Statement of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to address this conference on the implementation of the “Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina” joint programme. This event comes at an important time for the global Disaster Risk Reduction agenda. Just two weeks ago, 106 countries gathered in New York for the High-Level Meeting of the UN General Assembly on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The meeting ended with the adoption of a Political Declaration that confirmed the strong commitment by UN Member States and stakeholders on the importance of understanding and managing disaster risk  to achieve sustainable development. 

As part of this effort, Bosnia and Herzegovina prepared a Voluntary National Report on progress toward the implementation of the Sendai Framework, and I would like to commend the government’s strong commitment to transitioning from a reactive to a proactive approach to disaster risk management. This is the best way to prevent hazards from becoming deadly and costly disasters.

The results of the Midterm Review demonstrate a central truth:

That risk-informed sustainable development is at the centre of the global political agenda and that disaster risk reduction is an imperative for sustainable development, for fighting poverty, for reducing inequalities, for sustainable food systems and energy transitions, and for promoting human and ecosystem health and wellbeing.

Countries should translate these commitments into a clear road map for transformation from the local to the national to the global levels and back. A transformation that can evolve into an ‘all-of-State institution’, and ‘all-of-society’ effort. A transformation that will require a new ecosystem for disaster risk reduction, with clear lines of accountability between vision, commitments, resources, actions, and results.

I look forward to reviewing the outcomes of this conference, and I can assure the support of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction every step of the way.

SRSG Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction