1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center

1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center
1-1. Background for the Establishment of the ADRC
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) opened offices in Kobe, Japan, on July 30, 1998.
The major steps leading up to ADRC's creation are outlined as follows:1)

International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)At its 42nd General Assembly in December 1987, the United Nations designated the 90’s as
the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and adopted a resolution aiming tosharply reduce damage caused by natural disasters around the world, particularly in developing
countries, through joint international actions.

2)World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction
In May 1994, the UN hosted the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction in
Yokohama, Japan, to conduct an interim review of the 10-year initiative and propose a plan ofaction for the future. At the meeting, the “Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World”, which pointed
out the importance of international cooperation in regions that share common types of disasters
and disaster reduction measures, was adopted. Disaster Reduction activities have since beenpromoted throughout the world based on this strategy.

3)

Ministerial-level Asian Natural Disaster Reduction Conference
As the first step in regional level cooperation as per the Yokohama Strategy, the IDNDRSecretariat co-organized a meeting in Kobe in December, 1995 to formulate a policy on disaster
reduction cooperation in Asia. Cabinet members involved in disaster reduction from 28
countries attended the meeting, who adopted the “Kobe Disaster Reduction Declaration” that
contained ideas for promoting international cooperation in disasters including a proposal by
Japan to launch studies into a possible creation of a system that could act as the disaster
reduction coordinator in the Asian region.

4)

Asian Natural Disaster Reduction Experts Meeting
The Government of Japan and the IDNDR Secretariat co-organized a meeting of experts inOctober 1996 to hash out how a central disaster reduction system, as written in the Kobe
Disaster Reduction Declaration, might be created for the Asian region. Key personnel fromdisaster reduction bureaus of 30 countries attended. Parties agreed to study the creation of an“Asian Disaster Reduction Center” (tentative name) that would serve as secretariat for
promoting activities of the conceptualized system.

5)

Asian Disaster Reduction Cooperation Promotion Meeting
The Government of Japan and the IDNDR Secretariat co-organized a meeting in Tokyo in
June 1997 to discuss specific activities of the conceptualized central disaster reduction system.
Once again attended by key personnel from disaster reduction bureaus of 23 countries, theoverall goal was to promote cooperation in disaster reduction efforts through concrete action. Itwas proposed at the meeting to create an office in Japan as the secretariat for the conceptualizedsystem.

6)

ADRC's Official Start
With momentum gathering on this series of meetings, the Japanese government discussed
organization, budget and other aspects of the proposed office with other countries involved.
Then, with the cooperation of Hyogo Prefecture, the Asian Disaster Reduction Center wasofficially established in Kobe on July 30, 1998.

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