UN NEWS CENTER - UN HOMEPAGE

According to the UN Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), which has signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation with the Iranian Government, the Asian Centre on Seismic Risk Reduction will build awareness and provide training in order to improve construction urban planning standards, develop appropriate early warning systems and enhance disaster management and encourage a “culture of safety.”

Through these efforts, it will encourage regional and inter-regional networking and partnerships to reduce seismic damage, the UNISDR said. It will also assist States to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action, a 10 year plan approved in Kobe, Japan by 168 Governments in 2005 to make nations and communities more resilient to disasters.

“Although earthquakes can not be prevented, negative impacts of earthquake can be minimized by reducing risks and vulnerability through effective use of expertise and information technology,” said Salvano Briceño, Director of the UN/ISDR Secretariat.

“The region has a lot of knowledge and experience in seismic risk assessment that can be shared and can contribute to reduce the vulnerabilities of many populations,” he added.

South, west and central Asia are among the most earthquake-prone regions in the world, according to UNISDR. Earthquakes are responsible for 73 per cent of the deaths and 51 per cent of the economic damages caused by all natural disasters in the region, which include floods, drought and landslides.

The launch of the Centre, to be established by the Government and supported by a consortium of international organizations, coincides with the Fifth International Conference on Seismology and Earthquake Engineering, which will take place in Tehran next week May.

(ASRRC HOMEPAGE)

     Statement by Sálvano Briceño

Director, Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction(ISDR)

At the launching ceremony of ASRRC

Dear Minister, Excellencies, Ambassadors, ladies and gentlemen,

Let me fist congratulate the government of Iran, in particular the Minister, for hosting such an important center. The Asian Seismic Risk Reduction Centre (ASRRC) based in Tehran, is one of the first regional specialized collaborative centers, and the first on seismic risks, launched in support of the Hyogo Framework for Action adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan in January 2005.

The Islamic Republic of Iran was among the very active countries in this Conference and represented Asia in the Bureau of the Conference. Iran was also one of the Deputy Presidents of the Conference and the Rapporteur General.

Iran has implemented many activities at national level and up to now has reported twice to ISDR on its activities including, designation of its national focal point for the  implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action  and establishment of its National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

At regional level, immediately after the Kobe-Hyogo Conference, Iran wrote a letter to ISDR offering to host a regional center on seismic risk reduction. After dispatching a verification team to Iran in 2006, the ISDR secretariat accepted Iran’s offer, based not only on its interest but also on its experience and capability to develop the Center and network building on existing institutions in the country and the region.

As all efforts of this nature, it has required valuable contributions from several institutions and individuals that have acted as a joint working group, consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Foreign Affairs, the Natural Disaster Research Institute of Iran (NDRII) as well as ISDR Special Coordinator in Iran.  I want to thank all who have made this possible. . Today I am very happy to see that these efforts have borne fruit and that we are being able to launch the Center in the presence of international and regional organizations including UN Agencies, countries of the region and donor countries.

The Centre will certainly play an active and important role in raising public awareness on seismic risk reduction and enhancing collaboration of the countries of the region, as well as other regions of the world, developing a substantive network to exchange experience, knowledge, good practices and lessons to be learnt on how to reduce risk and vulnerability to seismic hazards. The Centre will hopefully contribute by using the experience of Iran for other countries also at risk and to feed the experience of other countries into this region.

Let me share with you some key developments in the international discussions on disaster risk reduction. Following the second World Conference in Hyogo, the international community has understood the importance and urgency of risk reduction given the rapidly increasing urban density, especially in megacities, the degradation of valuable ecosystems and the impact of climate change.

Instead of waiting to respond to a disaster, it is more important and effective to reduce the risks in order to either prevent or reduce the negative impact of disaster, by reducing vulnerabilities and  through joint planning with various stakeholders involved in this task.

After the Kobe Conference, the ISDR system was strengthened. Based on the consultations carried out with different stakeholders, in particular governments, a Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GP/DRR) was suggested. The first session of the GP/DRR will be held in Geneva, 5-7 June 2007.

A special consultation among Asian nations will be organized on the side of the GP/DRR with participation of high level officials attending the GP/DRR session. The Global Platform is planned to meet on a biennial basis, bringing together relevant stakeholders from governments, academic and technical, non-governmental, as well as private sector organizations working on disaster risk reduction. The Under- Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations, Mr. John Holmes will chair the session and the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon will send a special message.

Finally, I hope with the cooperation of all parties and stakeholders, in particular governments who have the first and main responsibility on disaster risk reduction we shall develop a culture of prevention and make the world more resilient to disasters ensuring a sustainable development.

I look forward to collaborating closely with the Government of Iran as well as other countries of the region.

 Thank you.