National Platforms

National participation is the primary ingredient for regional and international cooperation and is critical for implementing disaster risk reduction policies and measures at the local scale. National Platforms (NP) builds on existing systems relevant to disaster risk reduction and include representatives from all stakeholders involved, such as government, international organizations, NGOs, academic institutions, the private sector and the media.

NPs represent a shift in focus from emergency response to risk reduction.

National Platforms coordinate the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and serve as the coordinating mechanism for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development policies, planning and programmes. A single 'blueprint' approach for National Platforms is neither possible nor desirable since disaster risk reduction is a country-specific long-term process. General principles on how to form, run and sustain National Platforms are outlined in the UNISDR document Guidelines for National Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction, but National Platforms essentially decide on how to organize and run themselves according to local needs.

UNISDR supports National Platforms by collaborating on resource mobilization for DRR at the national level, serving as the networking hub and liaison between different DRR stakeholders, facilitating country-level implementation of the HFA, advising on how to establish National Platforms, fostering dialogue between different National Platforms regionally and internationally, and lobbying regional and international organizations to establish and strengthen National Platforms in countries where they have offices.