International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction

A/RES/42/169View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1987.

What else is in this group?

13 documents · 1988–1997

Newer documents in this group exist (latest: 1997).

1997A/RES/51/185International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionCompare with earlier document
1996A/RES/50/117[B]International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionCompare with earlier document
1996A/RES/50/117[A]International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionCompare with earlier document
1996A/RES/50/117International Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionCompare with earlier document
1995A/RES/49/22BInternational Decade for Natural Disaster ReductionCompare with earlier document

This group bundles related documents that are not individually ordered.

Grouped automatically by matching titles within the same organ.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

A dot marks an entity citing this document in its “Mandates and background” narrative rather than only its Legislative mandates list. Many do both.

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

13 topics

Budget Contributions Disaster Preparedness Disaster Prevention Early Warning Systems Extrabudgetary Financing Focal Points Information Dissemination International Decades Natural Disasters Pilot Projects Technical Cooperation Technology Transfer Training Programmes

What does this mandate say?

14 operative paragraphs

V.Resolutions adopted on the reports of the Second Committee

Recognizes the importance of reducing the impact of natural disasters for all people, and in particular for developing countries;

Recognizes further that scientific and technical understanding of the causes and impact of natural disasters and of ways to reduce both human and property losses has progressed to such an extent that a concerted effort to assemble, disseminate and apply this knowledge through national, regional and world-wide programmes could have very positive effects in this regard, particularly for developing countries;

Decides to designate the 1990s as a decade in which the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations, will pay special attention to fostering international co-operation in the field of natural disaster reduction, and to take a decision at its forty-third session on the content and modalities of United Nations participation therein after having considered the report of the Secretary-General referred to in paragraph 9 of the present resolution;

Decides that the objective of this decade is to reduce through concerted international actions, especially in developing countries, loss of life, property damage and social and economic disruption caused by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, windstorms (cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, typhoons), tsunamis, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and other calamities of natural origin, such as grasshopper and locust infestations, and that its goals are:

To improve the capacity of each country to mitigate the effects of natural disasters expeditiously and effectively, paying special attention to assisting developing countries in the establishment, when needed, of early warning systems;

To devise appropriate guidelines and strategies for applying existing knowledge, taking into account the cultural and economic diversity among nations;

To foster scientific and engineering endeavours aimed at closing critical gaps in knowledge in order to reduce loss of life and property;

To disseminate existing and new information related to measures for the assessment, prediction, prevention and mitigation of natural disasters;

To develop measures for the assessment, prediction, prevention and mitigation of natural disasters through programmes of technical assistance and technology transfer, demonstration projects, and education and training, tailored to specific hazards and locations, and to evaluate the effectiveness of those programmes;

Requests the Secretary-General, in co-operation with the appropriate organizations of the United Nations system and relevant scientific, technical, academic and other non-governmental organizations, to develop an appropriate framework for attaining the objective and goals referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 above and to submit a report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session through the Economic and Social Council;

Recommends that, if necessary, extrabudgetary resources be provided for the preparation of the abovementioned report and considers that, for this purpose, voluntary contributions from countries, international organizations and other organizations are highly desirable;

Calls upon all Governments to participate during the decade in concerted international action for the reduction of natural disasters and, as appropriate, to establish national committees, in co-operation with the relevant scientific and technological communities, with a view to surveying available mechanisms and facilities for the reduction of natural hazards, assessing the particular requirements of their respective countries or regions in order to add to, improve or update existing mechanisms and facilities and develop a strategy to attain the desired goals;

Further calls upon Governments to keep the Secretary-General informed of their countries’ plans and of assistance that can be provided so that the United Nations may become an international centre for the exchange of information, the storing of documents and the coordination of international efforts concerning the activities in support of the objective and goals referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4 above, thus enabling each Member State to benefit from the experience of other countries;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its forty-third session on progress made in the preparations outlined above with particular emphasis on defining the catalytic and facilitating role envisaged for the United Nations system.