The 3rd UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held from 14th to 18th March 2015 in Sendai, Japan.

Some 8,000 accredited delegates participated in the conference. Outside of the conference, numerous public fora were also held.

The World Conference took place around three major divisions:

INTER-GOVERNMENTAL DIVISION

This section comprised official plenary sessions, ministerial round-table discussions and discussions between top-level partners.

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER DIVISION

Involved 33 sessions covering 4 themes: achieved progress regarding the Hyogo Framework for Action, emerging risks, engagement and acceleration of its implementation.

PUBLIC FORUM

The Public Forum is an important element of the World Conference, promoting a shared responsibility for risk reduction and building resilience.
 

The World Conference has made way for the adoption of a new global framework: The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. This agreement establishes seven targets and four priorities for action in the sphere of disaster risk reduction to be carried out over the course of the next 15 years: A substantial reduction of the global mortality rate linked to natural disasters; a substantial reduction in the number of people affected by these disasters; a reduction of the economic output lost in comparison to the global GDP; a substantial reduction in the damage to infrastructure and the interruption of basic, essential services caused by natural disasters, most notably in health and education institutions; an increase in the number of countries equipped with national and local strategies aimed at reducing disaster risk by 2020; the strengthening of international cooperation; and increased access to multi-hazard early warning systems, to information on disaster risk and to assessments of such risk.

“The adoption of the new Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction opens a new and important chapter in the debate on sustainable development because it states clearly the objectives and the priorities for action which will bring forth a substantial reduction in disaster risk, the loss of human life and of livelihoods,” Margareta Wahlström declared, as the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

“Over the next 15 years, the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Action, will call for strong engagement and strong political leadership. It will be essential to the achievement of future sustainable development objective agreements, and future agreements on climate change, which are to come later this year. Sustainable development begins with Sendai,” she added.

This action framework is the first major agreement as part of the proposed post-2015 Development Program. Sendai is the first of a series of key conferences, and will be followed by the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD) in Addis Ababa in July, the adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in New York in September, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) to be held in Paris in December.