OUTCOME OF THE EUROPEAN MINISTERIAL MEETING ON DISASTER RISK
REDUCTION
Towards a post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
BUILDING THE RESILIENCE OF NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES TO DISASTERS
08 July 2014, Milan, Italy

1.

We, the European Ministers, present at the European Ministerial Meeting in Milan, Italy on 8
July 2014, express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Government and people of Italy
for their gracious hospitality in hosting and organising the European Ministerial Meeting on
Disaster Risk Reduction.

2.

Highlight with concern the increasing economic impact of disasters and climate change in
Europe. Despite the fact that much progress has been made in reducing mortality from
disasters, much remains to be done. Express our solidarity for the people of Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Romania for the recent floods that caused life
losses and destruction of social and economic assets as well as Germany for the recent deadly
storm.

3.

Take note of the consultations on Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction conducted
at local, national, sub-regional and regional level, inter alia the 3rd Annual Meeting of the
European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (1-3 October 2012, Dubrovnik, Croatia), Global
Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (19-23 May 2013, Geneva, Switzerland), the 4th Annual
Meeting of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (23-25 September 2013, Oslo,
Norway).

4.

Further take note of the conclusions of the Council of the European Union under the Hellenic
Presidency, adopted following the Communication from the European Commission on “The
post 2015 Hyogo Framework for Action: Managing risks to achieve resilience”.

5.

Acknowledge the substantial contributions of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 to
the formulation of strategies and policies for disaster risk management. In order to progress
towards sustainable, inclusive development and smart growth, it is necessary to assess progress
and challenges in implementing disaster risk management policies at all territorial and sectoral
levels and suggest the necessary adjustments of the post-2015 Framework for Action.

6.

Acknowledge the continued efforts of European countries, including the contribution of local
governments, practitioners and civil society, in the transformation of the legal and institutional
frameworks and practices with the aim of consolidating from response-oriented towards
development-oriented approaches.

7.

Recognise disaster risk reduction as an effective means to achieve resilience through
prevention, mitigation and preparedness to enable nations and communities to absorb loss and
damage, minimise impacts and move forward.

8.

Appreciate the role of National Platforms on disaster risk reduction as an effective coordination
mechanism that brings governments and different stakeholders together towards coordinated
resilience efforts.

9.

Recognize the critical role of local governments in building resilience to disasters and strategic
management of sustainable development.

10.

Acknowledge the contributions of the "Making Cities Resilient: My city is getting ready"
Global Campaign and the achievements obtained in local risk management and urban
resilience.

11.

Recognize the importance of the regional and sub-regional cooperation and the contribution of
regional organizations in Europe, in particular the European Union and its strong engagement
and support for the disaster risk reduction and management as well as the Council of Europe.
Appreciate the role of the regional platforms for disaster risk reduction and the achievements
accomplished by the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction in meeting resilience
synergies in Europe.

12.

Recognize the role of science and technology and the complementarity of disaster risk
reduction and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation as policy goals and approaches to
prevent and address risk, vulnerability, and the impacts of hazard events and climate change on
people and society.

13.

Express commitment to promoting a coordinated and mutually reinforcing approach to the
three international agreements in 2015 – the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction,
the post-2015 development agenda and the post-2015 agreement on climate change.

14.

Express appreciation to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in supporting
countries, regional and sub-regional organizations in implementing the HFA through policy
guidance and technical support in its functions as coordinator and synergy “insurer” across
fields and stakeholders.

Recommendations for the post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction:
15.

Confirming our commitment to play an active and constructive role in the ongoing negotiations
with a view to contributing to an ambitious outcome of the Conference, we make the following
recommendations for the post-2015 HFA, while fully respecting its non-binding nature
a) Recognise the relevance of preventing new risks as well as reducing existing ones.
b) Improve accountability, transparency and governance.
c) Develop a set of non-binding standards and/or guidelines and mechanisms to support
implementation.

