Outline of the early warning platform concept

The concept is that of a small organizational capacity located at the UN campus in Bonn and under the direction of the ISDR Secretariat, that will spearhead and coordinate a new thrust of concerted international action on early warning to reduce the risks and impacts of disasters

The term “platform” was introduced at EWC-II and was chosen over alternatives such as “office”, “center”, “secretariat” or “institute”, in order to emphasize the proposed role as a catalytic mechanism to stimulate and attract the partnerships and resources that are required to build substantial and effective international and national programs.

The goal of the platform will be the reduction of the growing impacts of disasters, through the development of more systematic approaches to the use of early warning. The platform’s work will be guided by the substantive outputs of the Second International Early Warning Conference (EWC-II) - see www.ewc2.org). It will address improvements to the whole early warning value chain, including (i) capacities to understand, manage and reduce risk, (ii) the generation of early warnings, (iii) the communication of early warnings to those affected, and (iv) the capacities of those affected to respond to warnings.

Partnerships will be critical to the success of the platform. It will seek to build networks, promote active dialogue and shared agendas, stimulate new partnerships and launch new activities. It will encourage coordination among the major stakeholders concerned with early warning and related risk management, including UN bodies, such as WMO, UNEP, UNESCO, FAO, and the many organizations that attended EWC-II that were concerned with policymaking, civil protection, risk reduction, hazards prediction, natural resources management, education and training, sustainable development, etc.

Activities will include such things as advocacy events and lobbying at international meetings; the production of information products, databases and a web site; organizing of workshops and studies on critical issues; the development of policy papers and tools such as benchmarks and targets; and networking and partnership development.

The platform’s two main priorities for 2004, as identified by a preliminary planning workshop held in Bonn over 12-13 February, 2004, will be (i) to establish the platform’s basic capacities and external recognition, and (ii) to ensure early warning is well represented in the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR), Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, 18 - 22 January 2005 and in the WCDR preparatory processes.

The platform in Bonn will also enable the ISDR Secretariat to expand its relationships and activities with important groups there – such as the Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification, the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, United Nations Volunteers, and the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security.