|
|
|
Second Session of the Global Platform
for Disaster Risk Reduction
15-19 June
2009 |Geneva, Switzerland
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Highlights
for Tuesday,
16 June 2009
On
Tuesday, 16 June 2009,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon opened the Second Session of the Global Platform in Geneva, Switzerland by video message, stressing that risk reduction is the frontline defense against natural disasters and a crucial investment for the future. He challenged participants to set targets and take practical steps that will reduce the loss of life and damage from disasters.
During the first day of the meeting, participants took up the
Secretary-General's challenge by discussing disaster risk reduction issues in a number of sessions, including the opening plenary; informal plenary to prepare for the Hyogo Framework of Action mid-term review; plenary on global and regional perspectives on progress in achieving a substantial reduction in disaster losses; a high-level panel on increasing investment for risk reduction; and a roundtable on early warning.
In an evening ceremony, the UN Sasakawa Award, administered by the UNISDR, was presented to Indonesian geologist Dr Eko Teguh
Paripurno for his lifetime contribution and commitment to reduce disaster risk and
build capacity at the community level in Indonesia, one of the countries most vulnerable to natural hazards.
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| OPENING
PLENARY |
|
|
|
|
|
| UN Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon opened the
plenary via video
message. |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Hans-Rudolf
Merz,
President
of the
Swiss
Confederation,
noted cooperation and experience sharing
contribute to global solutions
for more effective protection measures from natural disasters. |
|
| John
Holmes, UN Under
Secretary-General
for Humanitarian
Affairs and Chair of
the Second Session
of the Global Platform for
Disaster Risk
Reduction,
emphasized that
disaster risk
reduction is increasingly being addressed by the international
community and is
included on the agenda of the UN climate change
negotiations. |
|
| Rafael
Alburquerque,
Vice-President of
the Dominican Republic, outlined national challenges and policies to address natural disasters in his
country. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Isatou
Njie Saidy,
Vice-President of the
Gambia, stressed the need for stronger strategic alliances and partnerships to address resource and financial challenges faced by developing countries. |
|
| Loren
Legarda, Senator,
Philippines, said that reducing disaster risk is a moral imperative for governments. She called for a renewed commitment to
disaster risk
reduction and urgent policy reforms. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Anote
Tong, President of
Kiribati, alerted the
Global Platform to existential security threats that climate change poses to his nation. |
|
| Raila
Odinga, Prime
Minister of Kenya, drew attention to the effects of climate change facing
Africa. |
|
| Bruce
Golding, Prime
Minister of Jamaica,
said UNISDR's mission is crucial to the
well-being of the world but noted that many governments display insufficient political commitment to action. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The
panel during
the plenary
presentations
of global
and regional
reports on
disaster
risk
reduction
with L-R:
His Royal
Highness
Prince Turki
Bin Nasser
Bin
Abdulaziz,
President of
Meteorology
and
Environment,
Saudi
Arabia;
Carlos
Foradori,
Chair of the
ISDR Support
Group; Loïc
Fauchon,
President of
the World
Water
Council;
Walter
Erdelen,
UNESCO; Margareta
Wahlström, Assistant
Secretary-General for
Disaster Risk Reduction;
Salvano
Briceño,
UNISDR;
Andrew
Maskrey,
UNISDR; and
Marcus Oxley,
Global
Network of
Civil
Society
Networks for
Disaster Risk
Reduction. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Andrew
Maskrey, UNISDR, presented the main findings from the Global Assessment Report. |
|
| Marcus
Oxley, Global
Network of Civil
Society Networks for
Disaster Risk
Reduction, the gap between national policies and local level
actions. |
|
| Loïc
Fauchon, President
of the World Water
Council, presented a report on water and disasters,
underlined the growing linkages between water and disasters. |
|
|
|
HIGH
LEVEL PANELS: INCREASING INVESTMENT FOR RISK REDUCTION
|
|
|
| The
dais during
the high
level
panels, moderated by Zoubida
Allaoua
(center), World Bank,
exchanged experiences on initiatives to reduce
risk and explored the challenges related to increasing
investments for
DRR. |
|
|
|
|
|
ROUNDTABLES
|
|
|
|
| Participants
at a roundtable session
on early warning. |
|
| L-R:
The roundtable on early
warning was
co-chaired by Maryam Golnaraghi,
(WMO) and Bhupinder Tomar
(IFRC). |
|
|
|
|
|
| UNITED
NATIONS SASAKAWA AWARD FOR DISASTER
REDUCTION: |
|
|
|
|
|
| The
UN Sasakawa Award
for Disaster
Reduction is given
to individuals or
organizations that
have been chosen by
an independent jury
for their
exemplary
contributions in the
field of disaster
reduction. This
year's award was presented
to Eko Teguh
Paripurno (center),
Indonesia by UN
Under
Secretary-General John
Holmes (left). |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SNAPSHOTS: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| L-R:
Malou Cugay, Center
for Disaster
Preparedness,
discussing with
Andrew Bidnell, Global
Network of Civil
Society Networks for
Disaster Risk
Reduction. |
|
| Set
of the BBC World
Debate at the
conference center. |
|
| Participants
consulting in the
corridors. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
UN
Under
Secretary-General
John Holmes visiting the marketplace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Related Links for
Disaster Risk Reduction
 Website of the
UN
International Strategy for Risk Reduction
Website of the
Second
Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk
Reduction
Session
documents: Provisional
Annotated Agenda, Provisional
Timetable, and Calendar
of Events
IISD RS resources
IISD RS coverage of the
Second
African Regional Platform for Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR) Consultative Meeting, 5-7
May 2009, Nairobi, Kenya
IISD RS coverage of the
First
Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction,
4-7 June 2007, Geneva, Switzerland
IISD RS coverage of
the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction, 18-22 January 2005, Kobe-Hyogo, Japan
IISD RS coverage of
the World
Conference on Disaster Reduction - Prepcom-1, 6-7
May 2004, Geneva, Switzerland
IISD RS coverage of
the Second
Conference on Early Warning, 16-18
October 2003, Bonn, Germany
Climate-L -A news and announcement list on climate change news and policy developments
Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news
MEA Bulletin- Newsletter on key MEAs and their secretariats
Climate Change Policy & Practice - News and information on the actions of international organizations in responding to the problem of global climate change
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
