I call to order the High-level Leaders’ Roundtable on [Natural Disasters and Climate Change [GAVEL]

Welcome. I am honoured to serve as your Moderator.

I am pleased to be joined by the Co-Chairs of this roundtable,
His Excellency Baron Divavesi Waqa, President of the Republic of Nauru,
His Excellency Mr. William Ruto, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya,
His Excellency Mr. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia,
His Excellency Mr. Kamal Thapa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nepal.

Before we proceed, I would like to make some introductory remarks.

Natural disasters are having a major impact around the world.

Over the past two decades, an average of 218 million people every year have been affected by natural disasters, leading to an economic impact of some $250-300 billion per year.

Despite some improvements in building resilience in recent years, we know that the impact of climate change, urbanization and other factors will increase the frequency and intensity of disasters.

The current El Niño demonstrates the challenges we face.  This weather phenomenon – which was foreseen – is already affecting sixty million people with droughts and flooding.

Last January, I myself witnessed the effects of El Nino on farmers in Ethiopia, and the Deputy Secretary-General saw them in Vietnam three weeks ago. We saw what a difference greater investment in preparedness and prevention can make.

I have appointed the Honorable Mary Robinson, the former President of Ireland, and Ambassador Macharia Kamau of Kenya as my Envoys to address El Nino.

Reducing disaster risk dominated last year’s political achievements: the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

We must now honor these agreements and deliver on their promises.
That is the first core commitment for this roundtable.

We can reduce risks, but we can never eliminate them. Unfortunately, natural disasters will continue to happen, as we have seen recently in the devastating earthquakes in Nepal and Ecuador. We must prepare for them much more effectively, so we can respond as quickly as possible. These are the second and third core commitments.

We must increase investment in community resilience, with the full participation of women, young people, and other groups in society. This is the fourth commitment.

And the fifth and final commitment is to follow the rule: as local as possible; as international as needed. Local action must be driven by local needs, and complemented by regional and international support.

I look forward to your commitments, so that this Summit marks the beginning of a major change in the global management of disaster risks and crises.

For its part, the United Nations commits to making all its plans and programmes risk informed, and to building the resilience of communities that are most vulnerable.

Thank you.