African common position and the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction and the world conference

Abstract

By its resolution 42/169, the United Nations General Assembly decided to declare a decade for natural disaster reduction and by its resolution 44/236, proclaimed the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). During this decade, the international community, under the auspices of the United Nations, would pay special attention to fostering international cooperation in the field of natural disaster reduction. This would reduce, through concerted international actions, the loss of life, property damage and social and economic disruption as a result of these disasters. Natural disasters, as the focus of the Decade, included windstorms (cyclones, hurricanes, tornadoes, and typhoons), tsunamis, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions, wildfires and other calamities of natural origin, such as grasshopper and locust infestations. To achieve this objective, the Decade foresaw a strong emphasis on capacity development and strengthening in all countries likely to be inflicted by any of the disasters mentioned above, develop guidelines and strategies for actions, foster scientific research and disseminate the results as well as develop measures for the assessment, prediction, prevention and mitigation of natural disasters.