Our Mandate

UNISDR is part of the United Nations Secretariat.

The UN General Assembly adopted the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in December 1999 and established UNISDR, the secretariat to ensure its implementation. UNISDR, the UN office for disaster risk reduction, is also the focal point in the UN system for the coordination of disaster risk reduction and the implementation of the international blueprint for disaster risk reduction - the "Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters".

The mandate of UNISDR expanded in 2001 to serve as the focal point in the United Nations system for the coordination of disaster reduction and to ensure synergies among the disaster reduction activities of the United Nations system and regional organizations and activities in socio-economic and humanitarian fields (GA resolution 56/195). This was in response to a need for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction within the development and other areas of work of the UN.

The "Hyogo Declaration" and the "Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters" was adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, in January 2005. The Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) tasked UNISDR with supporting the implementation of the HFA.

UNISDR's core functions span the development and humanitarian fields.

Its core areas of work includes ensuring disaster risk reduction (DRR) is applied to climate change adaptation, increasing investments for DRR, building disaster-resilient cities, schools and hospitals, and strengthening the international system for DRR.

UNISDR's vision is based on the three strategic goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action: integrating DRR into sustainable development policies and planning, developing and strengthening institutions, mechanisms and capacities to build resilience to hazards, and incorporating risk reduction approaches into emergency preparedness, response, and recovery programmes.

The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, led by UNISDR, meets every two years.

UNISDR leads the preparation and follow-up of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, establishment in 2006 (GA resolution 61/198). The Global Platform has become the main global forum for disaster risk reduction and for the provision of strategic and coherent guidance for the implementation of the Hyogo Framework and to share experience among stakeholders. Other areas of work for UNISDR includes issuing the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction every two years, supporting countries in monitoring risk trends and the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, and leading global campaigns on disaster risk reduction for safer schools, safer hospitals and safer cities.