Prepare, Show Leadership to Reduce Risk of Future Disasters, Secretary-General Tells Students at High School Summit in Japan on World Tsunami Awareness Day

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the High School Student Summit on World Tsunami Awareness Day in Kuroshio, Japan, today:

Dear students, I am pleased to send greetings to your important gathering.

5 November marked the first observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day.  This date commemorates the famous Japanese story of “Inamura-no-hi”, when a wise local leader acted to save many lives from an approaching tsunami.  You show similar wisdom by bringing together more than 350 students from 30 countries.

Tsunamis are rare but deadly.  The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami claimed 227,000 lives.  More than 15,000 people died in the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which seriously damaged the Tohoku Region in 2011.

That August, I visited the tsunami-stricken areas.  I was deeply moved and inspired to meet many students at Fukushima Minami High School.  They were not fully over the shock, but they showed a strong sense of community.

Being aware and prepared is key to survival.  In that regard, I highly commend the vision of the Japanese Government for organizing the Sendai Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction and adopting its Framework.

It is important to observe World Tsunami Awareness Day.  Each of you should take home the lessons you learn today.  Your communities will thank you.   I count on you to be leaders who can reduce the risk of future disasters.

Thank you.  Arigatou Gozaimasu.