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d) Establish voluntary peer reviews mechanisms as a helpful instrument for improving policy
making, sharing experience and increasing accountability, for instance peer reviews
successfully conducted in the EU context.
e) Encourage the collection and sharing of non-sensitive data on disaster losses, hazards, and
vulnerabilities, in an open data policy.
f) Develop systematic actions to raise public awareness of risk and improve risk and crisis
communication (education, involvement of media, networks), and develop a culture of risk
management and disaster resilience.
g) Enhance governance for disaster risk management at all levels and across all sectors,
building effective coordination mechanisms and sustainable partnerships between different
public authorities and relevant stakeholders, including local level actors, such as civil
society, academia and research institutions and private sector.
h) Encourage that regional inter-governmental organisations support the national
authorities to implement the new framework, including the Regional Platforms for
Disaster Risk Reduction.
i) Deliver results, measure progress and encourage implementation by setting targets at the
appropriate level (global, national, regional and local) and with an appropriate timeframe.
The targets need to be politically acceptable and operationally feasible, measurable,
achievable and result-oriented.
j) Revise and enhance the current HFA Monitor in order to effectively measure progress. A
simplified new monitoring system should become a more effective tool for encouraging
implementation at different levels, sharing successes and measuring progress, including
through indicators that measure the changes in the impact of disasters over time and
contribute to the tracking of progress towards building resilience to disasters and
reducing vulnerabilities.
k) Strengthen the contribution of disaster risk management to smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth.
l) Promote disaster and climate proofing in economic and financial decisions and strategies, in
both public and private sectors. Special attention should be paid to cost benefit analysis of
disaster prevention measures including climate change to help support resource allocation.
All major infrastructure and projects should be risk sensitive and climate and disaster
resilient.
m) Promote disaster risk assessment and scenario-based capability analyses.
n) Develop and implement the new framework in close partnership with the private sector,
international financial institutions and major investors as well as promote new initiatives
for the engagement of all businesses, including encouraging the use of the
insurance/reinsurance value chain.

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o) Promote the use of innovative technologies and instruments to support disaster risk
management, such as information and communication technologies, early-warning
systems, resilient infrastructure and buildings, green infrastructure, climate and integrated
disaster risk modelling, ecosystem-based approaches, communication, knowledge
management. This will also lead to increased business opportunities and contribute to green
growth.
p) Encourage the work and contributions of community-based civil society organizations and
networks in comprehensively building resilient communities, including academic, scientific
and technological institutions, and other international organisations, community
practitioners, persons with disabilities, youth, women’s groups, private sector, and media to
enhance and strengthen their active and joint collaboration with governments, and
parliamentarians.
q) Encourage a more systematic and reinforced science-policy interface, including foresight to
address future risks and challenges.
r) Ensure long-term sustainable, inclusive and green growth through a joint approach with
climate change mitigation and adaptation as part of a risk management approach to
address the risks of climate change and other environmental policies, with a
strengthened focus on the reduction of the underlying risk drivers in ecosystem
management and on building the resilience of ecosystems for adaptation, as well as on
resource efficiency, land use, spatial planning including urbanisation, environmental
monitoring and promoting impact assessment.
s) Promote the implementation of disaster risk management measures and strengthen the
capacity at local level through the application of horizontal and vertical approach in
developing sectoral policies.
t) Address vulnerabilities and needs where it matters most in an overarching framework,
factoring in conflict and fragility as well as technological risks alongside natural hazards,
including slow-onset natural disasters, local disasters, as well as global shocks and stresses.
u) Target and empower the poorest and most vulnerable, harness the important potential of
civil society and the private sector to contribute to the achievement of sustainable
development objectives, and have a specific focus on the local level and on building urban
resilience.
v) Develop the new framework in close coherence with related ongoing international
processes, in particular with discussions on the post 2015 development agenda and on the
design of the 2015 agreement on climate change. The latter provides another opportunity to
enhance adaptation efforts in the poorest and most vulnerable countries where the needs are
greatest and to integrate disaster risk management. Policies, goals and targets, as well as
related monitoring arrangements which are the subject of discussion in the respective
aforementioned fora, and the post 2015 HFA should be mutually supportive and
reinforcing.

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w) Establish the development and implementation of safe school and hospital policies and
programmes as a priority for action at the local, national and regional levels in order to
protect and guarantee access to education and health services before, during and after
disaster situations, as a contribution towards the achievement of the millennium
development goals.
x) Acknowledge women as a force in resilience building. The way forward to women
leadership integration requires a shift in approach capturing the mutually reinforcing
relationship between disaster and climate risk, choice of development pathways and gender
equality towards transformation in policy and practice.
16.

Call upon UNISDR to continue providing its institutional support for regional and sub-regional
coordination, monitoring of disaster risk reduction implementation, review of regional
strategies, coordination of the work of the United Nations system in disaster risk reduction, risk
modelling, disaster loss databases as well as to lead the review of terminology and support the
implementation of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction. To this end, we
support the United Nations General Assembly resolution (A/RES/68/211 paragraph 25) request
to the Secretary-General to ensure adequate resources for UNISDR operations.

17.

Urge the UNISDR, as the secretariat of the Third United Nations World Conference on
Disaster Risk Reduction (14 – 18 March 2015, Sendai, Japan), to ensure incorporation of
European Union and wider Europe’s contribution into the global post-2015 Framework for
Disaster Risk Reduction, following the formal process adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly, through Resolution A/RES/68/211 on 20 December 2013.

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