SAVE THE DATE
INTERNATIONAL RECOVERY FORUM 2015
20th Commemoration of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake
~Sending the Message of Building Back Better from Hyogo to Third UN WCDRR~
Friday, 16 January 2015
Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
East sendai expressway
Rationale
A series of commemorative events on disaster risk reduction are planned in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan for January 2015. Among these: the 20th
commemoration of the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake; the 10th year of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA); and the 10th year of
establishment of the International Recovery Platform (IRP). These forthcoming commemorative events are the embodiments of significant lessons that changed the paradigms on Disaster Risk Reduction in Japan and throughout the world. It pays recognition on the value
of the lessons from the 1995 earthquake experience that provided insights on how to organize response and recovery efforts following
mega-disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, 2005 Earthquake in Pakistan, 2006 Yogyakarta Earthquake, 2010 Earthquake in
Haiti, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, and 2013 super typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
It is in consideration of these commemorative events that the next International Recovery Forum will be organized in Kobe, Hyogo on
January 16, 2015 (Friday). The theme, Commemorating Two Decades of Lessons from the 1995 Kobe Earthquake and its Critical Importance to the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Resk Reduction, signifies that the Forum will further explore how lessons from the Great
Hanshin Awaji Earthquake can be effectively disseminated, analyzed, and applied to situations with similar challenges. The outcomes of
the Forum are expected to offer additional insights for the discussions on Disaster Risk Reduction at the forthcoming World Conference
on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR), March 14-18, 2015 in Sendai.
Objectives
Taking stock of the gains from the initiatives spearheaded by Hyogo Prefectural Government in partnership with the Government of
Japan and the International Recovery Platform
Sharing of experiences from mega disaster-impacted countries indicating how the lessons from the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake
have further contributed to their respective Disaster Risk Reduction efforts
Bridging the learnings of Hyogo Prefectural Government from hosting the 2nd World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) to
Sendai City Government which will host the WCDRR
Expected Outcomes
Strategic recommendations on how the lessons from the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake can be further analyzed,
disseminated, and applied to aid nations and communities worldwide
Inputs on the Strategy Paper : The Role of IRP in the next 10 Years to be presented in a side event at the WCDRR
Organizers
International Recovery Platform (IRP) Secretariat, Cabinet Office of
Japan, Hyogo Prefectural Government, Asian Disaster Reduction
Center (ADRC), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster
In Cooperation with
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Disaster Reduction Alliance
Registration
All participants are required to register via email at
[email protected] by submitting Name, Address,
Phone Number, and e-mail address
Venue
Hotel Okura, Kobe: http://www.kobe.hotelokura.co.jp/
Note for international participants:
Please be kindly informed that this Forum is open to the public, and your participation is self-sponsored.
Kindly also note that IRP provides visa support documents for speakers and invited guests only.