LOC11:51
08:51 GMT
(with map)
GENEVA, May 23 (KUNA) -- Up to 35 states have agreed to support an
international campaign to ensure safety for schools and health sector, in
collective effort against backdrop of increasing catastrophes, inflicting
heavy losses in souls and properties.
Representatives of 35 governments taking part in the 4th UN Global Platform
for Disaster Risk Reduction called on Thursday for developing "nationally
agreed standards for hazard risk assessments especially of critical
infrastructure including schools, health centers, electricity and water supply
systems, nodal ITC centres, road and transport systems by 2015."
The call came in a communique made public by the UN Deputy
Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, following a High-Level Meeting which took
place, on Wednesday, in the wake of revelations from the UN Office for
Disaster Risk Reduction that economic losses from disasters are in the range
of USD 2.5 trillion so far this century.
The High-Level Dialogue, moderated by Tarja Halonen, former President of
Finland, also involved business executives and senior experts.
Eliasson, said: "Who can forget the shocking fact that 97 percent of the
schools in Port-au-Prince collapsed in the 2010 earthquake? It is of huge
concern that the lives and education of millions of children living in seismic
zones and flood plains around the world are at risk. Over the last ten years,
earthquakes and tsunamis have killed almost 700,000 people, the majority of
them children. Economic losses are also a deep concern.
"We have agreed today to support a global safe schools and safe health
structures campaign in disaster-prone areas with voluntary funding and
commitments to be announced at the World Conference for Disaster Risk
Reduction in 2015. From national level data collected from governments by the
UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction we know that thousands of schools and
health centres are damaged or destroyed in disasters each year. Hazard risk
assessments are essential before investing in critical infrastructure which
can lead to loss of lives if not disaster-proof", said the representatives
from 35 governments.
Martin Dahinden, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation, and Chair of the Global Platform, said: "We believe that disaster
risk reduction is essential to global efforts at poverty reduction and to
achieve sustainable development. We have agreed to advocate for disaster risk
reduction and the building of resilience to be a central part of the post-2015
development agenda together with mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
All of which will be supported by a post-2015 framework for disaster risk
reduction when the current Hyogo Framework for Action comes to a conclusion."
In addition to a campaign to start a global safe schools and safe health
structures campaign in disaster-prone areas, the High-Level communiqu{ called
on the private sector to integrate disaster risk in its risk management
practices and for collaboration between the public and private sectors at
local and national levels in risk management.
The following 35 countries were represented at the High-Level Dialogue:
Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, China,
Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Haiti, India, Indonesia,
Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Maldives, Morocco, Namibia,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Saint Lucia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Sweden,
Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Viet Nam.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) is organizing the 4th
Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction from May 21 to May 24.
A record 4,600 people have registered to date including representatives
from 188 governments. Over 500 organizations will attend including academic
institutions, private sector bodies, local governments, parliamentary groups,
international governmental organizations and NGOs. (end)
ta.rk
KUNA 231151 May 13NNNN