1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center

1. Asian Disaster Reduction Center
1-1. Background to the Establishment of the ADRC
The Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) opened its office 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 theInternational Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and adopted a resolution aiming to sharply reduce
damages 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 organized the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction in Yokohama,Japan, to conduct an interim review of the decade long initiative and propose an action plan for the future.
At the meeting, the “Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World” was adopted, which pointed out theimportance of international cooperation in regions that share common types of disasters and disaster
reduction measures. Disaster Reduction activities have since been promoted throughout the world basedon this strategy.

(3) Ministerial-level Asian Natural Disaster Reduction Conference
As the first step in regional level cooperation as per the Yokohama Strategy, the IDNDR Secretariat organized ameeting in Kobe in December, 1995 to formulate a policy on disaster reduction cooperation in Asia. Cabinet
members in charge of disaster reduction from 28 countries attended the meeting, which adopted the Kobe DisasterReduction Declaration consisting of ideas for promoting international cooperation in disasters, including a proposal
by Japan to launch a feasibility study on a system that would act as the disaster reduction coordinator in the Asianregion.

(4) Asian Natural Disaster Reduction Experts Meeting
The Government of Japan and the IDNDR Secretariat co-organized an experts meeting in October
1996 to hash out how a central disaster reduction system, as stated in the Kobe Disaster Reduction
Declaration, might be created for the Asian region. Key participants from disaster reduction bureaus of 30
countries attended and agreed to study the creation of an “Asian Disaster Reduction Center” (tentativename) that would serve as the secretariat for promoting activities of the proposed 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 todiscuss specific activities of the proposed central disaster reduction system. Once again, key personnel
from disaster reduction bureaus of 23 countries attended the meeting, the overall goal of which was topromote cooperation in disaster reduction efforts through concrete action. It was proposed at the meeting
to create an office in Japan as the secretariat for the proposed system.

(6) ADRC's Establishment

With momentum gathering on this series of meetings, the Japanese government
discussed the organization, budget and other aspects of the proposed office with othercountries involved. Then, with the cooperation of Hyogo Prefecture, the Asian DisasterReduction Center was officially established in Kobe on July 30, 1998.

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