5th EUROPEAN FORUM FOR DISASATER RISK REDUCTION

The Madrid Declaration

6-8 October 2014

We, the participants of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction (EFDRR), present at the Madrid Session hosted and Chaired by Spain and Co-Chaired by France;

  1. Express gratitude and appreciation to Spain for its hospitality in hosting this 5th annual meeting.
  2. Acknowledge the engagement of Francisco Jodan Alonso, Mayor of the Municipality of Lorca, in building resilience to disasters at the local level as awardee of the Damir Čemerin Award of Local Change.

Contributions towards the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

  1. Acknowledge the importanceofthe upcoming Third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) (14-18 March 2015, Sendai, Japan) and contributeto the ongoing consultations on the pre-zero draft of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction by sharing the following considerations:

-Recognize the need for joint actions and synergies between climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

-Appreciate the need for effective coordination and communication mechanisms such as National Platforms on disaster risk reductionto bring governments and different stakeholders at all levelstogether towards resilience efforts.

-Stress the importance on the role of National Platforms of such coordination mechanisms to strengthen multi-sectorial networks, relationship between scientists and practitioners, support the post-2015 framework implementation.

-Recognize the role of science and technology in strengthening the evidence base for effective decision-making to implement the post-2015 framework on disaster risk reduction;

-Note the need to champion, reinforce and better connect existing and future initiatives for integrated research and the scientific assessment of disaster risk through an adequate international scientific advisory mechanism.

  1. Recognise climate change mitigation and adaptation as part of a disaster risk management approach to address climate risk and agree to contribute to the 21st Conference of the Parties on Climate Change 2015 (COP21) by ……………………………………….(according to discussion with CCA group).
  2. Welcome France hosting the next European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction and COP 21 as an opportunity to emphasize the convergence of the disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation agendas.
  3. Engage in raising public awareness of risk and the relevance of the WCDRR by delivering video messages on local level engagement in building resilience to disasters.
  4. Encourage EFDRR participants to use public awareness materials and calls upon UNISDR, the Council of Europe and the European Commissionto share such audio awareness materials.
  5. Acknowledge the necessity of enhancing risk governance and highlight the pivotal role played in these regards by the designated National HFA Focal Points …………(include language emerging from WG on Governance)
  6. Agree on the necessity to enhance the reduction of flood losses in Europe and call upon ….(include language on outcome flood discussion)
  7. Welcome the engagement of regional organisations such as the Council of Europe (EUR-OPA) and the European Union (through its upcoming Latvian Presidency) in addressing the topic of People with Disabilities and Disaster Risk Reduction and look forward to the upcoming events planned in Europe in 2014-2015 dedicated to this topic.
  8. Call upon UNISDR to integrate the outcomes of European events dedicated to People with Disabilities and Disaster Risk Reduction as a contribution to the featuring of this relevant topic at the WCDRR.
  9. Agreeto host biennially an “Open Forum Meeting” to allow for the participation of multi-stakeholder actors and major groups in order to increase cross-fertilization of knowledge and experience among European disaster risk reduction actors.
  10. Welcome the offer from the European Commission to host such meetings in Brussels, Belgium as back-to-back or as stand-alone events. (based on endorsement of the EFDRR meeting)
  11. Acknowledge the need to develop a workplan towards common areas of engagement in addressing the disaster risk reduction agenda by highlighting the following focus areas: ………..;(based on what emerges from the Workplan Discussion session).
  12. Agree towards the development of a working group that will further elaborate the workplan following the adoption of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction to be endorsed at the next session of the EFDRR, in France in 2015.
  13. Nominate Finland and Turkey as the future Chair and Co-Chair , respectively, following the Chairmanship of France. (Based on selection of Chairs and Co-Chairs)