UN General Assembly
2007

of a national emergency operations centre, which operates 24 hours a day non-stop. The introduction and implementation of these measures give priority to and rely on the active participation of our citizens. For us, the involvement of our citizens, who are the primary and ultimate beneficiaries of these governmental actions, is a key factor in ensuring the success of activities aimed at the preservation of the environment and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change. The positive impact of these actions was in evidence and widely acknowledged during the recent floods, cyclones and high tides that we experienced earlier this year. These measures were recently put to the test once again, when a warning was sounded on the possibility of a tsunami. In recognition of the fact that the mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and the prevention and reduction of natural disasters require the engagement of the international community, the importance of strengthening regional, continental and international coordination cannot be overemphasized. In the framework of the report of the High-level Panel on System-wide Coherence in the areas of