By Jonathan Fowler

CANCUN, Mexico, 23 May 2017 – A UN-backed group of companies working to curb hazard impacts has unveiled a new plan of action on the eve of the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The UNISDR Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Resilient Societies, or ARISE for short, issued its seven-point plan during a business-focused preparatory meeting ahead of Wednesday’s official opening of the Global Platform.

“Disaster risk reduction is not philanthropy. It is not corporate social responsibility. For people who understand this issue, it is core business,” said ARISE co-chair Mr. Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. “It is essential for business continuity and for the communities and employees that depend on businesses for their safety and well-being.”

The plan, known as the ARISE Manifesto, is intended to feed into discussions taking place among governments in Cancun, Mexico through to Friday.

“The manifesto draws on the real, on-the-ground experience of the ARISE members of what works and what doesn’t.  We believe that it will empower business to play its role to the full,” said Mr. Glasser.

It begins with a call for the “Build Back Better” principle to be etched into planning, development, recovery and reconstruction – from building codes to government tenders and contracts. 

Second, it says t is vital to create incentives for businesses to invest in risk reduction and resilience in advance of disaster. That can mean removing legal and other regulatory barriers that prevent such investment or, worse, drive continued low-resilience investment.

Third, it calls for a more integrated approach to upgrading key infrastructure and to give local authorities more say over policy – so that money and other resources can be focused on priority areas.