OCHA Statement: 6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction

Bangkok, 26 June 2014

1. Since 2005, despite challenges in achieving long-term development and related investments for risk reduction, Asia has made significant progress on the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) priority areas including advances in the two areas related to OCHA´s mandate: Priority 2 on enhancing early warning and Priority 5 on strengthening preparedness for effective response. For hazards where early warning is possible, disaster preparedness and response have contributed to a decrease in mortality risk. However, other disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis, continue to cause deaths and leave millions in poverty, often reliant on humanitarian assistance.

2. OCHA aspires to a world in which disaster risk is reduced, and where (i) people and communities are more resilient and better able to withstand shocks; (ii) governments are aware of risks, are well prepared, and are able to respond to disasters quickly and effectively, and (iii) when needed, international and regional humanitarian assistance is provided quickly, efficiently and appropriately.

3. The recently released study, “Saving Lives Today and Tomorrow” highlights the need for increased investment in risk management. The number of people receiving international humanitarian assistance has almost doubled over the last decade. Today, recurrent humanitarian crises continue to seriously affect the region. There can be no doubt that major disasters will continue to occur, demanding effective coordinated multilateral response. Strong investment in helping communities and governments to strengthen their capacity to respond as effectively as possible must remain a priority. Swift and timely response is an important contributing factor for sustainable development. When humanitarian relief is delivered quickly and critical needs are addressed immediately, communities are better able to focus on recovering from the initial shock and getting back to normal as quickly as possible. As a consequence, coping mechanisms are not eroded and the ability to bounce back is strengthened – an essential condition for longer term resilience, especially for communities facing recurring disasters.

4. OCHA considers that early warning, preparedness and response should be included in the HFA successor framework as a distinct set of priorities within the overall disaster risk management framework. The contribution of effective preparedness and response to sustainable development should also be clearly recognized.

5. The successor framework should promote a multi-hazard approach to managing risks, through recognizing that conflicts, disasters, environmental, technological and industrial accidents, food and fuel price hikes and other factors interact in complex ways, with varying impact from one location to another. The framework should also include provision of creating flexible and predictable funding schemes for emergency preparedness in addition to those already in place for response.

6. Finally, this framework should strive for a comprehensive preparedness approach, taking into account lessons learned from responding to recent emergencies, work done by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s Working Group on Emergency Preparedness and Response, and through the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience.

7. The global processes of the next two years provide unique opportunities to make progress on related fronts. OCHA will continue to engage in this important endeavor and contribute to the process of consolidating key recommendations for the successor framework, linking with the post-2015 sustainable development agenda and the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. OCHA congratulates the efforts of UNISDR and its many partners in Asia in contributing to this shared agenda.

For further information, please contact: Kristen Elsby, OCHA Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, elsby@un.org, +66 2288 2856