Background
The role of NGOs is essential in building the resilience of local communities to disasters and supporting local-level implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action. A comprehensive approach to DRR requires a combination of changes in practices at the local level with changes to national and international policies.
Based on this understanding, UNISDR and the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation - UNDP, initiated in October 2006 the development of a 'Global Network of NGOs for DRR'. After an initial period of consultations and joint work, the Global Network was officially launched in Geneva during the “Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction - GP/DRR”, on 5-7 June 2007.
At that time, it was agreed that NGOs should take the lead in further advancing the development of the Global Network and that UN/ISDR would start to play a merely facilitating role after having successfully initiated the process. A Steering Group was established in July 2007 to guide the development of the Global Network. Mr. Marcus Oxley was appointed as the Chair of the Global Network until the holding of the second session of the GP/DRR in June 2009.
In October 2008, a joint announcement was sent out by the UN/ISDR secretariat and the "Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction" informing the network members and other stakeholders about the major developments related to the Global Network. The joint announcement can be downloaded from here.
For more information on the Global Network, please contact:
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Meetings
Regional Consultative Meeting - West Asia, Middle East and North Africa Region
23-24 June 2008 - Cairo, Egypt
The UN/ISDR West Asia, Middle East and North Africa Office, in collaboration with IFRC, organised the first Regional Consultative Meeting for community based organizations working in the field of disaster risk reduction. The meeting envisaged developing a better understanding of existing needs and capacities amongst stakeholders, and discussing how to utilize available recourses to scale-up community based DRR activities in the region.
The two-day workshop benefited from rich discussion among 32 participants representing local and international NGOs, NGO networks and the red cross/crescent community. Participants outlined the need for building capacity and practical knowledge on “how to” reduce disaster risks and vulnerabilities at the local level. In particular, recommendations were made to scale up community based DRR initiatives through better networking, information exchange and promotion of good practices and lessons learned in the region.
For more information contact: Ms. Tine Ramstad (tine.ramstad@unisdr-wana.org)
Asia NGO Consultative Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction
27-28 May 2008 - Bangkok, Thailand
This meeting was facilitated by a Steering Committee that includes the Asia Disaster Risk Reduction Network (ADRRN), Oxfam Hong Kong, and the UNDP Special Unit for South-South Cooperation and UN/ISDR. The meeting was expected to serve as a platform for South East Asia and South Asia NGOs to discuss potential for collaboration around key thematic areas, and develop a regional framework allowing NGOs and civil society organizations to provide inputs to the Global Network.
A total of 33 participants from different backgrounds attended this two-day consultative meeting. Climate change clearly emerged as the group's major concern among a number of issues that included urbanization and local governance. The group decided against forming an additional DRR network at this stage. Instead, it was agreed that the Steering Committee would be expanded to include representatives from Duryog Nivaran - a South Asia regional network, one representative from South Asia and one from South East Asia.
The expanded Steering Committee will lead in taking the recommendations of the meeting forward. In particular, the new and expanded steering committee will work towards establishing a ‘Regional Advisory Committee’ for networks and organisations participating in this two-day consultative meeting. One of the functions of the Steering Committee will be to write the Terms of Reference for the emerging regional coordination mechanism, conduct a regional mapping of NGOs and identify immediate and appropriate actions for the Regional Advisory Committee.
For more information contact: Ms. Meng Abarquez (meng@oxfam.org.hk)
Ad-hoc Meeting
7 June 2007 - Geneva
At the end of the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP/DRR), an ad-hoc meeting chaired by the UK NGO Tearfund was held with all members of NGOs who attended the GP/DRR. The aim of the meeting was to introduce those who formed part of the early "working group" of the Global Network, and gain endorsement and agreement on their selection. It was also a time to formally present the draft ToR of the Global Network and request further feedback on its objectives.
The meeting itself did agree on the current selection of organisations/networks represented on the Global Network Steering Group, but there was also agreement to extend it to include more network representatives from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting also agreed that Mr. Marcus Oxley from Tearfund would be serving as the Chair of the Global Network of NGOs until the holding of the next session of the GP/DRR in 2009.
There was also discussion on what could be improved by the Global Network for the next GP/DRR, which included reviewing the Global Network current performance and considering some key goals around Civil Society representation for the 2009 GP/DRR. For more information, please see attached minutes.
"Global NGO Network" Preparatory Meeting at the GP/DRR
4 June 2007 - Geneva
At the first session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP/DRR), NGOs organized a Preparatory Meeting with the support of the UN/ISDR secretariat. The goal of this Meeting was to provide NGOs with an opportunity to better influence the global DRR agenda. The Meeting focused on facilitating the substantive contribution of NGOs to the GP/DRR through a "brainstorming session".
The Meeting contributed to stimulating substantive discussion on several topics, and encouraged NGOs to reach a shared understanding of the key messages they wanted to convey during the workshop sessions held on day 2. This has allowed them to better influence the overall outcome of the GP/DRR, and to ensure their collective inputs and concerns were reflected in the final report.
The Meeting was also the venue for the official launch of the Global Network of NGOs, and to present some of the results achieved by its core members throughout the period October 2006 - June 2007.
Preliminary Consultative Meeting
25-26 October 2006 - Geneva
A first “Consultative Meeting” of the Global Network of NGOs was organized by the UN/ISDR secretariat on 25-26 October 2006 in Geneva, in collaboration with the Special Unit for South-South Cooperation of the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok. The meeting was attended by 14 representatives of NGOs and NGO networks from Asia, Africa, Europe, the US and Latin America.
As a result of this meeting, participants have endorsed the Global NGO Network concept, prepared a first draft of its Terms of Reference (ToR) and agreed upon the next steps to be taken. Since then, participants in the Consultative Meeting have served as the driving force for developing the Global Network of NGOs. They have suggested the Global Network initially focuses on specific activities, which they have carried out throughout
the period October 2006 - June 2007 with the support of the UN/ISDR secretariat.
Such activities have included:
- Facilitating wider consultation on the draft ToR for the Global Network, compiling the inputs received, and preparing a revised draft for further discussion.
- Preparing an “NGO Position Paper”, highlighting NGOs’ concerns and key messages to be conveyed during the GP/DRR.
- Facilitating the publication of a compilation of “Good practices and lessons learned in Community-Based DRR" , to be collected through existing NGO networks and other channels.
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