GP2022 themes

From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World

The overall theme of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World, has focused on how the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the traditional understanding of risk and disaster risk governance. It has explored how the global crisis can be turned into an opportunity for the necessary radical transformation needed to achieve the goal and targets of the Sendai Framework, as well as of the 2030 Agenda.

THE ORIGIN OF THE GP2022 THEME

Pathway to developing the GP2022 Theme

UNDRR facilitated a consultative and inclusive approach in defining the scope and the thematic focus of the Global Platform.

The following aspects influenced the development of the GP2022 thematic focus:

  • global risk updates and emerging new risk
  • outcomes of previous Global and Regional Platforms
  • global policy context and links to other international frameworks, in particular the themes of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development
  • specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will be reviewed
  • input received from governments and other stakeholders

As part of the GP2022 Preparatory Process, stakeholders were asked to provide feedback on the topics to be addressed. A survey organized in November 2020 revealed that while the world was still struggling to contain the pandemic and COVID-19 has been dominating the news, there is a recognition that certain fundamental issues remain highly relevant to reduce long-term disaster risk, including disease outbreaks. A consultation process followed the survey during which Governments, UN system and stakeholders finalized the thematic focus and substantive aspects of the 2022 Global Platform.

Transformation Platform, 7th Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 27 May 2022, Bali, Indonesia

THE MAIN THEMES

From Risk to Resilience:
Towards Sustainable Development for All in a COVID-19 Transformed World

The Global Platform sessions have been organized around three main sub-themes and three cross-cutting themes, which informed the content of the programme.

Main themes

Cross-cutting themes

Main themes

Disaster Risk Governance

Disaster risk governance refers to the system of institutions, mechanisms, policy and legal frameworks and other arrangements to guide, coordinate and oversee disaster risk reduction and related areas of policy. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the traditional understanding of risk and disaster risk governance. The systemic nature of risks, where events overlap and interplay with other risk drivers, including poverty, climate change, uncontrolled urbanization, and biodiversity loss, expose the need of applying a systems approach to disaster risk governance. This theme explored how an all-hazard and all-society approach to disaster risk reduction works to strengthen the resilience of economies and societies.

COVID-19 recovery

The global COVID-19 crisis demonstrates that risk is systemic, and crises are cascading. Everyone is affected, but not everyone is affected equally. The most exposed and vulnerable communities and countries are bearing the brunt of the pandemic. The COVID-19 recovery is a crucial moment to change the trajectory of development – from one that unintentionally creates risk to one that purposefully reduces risks and builds resilience for all. This theme explored the actions that should be taken to ensure that COVID-19 recovery and rehabilitation is disaster risk-informed, inclusive, gender responsive and addresses the underlying social and economic drivers of risk.

DRR financing

The current approach to financing disaster risk reduction is not keeping pace with the exponential rise of disaster risk, undermining the efforts to achieve the sustainable development goals. There is an immense potential to reduce disaster risk by incorporating risk into investments and business decisions. Post COVID-19 stimulus packages can catalyze greener economic growth and address key disaster risk drivers. National sustainable development financing frameworks can benefit from closer alignment with the goals of the Sendai Framework and the Paris Agreement. This theme explored policy options on financing risk-informed development as well as the use of innovative financial instruments to catalyze action and accelerate investment pathways as part of a transition to a resilient society.


Cross-cutting themes

Sendai Framework Stocktaking

The seventh Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction takes place at a critical time: seven years from the adoption of the Sendai Framework, just over two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year before the inter-governmental midterm review of the Sendai Framework scheduled for 2023. Throughout the GP2022, Member States and stakeholders at all relevant levels reviewed Sendai Framework implementation progress, and achievement of disaster risk-related targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The outcomes and deliberations of the Regional Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction were shared and considered. Throughout this theme, key areas of progress and success, as well as areas where concerted attention is needed, have been identified.

Leave no one behind

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all countries, large and small, North and South, the impact of the pandemic has been felt differently by people within countries. Those most at risk have been most affected, with immense social impacts on women, children, older persons and persons with disability. It has reminded us that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Adaptive social protection is an important means to reach out to most severely affected and most vulnerable groups to ensure that no one is left behind. This theme considered means to accelerate action at international, national and local levels to address protection gaps and reducing disaster risks for those most at risk. It also showcased the leadership of specific groups such as women, youth and persons with disability in DRR.

SDGs and climate action

The climate emergency is the biggest economic, social, and environmental threat facing the planet and humanity. Climate change is undermining the ability to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This theme explored how to galvanize political leadership and momentum to accelerate financing and implementation of risk-informed sustainable development. This theme considered how climate, nature and development can be integrated into recovery and development through nature-based solutions and climate-smart innovations. Sessions took stock of how national and local -level action can be accelerated in synergy with sustainable development and climate action agendas, policies and programmes.