Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 37 (c)
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 42/169 of 11 December 1987, 43/202
of 20 December 1988, 44/236 of 22 December 1989, 45/185 of 21
December 1990, 46/149 of 18 December 1991, 46/182 of 19 December
1991 and 48/188 of 21 December 1993,
Expressing its support to all countries that have suffered
a large loss of human life and heavy physical and economic damage
as a result of natural disasters,
Emphasizing the important role of professional and other
non- governmental organizations, particularly scientific and technological
societies, humanitarian groups and investment institutions, in
the implementation of programmes and activities of the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, proclaimed by the General
Assembly in its resolution 44/236,
Recognizing the close interrelationship between disaster
reduction and sustainable development, which was already recognized
at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development
and taken into account in Agenda 21, 1/
Having considered the Yokohama Message 2/ and the Yokohama
Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural Disaster Prevention,
Preparedness and Mitigation, 3/ in particular its Plan of Action,
as adopted by the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction,
held at Yokohama, Japan, from 23 to 27 May 1994, and the recommendations
and reports of the Main Committee 4/ and the Technical Committees
5/ of the Conference,
Having also considered the mid-term review of the implementation
of the International Framework of Action for the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction 6/ and recommendations made
by the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session
of 1994 for the purpose of providing guidance for the continuing
implementation of the Decade, 7/
Convinced that each country bears the primary responsibility
for protecting its people, infrastructure and other national assets
from the impact of natural disasters and for taking steps to reduce
the vulnerability of populations in areas at risk from natural
hazards,
Noting that natural disaster prevention, mitigation and
preparedness measures can reduce the need for disaster response
and contribute to improved levels of safety and that they are
essential elements of integrated disaster management programmes,
Noting also that the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World
calls for promoting and strengthening subregional, regional and
international cooperation in activities to reduce natural and
other related disasters through prevention, mitigation and preparedness
measures,
Taking note of the note by the Secretary-General 8/ on
the Decade and the mid-term review of the implementation of the
International Framework of Action for the International Decade
for Natural Disaster Reduction carried out by the Economic and
Social Council, and the report and recommendations of the World
Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction, 9/
1. Endorses the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines
for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation,
in particular its Plan of Action, adopted on 27 May 1994 by the
World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction;
2. Endorses also the mid-term review of the implementation
of the International Framework of Action for the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, carried out by the Economic
and Social Council at its substantive session of 1994;
3. Reiterates its call upon Member States, relevant intergovernmental
bodies and all other participants in the Decade to participate
actively in the financial and technical support of the Decade
activities, including those of the secretariat of the Decade,
in order to ensure the implementation of the International Framework
of Action, in particular, with a view to translating the Yokohama
Strategy for a Safer World and the Plan of Action contained therein
and the recommendations made by the Main Committee and the Technical
Committees of the Conference into concrete disaster reduction
programmes and activities;
4. Requests, therefore, the Secretary-General to ensure
that the outcome of the Conference is disseminated as widely as
possible and that the Yokohama Message and the Yokohama Strategy
for a Safer World are transmitted to all Member States, relevant
international and regional organizations, multilateral financial
institutions and the regional development banks in order to secure
their active and substantive contributions;
5. Encourages all developing and least developed countries
to continue to mobilize domestic resources for disaster reduction
activities and to facilitate the effective implementation of those
activities;
6. Recommends that donor countries give greater priority
to disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness in their assistance
programmes and budgets, on either a bilateral or multilateral
basis, including through increasing contributions to the Trust
Fund for the Decade;
7. Calls upon all countries exposed to disasters to take
further action to reduce their vulnerability by incorporating
disaster reduction in their planning for sustainable development,
based on the assessment of risk, and encourages them to pursue
the possibility of regional cooperation in the light of the recommendations
of the Conference;
8. Expresses its gratitude to the members of the Special
High-Level Council for the Decade for their contribution during
the first half of the Decade, and invites the Secretary-General
to strengthen the Council on the basis of the experience gained
so far by revising its objectives, functions and composition,
as follows:
(a) It should effectively promote public awareness;
(b) It should increase private-sector involvement;
(c) It should continue to provide overall advice with respect to the Decade;
(d) It should provide substantive support for the formulation of the Decade policies and for the management of the Trust Fund for the Decade;
(e) It should ensure adequate cooperation and coordination between beneficiaries, donors and the United Nations system in the process of implementing the Decade;
(f) Its membership should be based on equitable geographical and sectoral representation;
9. Commends the Scientific and Technical Committee on
the Decade for the work accomplished during the first half of
the Decade, and encourages the Committee to continue its support
for Decade activities, rotating one third of its membership every
year;
10. Also commends the efforts of national committees and
focal points for the Decade in raising the profile of disaster
reduction activities at the national level, encourages them to
continue in their efforts, and urges those Member States that
have not yet done so to establish national committees or focal
points;
11. Expresses its deep appreciation to those countries
that have generously provided financial and technical support
for Decade activities;
12. Calls upon the Secretary-General to ensure that the
Under- Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs continues to
bring closer together the operational and promotional efforts
in disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness, particularly
those activities implemented by the United Nations humanitarian
and development agencies, thus paving the way for successful attainment
of the goals and objectives of the Decade;
13. Invites the Secretary-General to make the Yokohama
