CP/RES. 792 (1277/01)

STATUTES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE
ON NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION

        THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES,

         HAVING HEARD the oral reports of the Chair of the Committee on Hemispheric Security and the Chair of the Working Group on Natural Disaster Reduction with respect to the preparation of the Draft Statutes of the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) (CP/ACTA 1277/01);

RECALLING:

        The importance placed on natural disaster reduction by the leadership of this Hemisphere and by nations throughout the world, as well as their commitments and concern as expressed in various documents, including the Yokohama Strategy and Plan of Action for a Safer World (1994), the Miami Declaration on Disaster Reduction and Sustainable Development (1996), the Plan of Action of the Second Summit of the Americas (1998), and the OAS General Assembly resolutions on OAS Natural Disaster Reduction and Response Mechanisms (1999 and 2000);

        The General Assembly's recognition of "the importance of reducing the vulnerability of our countries to natural hazards or disaster through the appropriate use of sustainable development practices as an element of sustained economic and social development" and of the need "to strengthen the planning and disaster management activities of the OAS so as to respond more effectively to the increasingly frequent natural disasters in the Hemisphere";

        That, in 1999, the General Assembly established the IACNDR through its resolution AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99), "OAS Natural Disaster Reduction and Response Mechanisms," as the principal hemispheric forum for the discussion of matters relating to natural disasters and charged it with 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"; and

        The General Assembly resolution AG/RES. 1755 (XXX-O/00), "OAS Natural Disaster Reduction and Response Mechanism";

        BEARING IN MIND the General Assembly mandate, contained in resolution AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99), to the Permanent Council to prepare and approve draft Statutes for the IACNDR;

        RECALLING ALSO the mandate from the Permanent Council, on November 22, 2000, to the Committee on Hemispheric Security to prepare the said draft Statutes;

        NOTING WITH SATISFACTION that the Committee on Hemispheric Security, through its Working Group on Natural Disaster Reduction, has prepared the said draft Statutes in a timely manner; and

        CONSIDERING that these draft Statutes accord with the intentions and objectives of the General Assembly set out in both its resolutions AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99) and AG/RES. 1755 (XXX-O/00),

RESOLVES:

        1.     To adopt the Statutes of the Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (IACNDR) as attached hereto.

        2.     To report to the General Assembly at its thirty-first regular session on its compliance with this mandate.

        3.     To instruct the General Secretariat to publish these Statutes as appropriate and to transmit them to the members of the IACNDR and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

APPENDIX

STATUTES OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION (IACNDR)

CHAPTER I NATURE AND PURPOSE

Article 1

The Inter-American Committee on Natural Disaster Reduction (hereinafter "the IACNDR") is an entity of the Organization of American States (hereinafter "the OAS" or "the Organization"), established by the General Assembly through resolution AG/RES. 1682 (XXIX-O/99).

Article 2

The IACNDR is the principal forum of the inter-American system for analyzing issues related to natural disasters, including the prevention and mitigation of their effects, in coordination with the governments of member states; competent national, regional, and international organizations; and nongovernmental organizations.

The IACNDR seeks to strengthen hemispheric actions to achieve maximum international cooperation in support of national and/or regional efforts for timely prevention, preparedness, early warning, response, vulnerability reduction, emergency care, mitigation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction.

Article 3

The IACNDR is governed by these Statutes. Its activities shall be carried out in accordance with the OAS Charter and the mandates handed down by the OAS General Assembly and Permanent Council.

CHAPTER II FUNCTIONS

Article 4

The IACNDR shall submit to the Permanent Council:

a. A strategic outline including a strategic plan with recommendations on initiatives related to natural disasters and methods of financing, placing particular emphasis on policies, programs, and international cooperation intended to reduce the vulnerability of member states to natural disasters;

b. An annual progress report on implementation of the Strategic Plan; and

c. Recommendations on amendments to the Strategic Plan, if deemed necessary by the IACNDR.

CHAPTER III STRUCTURE

Article 5 Composition

The IACNDR comprises the Chair of the OAS Permanent Council, the Secretary General of the OAS, the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS, the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Director General of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Secretary General of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), the Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Director General of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD).

Article 6 The Chair and its functions

The Secretary General of the OAS is Chair of the IACNDR and, in that capacity, performs the following functions:

a. To convene the IACNDR;

b. To represent the IACNDR before the other organs and agencies of the OAS;

c. To direct and coordinate the meetings organized by the IACNDR with other agencies responsible for or associated with matters related to the prevention and mitigation of the effects of natural disasters;

d. To coordinate performance of the IACNDR's functions;

e. When necessary, to invite the member states, permanent observers, and representatives of national, regional, and international organizations to participate in IACNDR meetings with voice but without vote; said organizations could include the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF), the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB) in accordance with resolution AG/RES. 1240 (XXIII-O/93), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), and the Coordination Center for the Prevention of Natural Disasters in Central America (CEPREDENAC); and

f. To coordinate the preparation of the reports that the IACNDR will submit to the Permanent Council.

CHAPTER IV MEETINGS

Article 7

The IACNDR shall meet at least twice a year. At the discretion of the Chair, more frequent meetings may be called.

Article 8

The necessary quorum for a meeting of the IACNDR shall be more than half its members.

Article 9

Should the Secretary General of the OAS be absent from all or part of a meeting of the IACNDR, the other members present shall decide by a majority of votes on a replacement to direct its discussions during his or her absence.

Article 10

A member of the IACNDR may, under special circumstances, appoint another high-level officer of the agency to which he or she belongs to represent it at those meetings that the member cannot attend.

Article 11

Each member of the IACNDR shall have the right to one vote. The Committee shall do everything possible to adopt decisions and recommendations by consensus. Should it not be possible to adopt decisions and recommendations by consensus, the Committee will adopt them by the majority vote of the members.

Article 12

The IACNDR shall meet at the OAS headquarters, except when it decides on an alternative venue for any of its meetings.

CHAPTER V SECRETARIAT SERVICES

Article 13

The General Secretariat of the OAS shall provide secretariat services to the IACNDR, in accordance with the resources allocated in the Regular Fund program-budget of the Organization and other resources.

CHAPTER VI FINANCIAL SUPPORT

Article 14

The IACNDR shall fund those activities that pertain to Article 4 of these Statutes by soliciting specific contributions from the member states of the OAS and from other states and international intergovernmental organizations, or by seeking to establish the necessary specific and trust funds, pursuant to Articles 69 and 70 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat of the Organization.

CHAPTER VII AMENDMENTS AND ENTRY INTO FORCE

Article 15

This Statute may be modified by the General Assembly either at its own initiative or at the request of the IACNDR.

Article 16

This Statute shall enter into force on the date of its adoption by the OAS General Assembly.

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