Small Island Developing States

Highlights for Wednesday, 15 May 2019 At the opening ceremony, actors from the Theatre Breaking Through Barriers troupe present a dramatization of the Sendai Framework targets, highlighting the importance of Target E on developing national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction (DRR). After two days of preparatory events, the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2019) opened on Wednesday on the theme, “Resilience Dividend: Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Societies.”At the welcome plenary in the morning and the opening ceremony at mid-day, speakers from the UN, the World Bank, the host country, and civil society urged attendants to match the stakes of the conference with adequate levels of ambition, which, they noted, takes place at a pivotal historic moment in the fight against climate change.The UN Office for DRR (UNDRR) launched the 2019 Global Assessment Report (GAR). Speakers warned that the increasing intensity of extreme weather events is causing displacement, migration, and conflict. They called for joint action and a focus on the most vulnerable, so as to gain a sustainable “resilience dividend.”Two high-level dialogues, a ministerial roundtable, and various working sessions took place during the day. At the High-Level Dialogue on progress on implementing the Sendai Framework, speakers referred to outcomes from the five regional platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that took place in 2018. They highlighted statistics on the scope of global risk, with some 265 million individuals having been displaced by disasters since 2008, more than three times as many as displacements caused by conflict. Others discussed the need to further engage with the risks presented by new technologies, and drew attention to the systemic and cascading impacts of risk.In the afternoon, many sessions were packed to capacity. At a Special Session on Women’s Leadership in DRR, panelists discussed the disproportionate impact of disasters on women. At a working session on progress towards the Sendai Framework Implementation, panelists and the audience engaged in a lively discussion on various reporting tools available to track progress on DRR, and on what makes for valid and inclusive data. Other sessions showcased the findings of the GAR 2019, and the actions taken by national and local authorities to promote adoption of DRR strategies that are tailored to realities on the ground. IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage, daily reports, and a summary report from GP2019, which is available in HTML and PDF. For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page Welcome session (L-R): Shaila Shahid, UNDRR Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism; Laura Tuck, Vice-President for Sustainable Development, World Bank Group (WBG); Manuel Bessler, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation; Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for DRR; Petteri Taalas, SG, World Meteorological Organization (WMO); Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS) Participants respond to speakers’ remarks at the Welcome Session. (L-R): Mami Mizutori, SRSG for DRR; Petteri Taalas, SG, WMO; and Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu, UN-OHRLLS High-Level Dialogues View of the room during the High-Level Dialogue on progress made in implementing the Sendai Framework Malini Mehra, GLOBE International Eduardo José González Angulo, National Disaster Recovery Unit, Colombia Ulziisaikhan Enkhtuvshin, Deputy Prime Minister, Mongolia Panelists at the High-Level Dialogue on progress made in implementing the Sendai Framework Beatrice Marshall, Kenya, and Walid Doudech, Permanent Representative of Tunisia in Geneva Panelists at the High-Level Dialogue on advances in national and local DRR strategies (L-R): Chandran Nair, moderator; Asako Okai, Assistant Secretary General, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Anna Giacometti, Mayor of Bregaglia, Switzerland; Akihiro Nakamura, Vice Minister for Disaster Management, Japan; Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of Caribbean Disaster and Emergency, Management Agency Barbados; and Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of the Regional Council of Nouakchott, Mauritania Puan Maharani, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Indonesia Chandran Nair, moderator Opening Ceremony and Report Launch (L-R): Kirsi Madi, Director, UNDRR; Michael Møller, Director, UN Office at Geneva; Mami Mizutori, SRSG for DRR; Manuel Sage, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation; Jayathma Wickramanayake, UNSG Special Envoy on Youth; and Manuel Bessler, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Mami Mizutori, SRSG for DRR Manuel Sage, Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation Michael Møller, Director, UN Office at Geneva Jayathma Wickramanayake, UNSG Special Envoy on Youth Nazhat Shameem Khan, Fiji; Mami Mizutori, SRSG for DRR; and Aromar Revi, Director, Indian Institute for Human Settlements Special Session: Women Leadership in DRR (L-R): Saber Hossain, Member of Parliament, Bangladesh; Laura Tuck, Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank; Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland; Mami Mizutori, SRSG for DRR; Minata Samate Cessouma, Commissioner for Political Affairs, African Union; and Dolores Devesi, OXFAM, Solomon Islands Participants in the Special Session consider ways to promote women’s leadership in DRR. Working Sessions Panelists at the Working Session on the Global Assessment Report 2019 (L-R): Juan Pablo Sarmiento, Florida International University; Mandisa Kalako-Williams, former SG, South African Red Cross; Kamal Kishore, National Disaster Management Agency, India; Roger Pulwarty, Director of the National Integrated Drought Information System, United States; and Jacqueline McGlade, University College London and Maasai Mara University, Kenya Panelists at the Working Session on Sendai Framework implementation (L-R): Maria Veronica Bastias, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction; Marcie Roth, Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies; Kamal Kishore, NDMA, India; Martha Herrera Gonzalez, Global Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, CEMEX; and Mohamed Hassaan Felfel Abdelsameaa, Information and Decision Support Center, Egypt Ministerial Roundtable Tarja Halonen, former President of Finland (center) Ministerial Roundtable participants discuss DRR, climate change, and the SDGs