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UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction aims to create communities capable of addressing disasters, by promoting the importance of disaster reduction as a component of sustainable development. Through actions and programmes the aim is to create a "Culture of Prevention".

The international strategy which promotes the above objective is based on the cooperation of a wide range of actors who all have an important role to play in the effort of Communities and States to reduce the risk of disasters. Actors involved include Governments, supra-national and non-governmental organizations, scientific and academic organizations as well as the private sector.

Disaster risk reduction (DRR), according to the official UNDRR definition "is the conceptual framework of elements considered with the possibilities to minimize vulnerabilities and disaster risks throughout a society, to avoid (prevention) or to limit (mitigation and preparedness) the adverse impacts of hazards, within the broad context of sustainable development".

UNDRR supports states and communities through its Secretariat for a more systematic and cohesive international disaster risk reduction effort.

United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR): http://www.undrr.org

THE SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

Within the framework of the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Hyogo, Japan in 2005, the Hyogo Framework for Action was formulated and adopted, and 168 countries endorsed it, including Greece. The Action Plan had a ten-year implementation horizon (2005 – 2015). Its purpose was to substantially reduce disaster losses, both in human lives and in the social, economic and environmental assets of Communities and States.

In 2015, the third World Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction took place in Sendai, Japan. The Conference adopted the new global framework for disaster reduction, with the official name "Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030", which replaced the Hyogo Framework for Action.

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection, as the designated contact point for the promotion of the Sendai Framework, monitors the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction within the UN framework, in particular with regard to efforts on the European continent.

At European level (regional level), the issue of coordinated action by National Platforms and National Focal Points has led to the creation of the "European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR)". This scheme constitutes an open space for the exchange of information and know-how and the coordination of efforts aiming at effective action for disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the International Strategy on the European continent.

The Sendai Framework of Action is primarily based on the pre-existing Hyogo Framework and the experience from its implementation but innovates and/or further develops its specific axes in several areas.

In a broader context, it seeks to strategically link global disaster risk reduction policies with policies for climate change adaptation and sustainable development. The new Framework attaches particular importance to the interaction and interdependence of these policies and to the contribution of each to the implementation of the others.

The intended result, as set out in paragraph 16 of the Framework, is: "The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries."

In order to achieve this result, paragraph 17 sets the following objective: "Prevent new and reduce existing disaster risk through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures that prevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disaster, increase preparedness for response and recovery, and thus strengthen resilience."

The are four priority axes according to the Sendai Framework:

  1. Understanding disaster risk.
  2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk.
  3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience.
  4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build back better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

For the implementation of the Framework, a series of actions are foreseen at the level of the UN and other international and regional organizations and states. The actions relate both to the continuation of negotiations in the framework of the other interconnected strategies, in order to complete a cohesive international development framework, and more specifically to the individual implementation of specific provisions of the Framework, of which the most important are the further elaboration of objectives and indicators and the creation of the new system for monitoring progress in achieving the Framework.

In particular, States should take actions, such as designing national coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the Framework for Action, developing key national disaster risk assessments, publishing and updating summaries of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Programme, promoting disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation strategies and linking them.

Similar actions are provided for regional and international organisations.
 

NATIONAL PROGRESS REPORTS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SENDAI FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

One of the key features of the Sendai Framework for Action for the Reduction of Disaster Risk 2015-2030 is the establishment of measurable targets for its achievement. To this end, the maintenance of databases of disaster losses and damages is promoted at global and European level as an essential element in measuring the achievement of targets. At the global level, data retention is promoted by the UN, which has established an ad hoc Open Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on Indicators and Terminology for Disaster Risk Reduction (OIEWG) to develop indicators to measure the objectives of the Framework for Action. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection participated in all meetings of the Working Group. The Working Group completed its work in 2016, developing measurement indicators and recording the necessary data of damages and losses to be retained at national level.

In detail, in order to measure progress towards the fulfilment of the above target, paragraph 18, where the basic parameters are defined, set seven targets at international level with 2030 as the horizon of implementation:

  1. Reduce mortality as a result of disasters.
  2. Reduce the number of people affected.
  3. Reduce direct economic loss due to disasters in relation to global GDP.
  4. Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and educational facilities.
  5. Increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies.
  6. Enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support.
  7. Increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments.

More specifically, progress in implementing the seven objectives of the Sendai Framework at global level will be measured through the 38 specific indicators developed according to the Working Group Report. The relevant progress reports of each country will be carried out through the Sendai Framework Monitoring System, which was activated at the end of March 2018 and will constitute an online platform for recording statistical information for each Member State.

