In 2005, 168 governments approved the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) on Disaster Risk Reduction. This report summarises the proceedings of the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which aimed to asses what progress has been made so far and to identify gaps and directions for future policy. The report is divided into three themes from the conference:
awareness raising on disaster risk reduction (DRR)
sharing national and local best practice in DRR (DRR)
assessing progress in implementing the Hyogo Framework
The report begins by providing excerpts from statements from the conference on the challenges and opportunities in DRR, including statements by heads of delegations on key commitments or policy issues. The second section then summarises the outcomes of workshops held on best practice for DRR and country case studies. These are discussed around a number of themes, which include:
national coordination mechanisms
policy and legislative systems for DRR
mainstreaming of DRR into national development instruments
from national frameworks to local action: implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)
education for DRR and safer schools in communities at risk
Based on the conference proceedings, the report makes a number of recommendations for governments and the international community. These include:
through the UN System, more governments need assistance to organise national platforms, if no appropriate national authority for disaster risk reduction is in place
examples of best practices should be collected and shared
DRR should aim to achieve more than purely life-saving activities
schemes to secure the livelihood of the population need to be developed