DUSHANBE, March 19, Asia-Plus — Khairiddin Abdurahimov, the head of the Committee on Emergency Situations and Civil Defense under the Government of Tajikistan (CES), attended a five-day 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction Conference that concluded in Sendai, Japan on March 18.
Orif Nozimov, a spokesman for the CES, says representatives from 187 UN member States participated in the conference.
The conference participants reportedly reviewed implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action that was adopted in January 2005.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) notes the conference participants yesterday today adopted the first major agreement of the Post-2015 development agenda, a far reaching new framework for disaster risk reduction with seven targets and four priorities for action.
The framework reportedly outlines seven global targets to be achieved over the next 15 years: a substantial reduction in global disaster mortality; a substantial reduction in numbers of affected people; a reduction in economic losses in relation to global GDP; substantial reduction in disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, including health and education facilities; an increase in the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020; enhanced international cooperation; and increased access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments.
According to UNISDR, the World Conference was attended by over 6,500 participants including 2,800 government representatives from 187 governments. The Public Forum had 143,000 visitors over the five days of the conference making it one of the largest UN gatherings ever held in Japan.
The World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction has been convened since 1994. In 1994, the 1st World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction adopted the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World. In 2005, the 2nd World Conference on Disaster Reduction adopted the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015.
