The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 44/236 of 22 December 1989, 48/188 of 21
December 1993, 49/22 A of 2 December 1994, 49/22 B of 20 December 1994 and
50/117 A and B of 20 December 1995, and Economic and Social Council resolution
1996/45 of 26 July 1996,
 
      Expressing its solidarity with the people and countries that suffer as a
result of natural disasters and expressing also the deepest sympathy to all
victims of the natural disasters that have struck in various parts of the
globe,
 
      Emphasizing once again the urgent need for concrete measures to reduce
the vulnerability of societies to natural hazards, the loss of human lives and
the heavy physical and economic damage that occur as a result of natural
disasters, in particular in developing countries, small island developing
States and landlocked countries,
 
      Commending those countries, national and local institutions,
organizations and associations that have adopted policies, allocated resources
and initiated action programmes, including international assistance, for
disaster reduction and, in this context, welcoming the participation of
private companies and individuals,
 
      1.    Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;
 
      2.    Reaffirms that disaster reduction forms an integral part of
sustainable development strategies and national development plans of
vulnerable countries and communities;
 
      3.    Calls upon all States, relevant intergovernmental bodies and all
others involved in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction to
participate actively in the financial and technical support for Decade
activities, in order to ensure the implementation of the International
Framework of Action for the Decade, in particular with a view to translating
the Yokohama Strategy for a Safer World:  Guidelines for Natural Disaster
Prevention, Preparedness and Mitigation and the Plan of Action contained
therein into concrete disaster reduction programmes and activities;
 
      4.    Commends all countries, in particular those developing and least
developed countries, that have mobilized domestic resources for disaster
reduction activities and have facilitated the effective implementation of such
activities, and encourages all developing countries concerned to continue in
this direction;
 
      5.    Reaffirms the need to support the implementation of the Yokohama
Strategy and its Plan of Action with particular regard to improving education
and training in disaster reduction, including the creation of
interdisciplinary and technical networking at all levels, for the purpose of
capacity-building and human resources development in developing countries, in
particular those that are prone to natural disasters, as well as least
developed, small island developing and landlocked countries;
 
      6.    Welcomes the initiatives aimed at defining regional frameworks for
disaster mitigation, such as the regional seminars held in Africa and the
Mediterranean;
 
      7.    Stresses the need for synergy between the implementation of the
Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States and that of the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action as they relate
to natural disaster reduction;
 
      8.    Underlines the need for the United Nations system to ensure the
integration of the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action into the
coordinated approach taken to the follow-up to all recent major United Nations
conferences and summit meetings and to the implementation of their respective
plans of action;
 
      9.    Invites the Secretary-General, in particular, to facilitate,
within the existing International Framework of Action for the Decade, an
internationally concerted framework for improvements in early warning by
developing a concrete proposal for an effective international mechanism on
early warning, to include the transfer of technologies related to early
warning to developing countries, under the auspices of the United Nations and
as part of the implementation of the International Framework of Action for the
Decade and the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action;
 
      10.   Calls upon the secretariat of the Decade to continue to facilitate
a concerted international approach to improvements in early warning capacities
for natural disasters and similar disasters with adverse impact on the
environment within the process leading towards the closing event of the
Decade;
 
      11.   Recommends that adequate consideration be given to the
International Framework of Action for the Decade as part of the evaluation and
overall review and appraisal of the implementation of Agenda 21 in 1997;
 
      12.   Reaffirms that the secretariat of the Decade will continue to
serve as the substantive secretariat for the preparation of the closing event
of the Decade, working with the full support of relevant bodies of the United
Nations Secretariat and drawing on the contributions of the organizations of
the United Nations system concerned, other international organizations and
Governments;
 
      13.   Requests the Secretary-General to continue to appeal for
additional voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Decade;
 
      14.   Also requests the Secretary-General to bring forward, as a first
step in the process leading towards the closing event of the Decade and in
order to begin the preparatory process in 1998, proposals arising from
consultation with interested parties, and to set forth in his substantive
report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session proposals regarding
the format, substance and timing of the event, also taking into account, inter
alia, the need to review relationships and responsibilities relevant to
natural disaster reduction with respect to the future and the performance
capability of the secretariat of the Decade.