The role of UNESCO in the
World Conference on Disaster Reduction

Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, 18-22 January 2005

In the shadow of the Indian Ocean disaster of 26 December, 4000 participants met in Kobe representing 168 States, 78 United Nations bodies and other organizations, 161 NGOs and as many media. The World Conference on Disaster Reduction took place in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, from 18 to 22 January 2005 in pursuance to resolution A/RES/58/214 adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2003. The Conference concluded with a commitment to reducing disaster risk as an intrinsic element of sustainable development.

The Conference adopted three important documents:

• The Hyogo Declaration
• The Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, which includes most of UNESCO's concerns in the field of disaster reduction : capacity-building; interdisciplinary approach
• The Common statement on the Indian Ocean Disaster

UNESCO was recognized as being an important player within the United Nations system in the field of disaster reduction, inter alia for such initiatives as:

• developing both a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean by 2007 and an interim system within the next six months. UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) will be making use of the existing co-ordination mechanism for the Pacific Early Warning System it put in place in 1968;
  
  
• an international flood initiative involving UNESCO, WMO, the United Nations University, the UN-ISDR and the International Association of Hydrological Sciences. The headquarters for the new project will be based at a planned Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (CHARM) to be hosted by the Public Works Research Institute in Tsukuba;
  
  
• a "Coalition on Education" led by UNESCO, which will take the lead in integrating disaster reduction education into school programmes and in making school buildings safer. This initiative was promoted by UNESCO, well ahead of the Kobe Conference;
  
  
• an open Alliance to support earthquake risk reduction and disaster management planning in megacities.

During the Kobe conference, UNESCO co-organized with various organizations and institutions four thematic sessions on Education for sustainable development: towards effective disaster reduction and enhancing human security; Cultural heritage risk management; New international initiatives for research and risk mitigation of floods and landslides; Promotion of tsunami disaster mitigation in the Indian Ocean: and Towards the establishment of tsunami early warning systems in the Indian Ocean. UNESCO also co-sponsored, and took part in, a number of other thematic sessions. Furthermore, the Hyogo Framework for Action gave priority to the intersectoral Thematic Cluster 3 Knowledge, innovation and education - Building a culture of resilient communities, a cluster in which UNESCO acts as a lead agency.

During the conference, UNESCO and Kyoto University issued a report on Disaster Reduction and Human Security: Education for Sustainable Development. Case Studies and Best Practices, containing 93 case studies on good practices for disaster reduction from 41 countries. This report represents a contribution to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). In co-operation with the Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, UNESCO also produced a CD on blueprints for disaster reduction. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between UNESCO and the Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) with a view to enhancing collaboration in the field of disaster reduction in Asia.

The Director-General of UNESCO addressed the three components of the Conference: plenary and thematic sessions and the public forum.