MDRD Project Formally Registered at the Second UN-ISDR World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR)

The WCDR provided ADPC an opportunity to showcase examples of our work in the region and to consolidate our partnerships with national, regional and international disaster management organizations and various UN and donor organizations. As an active member of the UN Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on Disaster Reduction, ADPC made significant contributions to the preparations for the WCDR, as a member of the Working Group, and during the conference in the thematic segments, public forum, exhibitions and post WCDR partnerships.

Thematic segments consisted of three high level Round Tables, two Regional Sessions and approximately 50 Parallel Sessions in which ADPC staff were directly involved, made presentations, or were asked to make floor contributions. H.E. Cora de Leon, Vice Chair of the ADPC Board, was one of seven panelists in Round Table 2 and spoke on the topic: From Victims to Victors Education: Key to Disaster-Resilient Communities. Dr Suvit Yodmani, ADPC Executive Director, chaired the regional plenary session titled Geographical proximity - common threats. ADPC and members of the ISDR Asia Partnership organized an Asia Regional Session, which ADPC co-facilitated. ADPC’s work was also identified by the ISDR Secretariat and the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) as one of 24 initiatives displayed in an ECHO/ISDR “good practices for resilient communities” exhibit at the Public Forum.

During the conference, Issue 1 of the ISDR Asia Informs, a newsletter of the ISDR Asia Partnership, was released. As one of the focal points in Asia, ADPC plays a key role in the production of the publications. Two versions were released, one in English and one in Mandarin.

One significant contribution to the Outcomes of the WCDR was the launching of the Regional Consultative Committee program on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management into Development Policy, Planning and Implementation (MDRD) through the presentation of the program at several sessions of WCDR and the publication of the program brochure, which was distributed widely to stakeholders during the WCDR in Kobe 2005. This program will contribute to the implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action (Section 4B, Paragraph 30) by national governments through its successful registration as one of the first two Post-WCDR Partnerships with the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD).

ADPC plans to play an active role in supporting the implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA). One supporting event will be the inclusion at the RCC5 of a Special Consultative Session for the Asian Region on the Implementation of the HFA, adopted at WCDR and co-organized with ISDR and UNDP. This session will consist of separate discussions on (i) National Plans for HFA Implementation, (2) Establishment of National Platforms on Disaster Reduction, and (3) Expectations from ADPC, ISDR Partnership and other regional partners in the implementation of the Hyogo Framework of Action.