Global platform for disaster risk reduction - Chair's summary: From commitment to action

This summary from the Chair of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction outlines the discussions and priorities set during the Fifth Session in Cancun, Mexico from 24 to 26 May 2017, which was the first to take place since the adoption of the Sendai Framework.

The Leaders’ Forum, Ministerial Roundtables, plenary sessions, special sessions, working sessions and special events generated substantive exchanges on key issues and concrete guidance for further action, clustered as follows according to the Sendai Framework’s four priorities for action:

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

The deliberations across sessions identified the following additional priorities:

1. Monitoring implementation of the Sendai Framework;
2. Substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020;
3. Coherence with the sustainable development and climate change agendas; d) Gender-sensitive and inclusive disaster risk reduction; and
4. International cooperation initiatives, such as private-private cooperation and building a coalition of countries for critical infrastructure.

The summary concludes with points to follow-up, including taking forward the deliberations to engage with the United Nations system's entities through the UN Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience; reaffirming the importance of reviewing every two years the implementation of the regional action plans and strategies. The Chair will formally convey to the President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council the Global Platform’s Chair’s Summary and the Cancun High Level Communiqué as a contribution to the upcoming debates of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In addition, there was a call on all countries’ representatives and stakeholders to represent the deliberations of the Global Platform in the preparation of the Forum’s outcome documents and during its deliberations. 

The Global Platform was adjourned with the commitment to reconvene in Switzerland in 2019 and an expression of strong appreciation for the Swiss Government as the future host.