International seminar on policies and practices in the management of seismic risks in urban areas, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 16-18 November 2004

This seminar was organized in the framework of the initiatives undertaken by the United Nations in support of the Iranian Government following the earthquake in Bam on 26 December 2003. The UN committed itself to supporting the Government not only in the provision of short-term relief, but also in long-term recovery, reconstruction and risk reduction. As set out in the UN Development Assistance Framework for 2005 to 2009, the UN system in Iran will facilitate a Government-led sustainable risk management program that reduces future natural disaster risks and maximizes the development gains. This seminar also represented a direct follow-up to the Workshop of Lessons Learnt on the Response to the Bam Earthquake, held in Kerman on 14-15 April 2004. On top of providing a chance for international experts, practitioners, academics and policy makers to exchange experiences in the management of seismic risks in large cities and to formulate recommendations, the seminar was also expected to formulate a “Tehran message” on earthquake risk reduction to be delivered at the upcoming World Conference on Disaster Reduction. The seminar was co-organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, with ample support from the Government of Iran and in consultation with UNESCO.