Strategy for a Safer World and its Plan of Action available to
forthcoming conferences concerned with development issues for
their consideration as appropriate;
14. Invites the Secretary-General, therefore, to ensure
the effective implementation of the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer
World, in particular its Plan of Action, inter alia, through the
closest possible cooperation and synergy between the secretariat
of the Decade and those entities of the Department of Humanitarian
Affairs of the Secretariat relating to disaster prevention, mitigation
and preparedness;
15. Requests the Secretary-General to review and extend
the mandate of the Steering Committee of the United Nations for
the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and other
related organizational entities established by the Secretary-General
in 1988 to continue to coordinate the activities of the participating
organizations within the International Framework of Action for
the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and to
enable close cooperation between the Steering Committee and the
United Nations Inter-Agency Standing Committee, where appropriate;
16. Calls upon all United Nations bodies and specialized
agencies to participate actively in the implementation of the
Plan of Action contained in the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer
World and to consider this issue at the forthcoming sessions of
their respective governing bodies;
17. Commends those organizations that, in line with the
open and participatory nature of the Decade, have already made
significant contributions to the programme for the Decade;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to appeal to all Member
States, international financial institutions and the private sector
to contribute generously to the Trust Fund for financing the activities
envisaged by the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World and its Plan
of Action;
19. Invites the Secretary-General, in order to secure the
timely implementation of the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World
and its Plan of Action, to make proposals to the General Assembly
at its fiftieth session on all possible ways and means to ensure
the functional security and continuity of disaster prevention,
mitigation and preparedness, taking into account the recommendations
of the Conference;
20. Expects the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction to be duly represented in those activities that commemorate
the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations;
21. Decides to convene, not later than the year 2000, a
second world conference on natural disaster reduction in order
to carry out an overall review of the accomplishments of the Decade
and map a strategy for continued disaster reduction activities
into the twenty-first century;
22. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General
Assembly at its fiftieth session initial recommendations for a
second world conference on natural disaster reduction, on the
basis of the successful arrangements of the first Conference;
23. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the
Assembly at its fiftieth session a report on progress made in
the implementation of the present resolution and of the recommendations
of the mid-term review of the implementation of the International
Framework of Action for the International Decade for Natural Disaster
Reduction carried out by the Economic and Social Council at its
substantive session of 1994.
74th plenary meeting
2 December 1994
____________
1/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1
(Vol. I and Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1))
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda),
vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex
II.
2/ See A/CONF.172/9, chap I, annex II.
3/ Ibid., chap. I, annex I.
4/ Ibid., chap. IV.
5/ Ibid., chap. V.
6/ Resolution 44/236, annex.
7/ Economic and Social Council resolution 1994/31.
8/ A/49/453.
9/ A/CONF.172/9 and Add.1.
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolutions 46/182 of 19 December 1991, 47/168
of 22 December 1992 and 48/57 of 14 December 1993,
Recalling the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines
for Natural Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation,
2/ the outcome of the World Conference On Natural Disaster Reduction,
held at Yokohama, Japan, from 23 to 27 May 1994, and specifically
that early warnings and the effective dissemination of such information
are key factors to successful disaster prevention and preparedness,
Considering the very large number of lives lost and the
high amount of material damage that occurs yearly, caused by natural
disasters and similar disasters with an adverse impact on the
environment,
Convinced of the need to increase awareness, prevention
and mitigation of and preparedness for natural disasters and similar
disasters with an adverse impact on the environment,
Taking into account already existing early-warning capacities
within the United Nations system, in particular within the Department
of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, the United Nations
Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization,
the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations,
Conscious of the need to avoid a duplication of work among
United Nations bodies dealing with early-warning capacities,
Mindful that early warning for the prevention and mitigation
of and preparedness for natural disasters and similar disasters
with an adverse impact on the environment is important for all
countries, especially the developing countries,
Reaffirming that sustained economic growth and sustainable
development are essential for the prevention of and the preparedness
against natural disasters and similar disasters with an adverse
impact on the environment, and that special attention should be
given to disaster prevention and preparedness by Governments concerned
as well as by the international community,
1. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General
Assembly at its fiftieth session on early-warning capacities within
the United Nations system and to make proposals on how they may
be improved and better coordinated in order to provide for an
adequate response to natural disasters and similar disasters with
an adverse impact on the environment and, in this context, also
to make concrete proposals on the transfer of technologies related
to early warning, in particular to developing countries, taking
into account chapter 34 of Agenda 21, 3/ as well as the Principles
of the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World: Guidelines for Natural
Disaster Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation;
2. Also requests the Secretary-General to include in his
report recommendations on the capacity of the United Nations system
to coordinate effectively information about natural disasters
and similar disasters with an adverse impact on the environment
and to pass on this information to regional, national and sectoral
early-warning capacities.
93rd plenary meeting
20 December 1994
____________
1/ Consequently resolution 49/22 of 2 December 1994 becomes resolution
49/22 A.
2/ See A/CONF.172/9, chap. I, annex II.
3/ See Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1
(Vol. I and Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1))
(United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda),
vol. I: Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex
II.