UN General Assembly
1972

173. I have referred in some detail to the various United Nations agencies that extended assistance to the Philippines in its hour of need, because it illustrates the great constructive potential of the United Nations in assisting countries to cope with natural disasters. The Philippine delegation hopes to enhance this potential with a new proposal, following up the initiative it took at the twenty- fifth session of the General Assembly on the role of the World Meteorological Organization [WMOJ in "discovering ways and means to mitigate the harmful effects of... storms and remove or minimize their destructive potentials". Our new proposal will take the form of a draft resolution entitled "International action on the mitigation of the harmful effects of storms". Its principal aim will be to bring about integrated action through increased cooperation and co-ordination among the WMO, the UNDP and the United Nations Disaster Relief Coordinator in the field of United Nations natural disaster assistance, particularly the prevention, prediction and control of natural disasters.