[2] UNDRR is led by a United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction (SRSG) and has over 100 staff located in its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, 5 regional offices (Africa: Nairobi, the Americas: Panama City, Arab States: Cairo, Asia-Pacific: Bangkok and Europe: Brussels) and other field presences in Addis Ababa, Almaty, Bonn, Incheon, Kobe, New York-UN Headquarters, Rio de Janeiro and Suva.

[5] On 1 May 2019, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction officially changed its acronym to UNDRR (from UNISDR) to better reflect its name.

However, the broader global awareness of the social and economic consequences of disasters caused by natural hazards developed as the decade progressed.

[1][9][10][11][12] 2002 The Johannesburg Plan of Action The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa, noted that “an integrated, multi-hazard, inclusive approach to address vulnerability, risk assessment and disaster management, including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, is an essential element of a safer world in the twenty- first century.”4 The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation provided UNISDR and the Inter-Agency Task Force with a concrete set of objectives for integrating and mainstreaming risk reduction into development policies and processes.

2007 First session of the Global Platform on Disaster Reduction The UN General Assembly established a biennial Global Platform on disaster risk reduction to support the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, allowing government representatives, NGOs, scientists, practitioners, private sector, IFIs and UN organizations to share experiences, identify remaining gaps, formulate strategic guidance and advice for the implementation of the HFA.

The Programme recognized that the scale and impact of natural disasters has increased over recent decades, threatening hard-won development gains of LDCs.

It aims for the following outcome: "The substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.

It was the first time the forum was organized outside Geneva and the global progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction adopted in Japan in 2015 was reviewed.

[21][22][23] During the forum, Nigerian climate change activist, Olumide Idowu, who was a member of the organizing committee and represented youth and children, was assigned to lead the social media team.

Prior to this, the organization was led by Margareta Wahlström of Sweden, who was the first Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and had been appointed in November 2008.

The functions of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction include leading and overseeing UNDRR in the executions of its functions entrusted by the United Nations General Assembly, United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and its successor the Sendai Framework, as well as policy directions by the Secretary-General, overseeing the management of the Trust Fund for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, and carrying out high-level advocacy and resource mobilization activities for risk reduction and implementation.

The Report is produced in collaboration and consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, including various UN agencies, governments, academic and research institutions, donors and technical organizations and specialists.

The nominated cities or local governments must show innovation, sustained results in measuring and reducing disaster risk, their aims to continue to do so as well as must be interested to showcase and share experiences.

They implemented innovative, creative, inclusive and efficient measures and action plans to realize strong political will in the field of DRR at local level.

[33] The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) started in 1989 with the approval by the United Nations General Assembly.