5. The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction

5-3. Regional Session
The Regional Session allowed for exchange of experiences and lessons learned from eachregion.

5-3-1. Regional Meeting: Asia
１）

DateJanuary 20, 2005２）

Organizers
ISDR (International Strategy for Disaster Reduction) Asia Partnership (IAP)
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Asian Disaster Reduction Center(ADRC), United Nations Development Programme/Bureau for Crisis Prevention &Recovery (UNDP/BCPR), United Nations/Economic and Social Commission for Asiaand the Pacific (UN/ESCAP), United Nations/International Strategy for DisasterReduction (UN/ISDR), and United Nations/Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (UN/OCHA)

３）

Objectives of the meeting
The meeting's theme was recent regional efforts on disaster reduction and role ofregional action in implementing WCDR outcomes.
The three objectives of the meeting were:- To discuss and identify how the WCDR Program of Action would be implemented at
the national and regional level in Asia,- To discuss what the expectations of countries were to the regional institutions forsupporting the implementation of the WCDR program of Action, and- To discuss how regional intergovernmental cooperation organizations and regional
institutions and the IAP would facilitate the implementation of the WCDR programof Action.

Meeting Agenda
1. Introduction: Dr. Chung Rae Kwon (UN/ESCAP)
2. Presentations: “Good practices in regional cooperation and expectations for regional
institutions”- Seyed Mahmood Fatami Aghda (Natural Disaster Research Institute, Iran)- Khusav Sharifov (UNDP Tajikistan)- Peou Samy (ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management)- Wang Zhenyao (National Disaster Reduction Center, China)
3. Comments- Anil K. Sinha (Former Excutive Director, National Center for Disaster Management,Government of India)- Masayuki Kitamoto (Excutive Director, ADRC)- Aloysius J. Rego (ADPC)- Terje Skavdal (UN/OCHA)- Praveen Paradeshi (UN/ISDR)- Ti Le-Huu (UN/ESCAP)- Helena Molin-Valdes (UN/ISDR)
4. Closing remarks: Chung Rae Kwon (UN/ESCAP)

４）５）Outcome of the meeting
The participants expressed their hope that recent catastrophic disasters
such as the Bam Earthquake and the Asian Tsunami would provide thenecessary momentum to disaster risk reduction programs across the entire

5. The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction

region. Multinational disaster risk reduction initiatives should be developed toincrease the impact of these programs and optimize the available resources.
Regional disaster reduction mechanisms should be developed for implementing
the action plan proposed at the WCDR. These mechanisms should focus on theestablishment of early warning systems, mechanisms for the assessment ofregional expertise, training programs at all levels, and utilization of newly
available information such as satellite imagery.

5. The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction

5-3-2. Regional Session: Geographical proximity-CommonThreats
１）

DateJanuary 21, 2005

２）

Organizers
Regional entities of the ISDR Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction(IATF/DR)
African Union (AU), Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Asian DisasterReduction Center (ADRC), Council of Europe, European Commission Joint ResearchCenter (EC/JRC), Organization of American States (OAS) / Inter-American
Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR), and South Pacific Applied
Geoscience Commission (SOPAC)

３）

Objectives of the session
The session’s theme was “geographical proximity-common threats”.
While the fundamental concept to guide the actions is that learning to live with risk is anecessity, there was consensus that the principal approach should be the integration of disasterrisk into socio-economic development processes with four pillars:- Mainstreaming of disaster management- Advocacy to incorporate disaster management into development programs- Strengthening of institutional capacity, and- Support to research efforts, including those that incorporate information technology
and knowledge management.

４）

Session Agenda
1. Introduction: Suvit Yodmani, (ADPC)
2. Panel A : Regional and sub regional mechanisms for disaster reduction- Regional Strategies : integration of disaster risk reduction into sustainable
development
Foday Bojang - African Union (AU)- Regional disaster reduction strategies, the role of the United Nations Economic andSocial Commissions
Kim Hak-Su: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and thePacific (UNESCAP)- Regional multi-sectoral policies for disaster reduction
Daniele Smadja : European Commission, Directorate-General External Relations- Regional early warning and preparedness systems : the lessons from EWC-IIJeremy Collymore : Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA)- Analysis of role and functions of regional disaster management organizations: a 30year trend
Jean Luc Poncelet, Organization of American States, Inter-American Committee
on Natural Disaster Reduction (OAS/IACNDR)
3. Discussion
4. Panel B : Regional entities’ roles in implementing the outcomes of the WCDR
- Awareness raising : challenges in building a regional culture of safety
Masayuki Kitamoto (ADRC)- Transboundary extreme climate threats and exchange of information
Laban Ogallo, Regional Climate Information Center for Africa (ICPAC)- Disaster response & reduction: a catalyst for regional cooperation
Peou Samy, ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management- Networking initiatives for the exchange of information and experiences
Geronimo Giusto, Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disaster inCentral America (CEPREDENAC)- Regional strategies for disaster reduction related to the health sector

5. The United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction

Mark Keim, Center for Disease Control (CDC)
5. Discussion
6. Wrap-up: Suvit Yodmani, (ADPC)

５）

Outcome of the meeting
The participants stressed the importance of regional cooperation by pointing out that it is
the most effective way to link national and international efforts, generate well-establishedpolitical, policy and institutional frameworks, and provide sustainability to risk reduction
activities. Additionally, by working together, national or local organizations or initiatives havethe weight they could never reach if they worked individually.