During 2021, an Inter-Agency and Expert Group (IAEG] on Disaster-related statistics was established as part of the creation of a formal mechanism, aiming to formulate a common framework for disaster statistics, establishing a related network of cooperation of experts.

Sendai Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 - 2030
http://www.wcdrr.org/uploads/Sendai_Framework_for_Disaster_Risk_Reduction_2015-2030.pdf

ACTIONS:

The works of the United Nations European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR) took place in Portugal on 24-26 November 2021. In his speeches, the Minister of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection at the time, Christos Stylianides, underlined the need for holistic, immediate and coordinated global action to effectively address the climate crisis, underlining the protection of vulnerable groups of the population. The work was concluded with the signing of the "Prevention Pledge: #Preventionsaveslives", through which the 26 participating countries recognize the threatening rate of increase in disasters due to climate change, commit to prioritize Prevention and Resilience and undertake to accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Action, in line with the EFDRR Roadmap 2021-2030.

On October 21, 2022, in the context of the mid-term evaluation regarding the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, as well as the implementation of the relevant Roadmap of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR Roadmap 2021-2030), the work of the regional Open Dialogue, under the general title "Inclusive and Collaborative Systems for Heat and Wildfire Risks Governance", was concluded in Athens. The topics included a Ministerial Round Table and individual expert meetings. The meeting was co-organized by the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the United Nations Office for Disaster, Risk Reduction, within the framework of the Organization's European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction, with the participation of high-ranking delegations from many countries in the region, namely, from Egypt, Albania, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, France, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Lebanon, Montenegro, Palestine and Romania, while the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the Union for the Mediterranean were represented.

An International Conference on Climate Resilience of Pakistan was held in Geneva on 9 January 2023, together with the UN and the Government of Pakistan. The Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, at the time, Mr. Christos Stylianides participated as a representative of the Prime Minister, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis. During his intervention, he stressed the need for international cooperation in the face of the Climate Crisis, as well as building resilience, while declaring the commitment to provide assistance both bilaterally and through the EU.

On 18-19 May 2023, a High Level UNGA Meeting on the Mid-Term Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction was held in New York, during which Greece was represented by the then Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Mr. Christos Stylianides. The Meeting took the form of a plenary session, on the first day, during which UN Member States reported on the progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework at national level, acknowledging any ongoing challenges and making relevant commitments for the future. During the second day, four stakeholder panels took place, focusing respectively on issues of: a) transition from disaster management to risk management, b) investment, c) linking disaster risk reduction with the 2030 Agenda and d) impact of technology on disaster risk response. During the plenary, the Political Declaration was unanimously adopted, which sets out four priority areas, namely a better understanding of disaster risk, the enhancement of its management, investing in resilience and improving preparedness for effective disaster response and recovery.

NATO

NATO's Resilience Committee operates with the Alliance's political pillar, where all states are represented. The partner countries of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Countries (EAPC) also participate in this Committee.

The Resilience Committee is under the NATO Council and, in addition to the existing level of representation of member states at the level of Permanent Representations, a new level of representation has been created under the name "Senior National Representatives".

The Resilience Committee provides policy guidance and emergency planning and also coordinates a wide range of the Alliance’s support projects through its sub-committees, as well as the working groups set up on various sub-topics.

In Greece, the competent body for coordinating the procedures and actions of all stakeholders that monitors the activity of the above Committees is the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS), through Directorate A6 (Civil Preparedness Directorate), while the GSCP actively participates in the work of the Civil Protection Group (CPG) through the designated national representatives, working closely with other NATO member states.

As part of contingency policy planning, the seven baseline requirements have been developed, on which NATO Allies are assessed each year. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection is also involved to a limited extent in the evaluation.

The seven basic requirements are:

  1. Ensuring continuity of governance and critical government infrastructure
  2. Energy supply resilience
  3. Ability to successfully manage uncontrolled population movements
  4. Food and water resource resilience
  5. Ability to manage mass losses
  6. Resilient communication systems
  7. Resilient transport systems

The Euro Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC), NATO's mechanism for responding to both natural and technological disasters, also operates under the Resilience Committee. The EADRCC Operations Centre operates 24 hours a day and cooperates with Alliance member countries' contact points.

NATO: www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/index.htm
EADRCC: www.nato.int/eadrcc/index.html