SECOND WORLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER REDUCTION

Abstract

The World Conference on Disaster Reduction was held from 18 to 22 January 2005 in Kobe, Japan. The conference came just after Kobe marked 10 years from the temblor that killed 6,433 people in Hyogo Prefecture and surrounding areas. Numerous workshops, panel discussions and round tables on different matters relating to disaster reduction were organized during the conference. At the closing session, 158 national delegations adopted a framework for action for the period 2001 - 2015 calling on states to put disaster risk at the centre of political agendas and national policies. The conference also adopted a declaration recommending, among other things, that a culture of disaster prevention and resilience must be fostered at all levels and recognizing the relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable development and poverty reduction. Since the conference took place less than one month after the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, the conference heard numerous voices from around the globe pledging to create a safer world.