WORKING SESSION
Governance and development planning at national / local levels
Concept Note
1. Why is this topic important and worth a Working Session ?
States have made progress since 2005 in making disaster risk reduction a national and local priority,
notably in providing the policy, legislative and institutional basis for implementation of the HFA.
However, many countries have yet to determine optimal governance arrangements and decisionmaking systems for the effective management of disaster risks, and as a result systematic integration
in national and local development strategies and plans can be a challenge. Successful arrangements
span sectoral, institutional, political, legal, regulatory, fiduciary and financial systems of a country,
with actions closely coordinated between local and national, as well as regional and global entities.
Effective risk governance requires the full engagement of all national and sub-national State
institutions - including the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, strong political leadership, and
a clear articulation of responsibilities of public and non-government stakeholders, including
businesses, communities, households and individuals.
2. What gaps need to be filled ?
Effective management of disaster risk across sectors and geographies, can be hampered if clear plans
and guidance, risk information, appropriate coordination and participation of all stakeholders is
inadequate. This can result in the misalignment of departments and sectors, and between national
and local efforts. Further development of national and local risk governance arrangements is required
if governments and local authorities are to be guided in addressing disaster risk in public policy,
strategies and plans, so as to incentivize persons, households, communities, businesses and investors
and articulate responsibilities for which stakeholders can be held accountable. Improved interaction
between local and central entities, and with non-government actors, has been observed since 2005,
but greater emphasis is required post-2015 if competences and resources are to be made adequately
available. Once regional, national and local responsibilities have been defined, strengthened
mechanisms for the surveillance, disclosure and management of disaster risk in both public and
private investment will be essential.
3. What (new) commitments are expected to be achieved ?
The session will provide substantive recommendations for action post-2015, borne from regional,
national and local experiences.
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Schedule
Sunday 15 March 2015, 10:00-11:30
Room and Venue
Main Hall, Sendai International Conference Centre
Organizing Team
Croatia, Japan, Turkey, United Kingdom, OECD, UNDP, UNITAR, IFRC, IRGC, Lee
Kuan Yu School of Public Policy (NUS), ODI
UNISDR Focal
Points
Marc Gordon, Rhea Katsanakis
This session will examine progress made and challenges faced by governments
and other stakeholders in providing an enabling governance architecture for
more effective disaster risk management. It will identify critical public policies
that manage, regulate or provide incentives for disaster risk-informed actions
that can reduce the existing stock of risk, prevent the generation of new risk,
and strengthen societal resilience. It will examine examples of how multiple but
interacting centres of decision-making, often through partnerships engaging
non-government actors and the citizenry, can effectively manage the
interconnected nature of disaster risk.
Background and
Rationale
States have made demonstrable progress since the adoption of the HFA in
developing disaster risk governance, not least in establishing national policies
and legal frameworks. With strong central leadership, effective interaction
between national and local authorities, and cross-ministerial cooperation - not
least in developing integrated and dedicated strategies and plans - effective
action to reduce disaster risk has often followed.
If national targets for growth and development - including employment and
stability - are to be realized, the shift from managing crisis to managing risk that
is evident in an increasing number of countries since 2005, must be reflected in
public policy frameworks and business decision processes so as to enable riskinformed public and private investment and practice. This entails interdisciplinary risk governance arrangements, including detailing a normative
framework that will incentivize and enable implementation, monitoring and
accountability across levels and sectors, and incorporates the actions of
national and local governments, but also of non-government actors including
civil society, the private sector, the scientific and academic communities, and
others. It implies identifying the responsibilities of government at the central
and local, as well as regional, levels, and ensuring competences and capabilities
for coordinated action.
Session
Objectives
In undertaking a critical analysis of successes and shortfalls of implementation
of the HFA (and particularly Priority for Action 1), the session will examine
models of risk governance, including institutional arrangements, public policies,
incentives and compliance mechanisms that have affected effective disaster
risk management, at national and local, as well as regional levels.
The session will also explore the trigger points and pathways that facilitate the
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development of effective risk governance arrangements, including but not
restricted to institutional and organizational interaction and design,
determination of responsibilities, integrated planning and decision-making
protocols, coordination arrangements and accountability mechanisms.
a.
Introduction and welcoming remarks by the Moderator and outline of
session and its objectives
Moderator:
Rolf Alter
b.
Director Public Governance and Territorial
Development, OECD
Panel discussion
i. Leadership for coordinated, inter-sectoral, all-of-government risk
management.
Panelist: P.K. Mishra, Additional Principal Secretary to the Prime
Minister, Republic of India
ii. Effective legal, normative and accountability frameworks:
Panelist: Christiana Freitas, Universidade de Brasília - UnB, Gestão de
Políticas Públicas, Adjunct
Discussion
agenda and
structure
iii. Supporting implementation of national strategies and plans for risk
management at all levels:
Panelist: Ibrahim Chahrour, Head of the Department of Planning and
Programming, Council for Development and Reconstruction, Lebanese
Republic
iv. Incentivizing, building partnerships and sharing responsibility with nongovernment actors to effectively manage risk:
Panelist: Fuat Oktay, Director General, AFAD, Republic of Turkey
v. Transboundary and multi-risk governance:
Panelist: Christelle Pratt, Deputy Secretary-General, Pacific Islands
Forum Secretariat
vi. Evolving governance of disaster risk:
Panelist: Ryosei Akazawa, State Minister of the Cabinet Office of Japan
c. Interactive guided discussion
d. Concluding remarks by panelists and conclusion by the Chair
Expected
outcomes
 The session will provide substantive recommendations for action post-2015,
in enhancing national and sub-national disaster risk governance and
planning.
 Delegates will be able to discuss successes and challenges in areas of risk
governance and planning that might include: multi-sectoral decision-making
at different administrative levels; integrating disaster risk management into
national development strategies and plans; incentive structures and
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compliance mechanisms; common standards for comprehensive disaster
risk-sensitive planning; coordination and cooperation between central and
local or regional authorities and non-government actors.
Commitment /
special
announcement in
support of a
post-2015
framework for
DRR
Commitments to integrated, coordinated, all-of-government disaster risk
management are encouraged; as are commitments to developing public
policies and plans for risk-sensitive public and private investment at all levels.
Stakeholders are also encouraged to commit to strengthening incentives and
compliance mechanisms, for which they will develop common standards.
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