6. The International Recovery Platform (IRP): History and Current Activities

6. The International Recovery Platform (IRP):
History and Current Activities
6-1. The Establishment of the IRP
While the capacity of the UN system for disaster response and humanitarian assistance arewidely recognized, there is currently a vacuum in terms of the UN's capacity and system-widemechanisms for post-disaster recovery efforts, particularly those with a risk reduction focus.
Experience increasingly affirms that the post-disaster recovery phase provides a critical
opportunity to shift the focus from saving lives to restoring livelihoods, and is an importanttime for introducing measures to reduce future disaster risk. Recovery can help close the gap
between relief and development, and can transform disasters into opportunities for sustainable
development. This occurs when efforts are made to support local and national recovery
processes at an early stage, when risk reduction considerations are factored into all recovery
activities, and when the synergies between development, humanitarian, and other actors
involved in the response phases are properly channeled. A successful recovery effort, then, ispredicated on having advance agreements and mechanisms in place so that the recovery
process is effectively conceived and managed, and is initiated in a timely manner. This includes
such measures as appropriate assessment methodologies, pre-established resource mobilization
mechanisms, surge capacity to support UN Country Teams, and standing coordination
mechanisms.
Shared concerns related to the UN approach and processes for post-disaster recovery haveresulted in the formulation of a joint initiative, the International Recovery Platform, by the UNsystem, ADRC, and other partners, with the encouragement and support of Japan as well asother donors and key program countries. This initiative was discussed at the World Conference
on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) during session 4.9 on Post Disaster Recovery. Representatives
from the UNDP, UN-HABITAT, ADRC, ADPC, ILO, and other concerned UN agencies
expressed their respective agency commitments and support for the proposed international
platform for recovery. The meeting resulted in a recommendation for the establishment of theInternational Recovery Platform (IRP)
Only four months after the WCDR, the International Seminar on Post Disaster Recovery, insupport of the IRP, was held at the JICA Centre in Kobe and at Hyogo House on 11-13 May
2005. The IRP was officially launched in Kobe.

6-2. The Governance Structure of the IRP
The IRP currently consists of 13 governments,* UN agencies, and internationalorganizations including ADRC (as of March 2010). The IRP focuses on the following threepriority activities for recovery, respectively based in Kobe, Turin, and Geneva: (a) Knowledge

77

Management and Advocacy, Kobe, (b) Training and Capacity Building, Turin, and (c)Enhancing Recovery Operations, Geneva.
As described in the Terms of Reference, the IRP Kobe functions as the IRP secretariat and is
responsible for convening IRP steering committee meetings and disseminating information on
IRP activities and outcomes.
* IRP members: Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC), Hyogo Prefectural Government,International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC),
International Labour Organization (ILO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy,
Cabinet Office of Japan, Swiss Agency for Development and Coordination (SDC),
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN-HABITAT), United Nations Secretariat of the International Strategy for
Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UN/OCHA), and the World Bank.

6-3. IRP Activities in FY 2009
6-3-1. International Recovery Forum 2010
On occasion of the 15th year commemoration of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake, IRP
organized the International Recovery Forum 2010, “From Resilient Recovery to SustainableDevelopment”, to revisit the progress of linking recovery
operations with long-term community development. The
presentations and discussions focused on the issue ofrecovery and sustainable development.

[Opening]
In the opening session, the Chair of the IRP Steering

International Recovery Forum 2010

Committee, Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha of the World Bank and the Governor of Hyogo Prefecture Mr.
Toshizo Ido emphasized importance of putting in place mechanisms for recovery andreconstruction as well as translating lessons on recovery into policies, tools, guidance, andprograms. The recent earthquake that hit Haiti on 12th January was mentioned as a strong
reminder of the need to learn from past lessons and experiences. In that context, the “buildingback better” approach and fostering international cooperation and partnership have been
advocated as highly significant tasks for national governments and stakeholders.
[Recovery Status Reports]
The recovery status reports and video presentations shown at the Forum highlighted several
challenges and lessons that are likely encountered at three different phases of recovery process.

78