Switzerland

Representatives of the finance, insurance and construction sector at the Global Platform yesterday sounded a call for action on the five essentials for business in disaster risk reduction, in line with the main finding of the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction that losses from disasters are rising faster than gains made through economic growth.

The international community must “risk proof” development because disasters are taking a heavy toll on rich and poor countries as well as outpacing their ability to respond, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told delegates today, at the foremost gathering of stakeholders on reducing disaster risk which opened this afternoon in Geneva and will run until Friday, 13 May.

Disaster-related economic losses are increasing across all regions, critically threatening the economies of low-income countries and even outstripping wealth creation across many of the world’s richer nations, says a United Nations report titled Revealing Risk, Redefining Development to be launched today by the United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Third Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Global Platform will be opened today by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who will also launch a report entitled 2011 Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction – Revealing risks, redefining development. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will chair the forum in Geneva.

The final touches are being added to the Third Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland from 8-13 May. The Global Platform will be opened officially by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on May 10.

Report for the period 2009-2011:

The main objective of this report is to identify key trends in terms of progress made and challenges faced, at both national and regional levels, through the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) in

The Third Session of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction Global Platform, to be held from 10 to 13 May in Geneva, is being organized to discuss and decide on immediate actions that will reduce the economic cost of damage from disasters. UNISDR and the Swiss government invite all media based in Geneva to attend a press conference where they will be briefed on the Global Platforms's expected outcomes.

The document serves the purpose of providing up to date information relating to National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction within the UNISDR Europe Region. To date 27 NPs have been officially nominated in UNISDR Europe Region. (Last updated 11

Building on last year’s UN summit on the Millennium Development Goals, the United Nations General Assembly will convene on Wednesday its first thematic debate on disaster risk reduction to encourage governments to take action and invest more in reducing risk and exposure to disasters. The one-day UN debate on disaster risk reduction is being organized under the auspices of the office of UN General Assembly President Joseph Deiss, with support from UNISDR.

Acknowledging their "critical role in an effective disaster risk reduction strategy," UNISDR will bring together representatives from leading companies in an inaugural meeting of the Private Sector Advisory Group, on 17 December in Geneva. Ten companies forming the Advisory Group are DuPont Sustainable Solutions, PricewaterhouseCoopers SA, Willis Re and Willis Research Network, United Nations Foundation, MunichRe Foundation, Dow Chemical Europe, Titan America, Arup International, Credit Suisse and Small Equity Initiative. Along with other members of the private sector, the Advisory Group will discuss -- for the first time -- the "Ten Essentials for Business in Disaster Risk Reduction," outlining ways in which private companies can support governments to develop institutions and legislation to bolster disaster risk reduction.