment, and the economy, stakeholders from all levels of government, disciplines, and sectors need to share information and communicate effectively. Sharing information enables organizations to cooperate effectively and align their disaster risk reduction and recovery efforts.
David Kamien, CEO of Mind-Alliance comments, "We are dedicated to supporting the goals of the UNISDR by enhancing the flow of information needed to manage and reduce risk."
Margareta Wahlström, the UN Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Chief welcomes the newest member of UNISDR’s Private Sector Partnership. “Information sharing and effective communication are two priority areas in the Hyogo Framework for Action: we must know the risks and take action as well as build understanding and awareness. Mind-Alliance’s particular expertise in information sharing procedures will be a valuable contribution to enhance the inputs and expertise that other private corporations are bringing to the table.”
Developing information sharing procedures is essential for public and private organizations seeking to manage disaster risk collaboratively. The information sharing planning effort should begin before a disaster disrupts routine operations and a crisis unfolds. Mind-Alliance will continue to help the DRR community implement best practices in information sharing planning and systematically reduce the information gaps, delays, and single-points-of-communication failure that undermine coordination, leading to lost lives, money, and damage to reputation.
Failure to plan the flow of information can have disastrous consequences for public and private sector organizations. Over 200 million people are affected by disasters each year and in 2010 at least 300,000 people died in major disaster events. Annual reported disaster losses now regularly exceed $100 billion.
About UNISDR
The United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) was created in December 1999 and is part of the UN Secretariat with the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).
The ISDR is a strategic framework that was adopted by UN Member States in 2000. The ISDR guides and coordinates the efforts of a wide range of partners to achieve a substantive reduction in disaster losses. It aims to build resilient nations and communities as an essential condition for sustainable development.
The ISDR system is comprised of numerous organizations, states, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, financial institutions, technical bodies, and civil society, which work together and share information to reduce disaster risk. UNISDR serves as the focal point for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) – a ten year plan of action adopted in 2005 by 168 governments to protect lives and livelihoods against disasters. UNISDR's vision is based on the three strategic goals of the HFA: integrating DRR into sustainable development policies and planning, developing and strengthening institutions, mechanisms and capacities to build resilience to hazards, and incorporating risk reduction approaches into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery programmes.