SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR SUSTAINED COMMITMENT TO SAFER WORLD IN MESSAGE ON NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION DAY
Press Release
SG/SM/6741
OBV/61
SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR SUSTAINED COMMITMENT TO SAFER WORLD IN MESSAGE ON NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION DAY
19981012 Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's message on the occasion of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, observed this year on 14 October:Almost daily, we are reminded of the threat of natural disasters. Since the beginning of the year, we have endured catastrophic floods in Asia, deadly hurricanes in the Americas and the serious consequences of El Niño on several continents. But, while we cannot stop the forces of nature, we can and must prevent them from turning into major social and economic disasters.
Natural hazards capture the imagination, and we tend to think of them in terms of the dramatic images we see on television, but the true extent of their impact lies elsewhere. They profoundly affect our efforts to achieve sustainable development. By their powerful impact on the supply of primary commodities, they disrupt market stability, leading to tremendous declines in national revenue. In many developing countries, 5 per cent of gross national product may be lost to natural disasters each year. In the United States of America, damage caused by natural hazards is estimated, on average, to reach $1 billion per week.
We can no longer afford, financially or socially, to rely only on the expectations of relief when disaster strikes. Preparedness measures for more efficient rescue operations will remain necessary, but we must first turn much greater attention to the introduction of preventive strategies aimed at saving lives and protecting assets before they are lost. The programme for the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, adopted by the General Assembly in 1989 and refined at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Yokohama in 1994, provides us with the necessary guidelines for action.
Science and technology play a central role in reducing the economic and social consequences of natural hazards. This year's observance of the International Day highlights the importance of information in communicating these technical abilities and in sharing practical experiences to make communities safer. As more and more countries incorporate disaster prevention
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policies into national development plans, they are focusing on the value of improved risk assessments and timely and effective early warning, as well as trying to enlist the help of educators, non-governmental organizations, civil society institutions and private sector enterprises, such as insurance companies. Agencies of the United Nations system, such as the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank, have been particularly active in contributing their technical expertise to this cause.
Prevention begins with information. On this International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, I wish to encourage the widest possible partnership, communication and exchange of information among all groups of society and all nations to ensure a sustained commitment to a safer world, a world more resilient to the impact of natural hazards and disasters.
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