掲載日：2015/01/19
Margareta Wahlstrom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction
CONTENTS
Margareta reminded us all that there was now only about 50 days until the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Sendai. The second WCDRR was held in Kobe 10 years ago and the Hyogo Framework for action was adopted. This coming conference will adopt a renewed framework for action for the next 10 or possibly 15 years. The UN Conference is expected to be attended by 6,000-8,000 official government participants and a large number of Japanese are expected to attend the public forums and civil society events. Ministers and Heads of State have been invited by the UN Secretary General and the Japanese Prime Minister and large numbers are expected to attend. Their presence underscores the political importance of the Conference and will ensure smoother implementation of policies after the Conference.
There will be eight High Level events, including Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues on ‘Mobilizing Women’s Leadership in DRR’ and ‘Inclusive Disaster Risk Management,’ as well as Ministerial Roundtables on, for example, ‘Reconstructing After Disasters: Building Back Better.’ Thirty-four official working sessions will also be held as part of the official conference and 360 public forums, organized by many domestic and international civil society groups, including NGOs and businesses, which will be held throughout Sendai City.
QUESTION AND ANSWER
Question: What tangible results can be expected from the Conference?
Answer: A new Framework for Action will be adopted to guide governments for the next 10 or possibly 15 years. While this is a voluntary agreement, it has been demonstrated that these Frameworks have significant influence on public policies and political commitments. In addition to confirming their support of the new Framework, member countries are also making voluntary commitments to implement necessary actions on a variety of themes. Also we expect new partnerships to be formed at this Conference, for example between Small Island States and larger countries, which will focus on implementation.
Question: What are the common obstacles to DRR and how should Japan tackle these challenges?
Answer: The Governor of Hyogo said that the greatest obstacle to DRR is that we forget about past disasters. This is the case all over the world, not just in Japan. The disaster victims of course want to forget the pain and trauma but this may reduce the level of preparedness for future disasters. It is important for citizens to take responsibility for their safety and to be prepared. Moreover, much attention is given to disasters as high profile events, but relatively little attention is given to disaster risks and how to reduce them. Japan is the exception here and the work that Japan has done on risk analysis is something that can be shared. Another challenge is to study the economics of disasters more closely. We know about the social and psychological affects, but the economic affects have not been adequately studied.
Question: How will the issue of nuclear disasters be addressed in the Sendai Conference?
Answer: The present HFA mentions ‘technological hazards’ but not very much attention has been paid to this over the past 10 years. But since the accident at Fukushima, we obviously need to focus on this issue more. We must learn the lessons, to assess how to recover from nuclear disasters. It has been much easier to get information about the Fukushima accident than the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. In the new Framework for Action ‘technological hazard’ has been retained. This includes not just nuclear accidents, but also a range of disasters that can be caused by technology/industry. However, HFA2 is primarily concerned with risk reduction associated with natural disasters. For example, if there are floods, that also cause a leakage at a chemical factory.
Question: This year there are a number of conferences and actions which are related to DRR. For example, it is the last year of the Millennium Development Goals and COP21 will also be held later this year. What is the position of this Conference in relation to these events?
Answer: All of these issues are of course related and we must integrate our concerns and work together. There is no doubt that climate change is causing extreme weather events and disasters, so it is very important that these issues be addressed together; we have common overarching goals of sustainable economic growth and social justice.
Question: How will health-related issues be addressed in the post Hyogo Framework?
Answer: We had close consultations with representatives in the healthcare sector and therefore health related concerns will be given more profile in the new Framework.
Question: You mentioned that the new Framework will have a longer timeframe of 15 years instead of 10 years like the previous agreement. What is the reason for this?
Answer: This hasn’t been confirmed yet. In fact, some DRR experts wanted it to be an even longer timeframe of 20 years, as it takes more time for institutional change to happen and sometimes its better not to change basic frameworks too often. It is best to match the HFA2 with the aforementioned agreements and issues. If they are on the same timeframes, it is easier to monitor all of them and have an integrated approach. This is not to say that we will just be waiting for 15 years. We will have review meetings every 4-5 years to track progress and make necessary adjustments.
Question: There will be 360 civil society events alongside the Conference, can you please give a message to the civil society regarding this?
Answer: I’m sure that large numbers of the general public will participate in these events, which will be held in different places all around Sendai. This is a very good way for citizens involved in and interested in DRR to meet each other and also to connect with the Official Conference. The discussions at the Public Forums will also impact on the official discussions, so they have a very important exchange function.