Press release

The Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, whose 79 members include some of the most disaster-prone and climate-vulnerable nations in the world, have prioritised the power of international cooperation to reduce the impact of natural hazards.

A major initiative to prevent large numbers of women and girls dying in disasters and to ensure they are included in disaster risk management was launched today at the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico, by the United Nations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The escalation of economic losses from disasters is expected to draw a record attendance of 7,000 people at a biennial UN forum that will bring world leaders and representatives of civil society together to agree ways and means of preventing and mitigating disaster impacts.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today announced a major revision to its Disaster Resilience Scorecard designed to boost the number of cities and towns reducing their disaster losses by 2020 in line with a key global agreement.

The United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today marked China’s National Disaster Risk Reduction Day by expressing his condolences on the loss of at least eight lives in yesterday’s earthquake in Xinjiang Province and praising the country’s commitment to keeping economic losses at 1.3% of GDP or below.

The United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, Mr. Robert Glasser, today extended his condolences to the people of Peru on the loss of life caused by the on-going deadly rains, floods and landslides which have led to the declaration of a state of emergency.

"Too few countries in disaster-prone parts of the world have a clear understanding of how gender inequality contributes to higher death rates among women and girls in disasters," says UNISDR chief, Mr. Robert Glasser, on International Women's Day.

There was a call today for urgent support to improve disaster risk management in Haiti following a damning investigation of the country’s losses from Hurricane Matthew six months ago.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction today welcomes a substantial increase in funding from Sweden for its efforts to curb the impact of natural and human-induced hazards.

The United Nations General Assembly today adopted a resolution containing indicators for measuring global progress in reducing disaster losses.