New York — Government representatives, development practitioners and humanitarian actors from around the world will meet in Geneva next week at the Sixth Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (May 13-17) to take stock of the progress towards achieving the targets outlined by the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, with inclusion as one of the central themes.

Embedded within the week-long event, the Fourth World Reconstruction Conference (May 13-14) co-organised by UNDP and the World Bank, with support from the European Union will focus on inclusive recovery that is accessible to all groups of society— a key prerequisite for successful recovery processes that are sustainable and build long-term resilience.

Eddie Ndopu, UN Secretary-General's SDG Advocate and one of the world's pre-eminent disability justice activists will speak at the opening session of the World Reconstruction Conference and share his insights on the challenges and possible solutions for making DRR and recovery accessible for all.

“UNDP has been supporting national and local governments for over 20 years to assist recovery and develop and strengthen their disaster risk reduction strategies and plans. Since the adoption of the Sendai Framework, we have worked with nearly 40 countries to meet their existing and emerging risk management needs, including helping them to Build Back Better” stated Asako Okai, Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP’s Crisis Bureau. “By achieving the goals of the Sendai Framework, we can also build resilience to climate change impacts, and ensure we stay on track with realising the 2030 Agenda.”

With the impacts of climate change becoming increasingly prevalent and effecting the world’s most vulnerable most acutely, UNDP is focusing more than ever on addressing inequalities and building resilience of the most at-risk communities and countries. The week-long event in Geneva is an opportunity for the international community to reinforce the understanding that natural hazards are widening inequalities, and if our DRR and recovery approaches are not inclusive, we run the danger of further exacerbating existing inequalities.

For media queries:

In Geneva: Sarah Bel, UNDP Communications Specialist, sarah.bel@undp.org, Tel: +41 22 917 85 44

In New York: Sangita Khadka, UNDP Communications Specialist, sangita.khadka@undp.org; Tel: +1 212 906 5043