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Bahrain backs UN push to save lives
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 9th June 2008
BAHRAIN yesterday helped launch a United Nations (UN) drive to save lives in the event of national disasters.
It is contributing $1 million (BD378,000) in support of the 2009 International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s (ISDR) Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, said Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
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Bahrain backs UN push to save lives
By SOMAN BABY
Published: 9th June 2008
BAHRAIN yesterday helped launch a United Nations (UN) drive to save lives in the event of national disasters.
It is contributing $1 million (BD378,000) in support of the 2009 International Strategy for Disaster Reduction’s (ISDR) Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, said Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
“The report, which will be launched next year in Bahrain, aims to focus global media and political attention on the problem of disaster risk,” he told a Press conference at the Foreign Ministry.
“It will also strengthen the countries’ commitments to reduce the increasing loss of life, livelihood and economic assets through natural disasters.”
Bahrain will be hosting the launch of the assessment report about one month before the second session of the ISDR Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction from June 15 to 19, in Geneva, next year, said Shaikh Khalid.
Bahrain’s contribution will provide a powerful stimulus to global efforts to reduce disaster risk, said UN Assistant Secretary-General and UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Arab States director Amat Al Alim Al Soswa.
“The report’s global launch in Bahrain provides a vehicle to strengthen commitment and support to disaster risk reduction by other countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, particularly those from the GCC,” she said.
A series of recent catastrophic events have yet again reminded the world of the degree to which disaster risk now underlies and threatens development across the world, said Shaikh Khalid.
The UN’s Disaster Risk Reduction’s 2007 Global Review says that there were more than 2,300,000 deaths from disasters between 1975 and 2005.
There were also 21 disasters, each causing more than $10 billion of damage in different parts of the world during the same period.
“While the scale of the problem is enormous, this is a problem that we can and must do something about collectively, and soon,” said Shaikh Khalid.
“The report will present a global risk update on emerging disaster and climatic risk patterns and trends, particularly in relationship to poverty and human development.
“It will also present a comprehensive review of progress by UN member states, regional inter-governmental institutions and civil society organisations in implementing disaster risk reduction measures, within the context of achieving sustainable development goals.”
The ISDR and UN are confident that the contribution from Bahrain will help consolidate political and economic support and commitment to disaster risk reduction throughout the world, said Ms Al Soswa.
“It will represent a milestone in highlighting the commitment of countries from the GCC countries in supporting UN efforts to address one of the critical humanitarian and development challenges of our time,” she added.
“The ISDR, launched in 2000, is a global strategy which provides us with an opportunity to co-ordinate our collective actions to address disaster risks at the local, national, regional and international levels.”
The Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) endorsed by member states at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe, Japan, 2005, obliges all countries to make major efforts to reduce their disaster risk by 2015.
The ISDR secretariat in partnership with the UNDP and the World Bank is preparing a biennial Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction, with the collaboration of UN member states, UN Environment Programme, UN Children’s Fund, International Federation of Red Crescent Societies, ProVention Consortium, World Meteorological Organisation, UN Education Social and Cultural Organisation, civil society networks, and other ISDR system partners, the first of which will be launched next year in Bahrain.
The report has a total biennial budget of $3.1 million of which approximately $1.8m have already been funded by major cash and in-kind contributions from UNDP and the World Bank, together with specific support from other agencies.
Following negotiations on behalf of ISDR, led by the UN resident co-ordinator in Bahrain Sayed Aqa, the Bahrain government has confirmed the contribution of $1m.
About $600,000 will be provided through the ISDR Trust Fund to enable the completion of the coordination, research and writing of the report, while $400,000 will be managed through UNDP Bahrain.
A committee has been set up with representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the government’s Disaster Management Committee and the UNDP for preparation of the report.
The Bahrain launch would be both global and for the Middle East and North Africa region.
Other regional and national launches will be organised in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean immediately after the Bahrain launch and well before the Global Platform.
The third Middle East and North Africa Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction could be organised as a parallel event by the ISDR secretariat and the World Bank.
The Bahrain government has agreed to host the event planned between April and May next year.
A regional cluster meeting of UNDP resident representatives could also be held in Bahrain in parallel with the launch.
soman@gdn.com.bh
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