The Statistical, Economic, Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) organized a side event during the third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), which was held in Sendai, Japan during 14-18 March 2015. The theme of the side event was “Developing Capacities for Effective Disaster Risk Management in Low-Income OIC Member Countries”.

Despite significant progress in many countries in lowering risks and improving disaster preparedness and response capacities, the expanding and accelerating exposure of people and assets to natural disasters in countries that lack appropriate capacities for reducing and managing such risks is alarming. A significant number of OIC member countries are low-income countries with insufficient technical and financial capabilities. In these countries, prioritization of actions in institutional capacity development remains when resources are limited.

In this framework, the side event explored a number of issues related to capacity development including, among others, the critical issues for institutional and technical capacity development for disaster risk management in low-income disaster-prone OIC member countries; actions to be taken to improve the capacities for disaster related data collection and information sharing; roles that international partners can play for capacity development; and building capacities for DRR in difficult security situations and in situations of state fragility.

The event aimed at providing a forum for specialized experts to discuss the outcome of the IDB/SESRIC study on disaster risk management and identify actions in support of disaster risk management programs and sustainable development, particularly through prioritizing the needs of the low-income member countries with respect to capacity development. The event also provided an opportunity to intensify the efforts to consolidate partnership with relevant international governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the development agencies and financial institutions to address the capacity development needs of the member countries.

The side event started with welcoming remarks by Dr. Abdul Hakim Al-Waer, Director of Cooperation and Integration Department at IDB and Prof. Savaş Alpay, Director General of SESRIC, followed by the opening remarks by Mr. Adam Bouloukos, Director of United Nations Office for DRR (UNISDR). Then, Dr. Kenan Bağcı, Senior Researcher at SESRIC, presented the key findings of the report on “Managing Disasters and Conflicts in OIC Countries”. After the presentation, panel session started with key speakers including:

• Dr. Fuat Oktay, Director General, Disaster & Emergency Management Presidency, Turkey
• Dr. M. Daim Kakar, Director General, National Disaster Management Authority, Afghanistan
• Mr. Adam Bouloukos, Director, UNISDR
• Mr. Francis Ghesquiere, Head of GFDRR, World Bank
• Dr. Charlotte Benson, Senior DRM Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Representatives from Sudan and Indonesia have also made contributions on their experiences. The side event ended with a Q&A session.

On the other hand, the main conference (WCDRR) was attended by over 6,500 delegates from 187 officially represented States, while over 40,000 people attended the public forum events. Over 25 Heads of State, Vice Presidents, and Heads of Government and 100 participants at ministerial level attended the conference. 42 intergovernmental organizations, 236 non-government organizations, 38 UN entities; and over 300 private sector representatives attended the conference. The conference adopted “The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction: 2015-2030”, the first major agreement of the Post-2015 development agenda, on March 18 as the new framework for building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters with seven targets and four priorities for action, replacing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015.

Documents:

• Managing Disasters and Conflicts in OIC Countries (English)
• Concept Note of the Side Event (English)
• Programme of the Side Event (English)
• Speakers (English) 
• Poster (English)
• Draft Programme of the Conference (English)
• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (English)

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