From left: UNISDR Director, Kirsi Madi, UNISDR head, Robert Glasser, UNISDR Chief Partnerships, Shoko Arakaki, and Irina Zodrow of UNISDR Partnerships at this week's consultation with DRR partners

By Brigitte Leoni

GENEVA, 23 February, 2018 - Disaster risk reduction partners are now considering a proposal to establish a new UNISDR Stakeholder Advisory Group and whole-of-society engagement strategy to support implementation of the global plan to reduce disaster losses, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in coherence with the Paris Agreement on climate change and Sustainable Development Goals.

This follows two days of discussions this week attended by 50 representatives from the private sector, trade unions, farmers, education, community based groups, NGOs, indigenous people groups and the media who discussed how to collaborate with UNISDR on an all-of-society approach to reducing disaster risk for sustainable development. (See below for full list of participating organisations.)

Grace Balawag of Tebtebba, the Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education, a long-time UNISDR partner, said: “This will be an important platform for voicing the concerns of the indigenous people who are so often marginalized but can bring so much expertise and knowledge to adapt to climate change.”

Opening the consultation, Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction. Said: “We will not eradicate poverty and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals if disaster risk reduction is not integrated in core social, economic and development planning and your partnership and collaboration is critical to this effort.”

“The purpose of the meeting is to reflect on what can be done for a more effective stakeholder engagement so no one is left behind especially those who are most at risk such as women, children, aged people and indigenous groups,” added Kirsi Madi, Director of UNISDR.

UNISDR is proposing to create a new Stakeholder Advisory Group that will include 25 members representing all the major stakeholders and partners who will be able to engage as many constituents as possible at the regional, national and local level to implement the the Sendai Framework by 2030.

The members of the Advisory group will be self-elected for a period of two years and will provide guidance and inputs to UNSDR, and give a voice to, and defend the interests of, groups of people who can be most vulnerable to disasters if they are not engaged in disaster risk management and planning.