9 October 2013
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| Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York |
Persons with Disabilities Central to Disaster Resilience Initiatives, Secretary-General Says in Message for International Observance
Following is UN
Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon’s message for the International Day for
Disaster Reduction, observed on 13 October:
“Persons with disabilities
are the biggest untapped resource for disaster planners around the
world.” These are the words of Firoz Ali Alizada, a double amputee from
Afghanistan who responded to a United Nations survey which uncovered
scores of stories that speak to the ingenuity and drive of persons with
disabilities to manage risk from disasters.
More than 1 billion
persons in the world live with a disability. This year’s commemoration
of the International Day for Disaster Reduction is an opportunity to
recognize their vital role in fostering resilience.
Unfortunately, most
persons with disabilities have never participated in disaster risk
management or related planning and decision-making processes. They
suffer disproportionately high levels of disaster-related mortality and
injuries.
Early warning systems,
public awareness campaigns and other responses often fail to consider
the needs of persons with disabilities, putting them at an unnecessarily
elevated risk and sending a harmful message of inequality.
We can change this
situation by including persons with disabilities in disaster resilience
initiatives and policy planning. The recent General Assembly High-level
Meeting on Disability and Development recognized the urgent need for
action on this issue, which is also addressed in the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Inclusion saves lives.
And it empowers persons with disabilities to take ownership of their own
safety — and that of their community. We can already see their
potential contribution in the many persons with visible and invisible
disabilities around the world who already serve as volunteers and
workers helping communities when disaster hits to cope and bounce back.
On the International Day
for Disaster Reduction, let us resolve to do everything possible to
ensure that all persons with disabilities have the highest possible
levels of safety and the greatest possible chance to contribute to the
overall well-being of society. Let us build an inclusive world where
persons with disabilities can play an even greater role as resourceful
agents of change.
Messages for the International Day for Disaster Reduction
- United Nations: Secretary General message: English - عربي - 中文 - Français - Русский - Español - 日本語
- UNISDR: Video Message from the UN Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction
- UNESCO: Message from the Director-General on the occasion of IDDR 2013
- UNCCD: Executive Secretary message for IDDR 2013
- UNOPS: Video Message from UNOPS Director of Global Partner Services Office
What's New :
Sunday
is the International Day for Disaster Reduction, which this year
focuses on the one billion people around the world who live with some
form of disability. Find out more and take a look at graphic
visualizations of the results of the UNISDR survey on needs of persons with disabilities in disasters:
Asia
and the Pacific is the most disaster-prone region of the world. Almost
two million people were killed by disasters in the region between 1970
and 2011, representing 75 per cent of global disaster fatalities. A
person living in Asia and the Pacific is four times more likely to be
affected by natural disasters than someone living in Africa, and 25
times more likely than someone living in Europe or North America. In
2011 alone, economic damages and losses from disasters in the region
totaled more than $293 billion.
For many policymakers, this is uncharted territory: they are more accustomed to focusing on problems in particular economic or social sectors rather than treating them as systemic wholes. This report "Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Major Economic Crises", which was prepared for the 69th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), provides a comprehensive response to addressing multiple shocks in Asia and the Pacific. It shows how people, organizations, institutions and policymakers can work together to weave resilience into economic, social and environmental policies.
For many policymakers, this is uncharted territory: they are more accustomed to focusing on problems in particular economic or social sectors rather than treating them as systemic wholes. This report "Building Resilience to Natural Disasters and Major Economic Crises", which was prepared for the 69th Session of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), provides a comprehensive response to addressing multiple shocks in Asia and the Pacific. It shows how people, organizations, institutions and policymakers can work together to weave resilience into economic, social and environmental policies.
About ADPC from Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER)
- Join the forum : International Day for Disaster Reduction (13 October)
- Watch the Videos : International Day for Disaster Reduction 2013
