OEA/Ser.P
AG/RES. 1803 (XXXI-O/01)
5 June 2001
Original: English
OAS NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION AND RESPONSE MECHANISM
(Resolution adopted at the third plenary session, held on
June 5, 2001;
subject to review by the Style Committee)
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
HAVING SEEN:
The Report of the Permanent Council and in particular the
section on hemispheric security (AG/doc.3970/01); and
The Report of the Secretary General on the implementation of
the General Assembly resolution "OAS Natural Disaster
Reduction and Response Mechanisms" [AG/RES. 1755 (XXX-O/00)]
(CP/doc…./01);
RECALLING:
The General Assembly resolutions on OAS Natural Disaster
Reduction and Response Mechanisms", AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99)
and AG/RES. 1755 (XXX-O/00);
The establishment of the Inter-American Committee on Natural
Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) in 1999 through the above-cited
resolution AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99);
BEARING IN MIND:
The agreements by the Heads of States and Government at the
Third Summit of the Americas as set out in the Quebec City Plan
of Action, in particular the sections on Disaster Management and
Environmental Foundation for Sustainable Development, especially
the commitments to develop, implement and sustain shared
comprehensive disaster management strategies and programs to
reduce the vulnerability of our populations and economies to
natural and manmade disasters; and
That the Heads of State and Government also recognized the
need for protection of the environment and the sustainable use
of natural resources as essential to prosperity and to the
sustainability of our economies;
KEENLY AWARE of the significant and positive impact that the
reduction and prevention of natural disasters will have on the
socioeconomic development of all member states;
REITERATING the importance of reducing the vulnerability of
our countries to natural hazards or disasters through the
appropriate use of sustainable development practices as an
element of sustained economic and social development;
EMPHASIZING the importance of all member states giving
committed and active support to the work of the IACNDR as it
seeks to fulfill its role as the principal OAS forum charged
with the task of providing the Permanent Council with
"strategic thinking, recommendations on initiatives
relating to natural disasters, and advice on methods of
financing them, paying special attention to policies and
programs designed to reduce the vulnerability of member states
to natural disasters";
RECOGNIZING the value of coordinated endeavors and sharing of
technical expertise and practical experience among public,
private, national, intergovernmental and civil society
organizations aimed at reducing natural disasters in the
Americas;
RECOGNIZING WITH SATISFACTION:
That the Statutes of the IACNDR have been finalized, having
been adopted by the Permanent Council through resolution CP/RES.
792/01 (1277/01); and
That the OAS role in disaster reduction, preparations for
disasters and disaster relief is being strengthened through the
work being carried out by the IACNDR and the Permanent Council;
and
BEARING IN MIND the recommendations by the Permanent Council
with respect to the Report of the IACNDR (CP/doc.3324/00 rev.
1),
RESOLVES:
1. To adopt the recommendations by the Permanent Council with
respect to the Report of the Inter-American Committee on Natural
Disaster Reduction (IACNDR).
2. To urge member states to study and where appropriate to
apply those IACNDR recommendations set out in its Report
(CP/doc.3324/00 rev. 1) that specifically address member states.
3. To request the Permanent Council to continue studying,
through the Committee on Hemispheric Security, the
recommendations made by the IACNDR as set out in its said
Report, with due consideration to the financial implications of
any of these recommendations for the Organization, and to take
any decisions and adopt any course of action it may deem fit
with respect to the furtherance of those recommendations, no
later than December 15, 2001.
4. To request the IACNDR to continue its work in accordance
with the Statutes adopted by the Permanent Council and to
report, through the Secretary General, to the Permanent Council
prior to the next regular session of the General Assembly.
5. To renew its instructions to the Secretary General to
support the work of the IACNDR both in his capacity as Chair of
the IACNDR and through the internal General Secretariat
committee on natural disasters, so as to assist the IACNDR in
its activities and to secure the financial resources necessary
for the functioning of the IACNDR.
6. To instruct the Secretary General to establish, in
coordination with the IACNDR, an information network to exchange
scientific and technical knowledge and experiences in order to
strengthen coordination of national prevention and response
agencies in natural disasters.
7. To request the Secretary General to convene, in accordance
with the relevant mandates of the Third Summit of the Americas,
a hemispheric meeting on disaster preparedness and mitigation
prior to the thirty-second regular session of the General
Assembly.
8. To instruct the Secretary General to cooperate with the
Inter-American Development Bank in a feasibility study on
measures to reduce the cost of catastrophic insurance within
member states, in accordance with the relevant mandate of the
Third Summit of the Americas, and to make this study available
to the IACNDR for its consideration and further action.
9. To instruct the Permanent Council to report to the
thirty-second regular session of the General Assembly on
compliance with this resolution.
10. To request that the Secretary General transmit this
resolution to all the members of the IACNDR.
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