Joint Statement on the Occasion of the President of the United Nations General Assembly Interactive Thematic Debate on Disaster Risk Reduction Speech, E&OE , (check against delivery) 12 April 2012 Mr President, I am pleased to deliver the following joint-statement on behalf of the Co-Chairs of the Friends of Disaster Risk Reduction group -- Australia, Indonesia, Norway and Peru, and the following countries -- Denmark, Ecuador, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Philippines, New Zealand, Switzerland, and Timor Leste. Mr President, dramatic disaster events over the past decade have claimed over a million lives, affected more than 2.5 billion people and caused economic loss totalling over $1 trillion. We commend the UN Secretary-General's commitment to disaster risk reduction in his Five Year Action Agenda for the global community. Mr President, we also welcome your initiative to hold this debate, and the priority you have placed on disaster prevention and response for the 66th session of the General Assembly. This debate comes at a time of unprecedented international momentum to reduce disaster risk. Governments, international agencies, non-governmental agencies and communities across the globe share the conviction that urgent and sustained actions are needed to reduce the social, economic and environmental impacts of disasters. Disaster risk is a stark reality for most, if not all, countries, developing and developed. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and severity of weather-related hazards. Rapid urbanisation and environmental degradation are exposing people and assets to higher disaster risk. The risk of economic loss from a disaster is