6th Africa Working Group Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction

As the Hyogo Framework for Action nears its conclusion in 2015, global processes have been gaining momentum in the shaping of a Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This is an important time as Africa became the first region to officially adopt its contribution to the Post-2015 DRR Framework at the 5th Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 13 – 16 May 2014, Abuja, Nigeria. This contribution was ably represented by African member states at the 1st Preparatory Committee Meeting (PrepCom) held in Geneva in July 2014. The outcome was a zero draft of a post-2015 framework that will now be further debated in informal consultations during September and October 2014. These processes will further inform the deliberations of the 2nd Prep Com planned for 17-18 November 2015. All preparatory meetings will culminate in the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) to be held in Sendai, Japan, 14-18 March 2015.

As part of the process leading to the WCDRR, the 6th bi-annual meeting of the Africa Working Group is scheduled to take place 1-2, October 2014 in Arusha, Tanzania. The meeting will provide members with the opportunity to comment on the outcomes of the 1st PrepCom and plan for effective African participation in the 2nd PrepCom (17 – 18 November 2014, Geneva, Switzerland) and the WCDRR (14-18 March 2015, Sendai, Japan). The agenda will also focus on the Extended Programme of Action for the implementation of the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2006-2015) and its successor arrangements.