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| Office for Disaster Risk Reduction | |
|---|---|
| Name | Office for Disaster Risk Reduction |
| Formation | 1999 |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Region served | Global |
| Leader title | Director |
| Parent organization | United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction |
Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
The Office for Disaster Risk Reduction operates as a focal point for international disaster risk reduction policy within the framework of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Development Programme, World Bank, and World Health Organization. It supports implementation of major instruments including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Hyogo Framework for Action, and interacts with treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and organs including the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and regional bodies such as the African Union, the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The office traces roots to initiatives led by figures and events such as Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and policy shifts after the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, which informed later instruments like the Hyogo Framework for Action adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Hyogo. Institutional evolution involved agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, later reconfigured following negotiations in venues including the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Office at Geneva. Leadership transitions and advisory input came from experts linked to institutions like Harvard University, London School of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and think tanks including the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Brookings Institution, and the Overseas Development Institute.
The office's mandate articulates obligations under instruments like the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, mandates from the United Nations General Assembly, and resolutions influenced by actors such as Secretary-General of the United Nations, UNICEF, World Meteorological Organization, and United Nations Environment Programme. Core functions include normative guidance reflecting the Paris Agreement's loss and damage discourse, technical assistance similar to programs by the World Bank Group and Asian Development Bank, capacity building aligned with initiatives by the European Commission and Japan International Cooperation Agency, and coordination roles that intersect with operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Monetary Fund.
Governance arrangements reflect reporting lines to organs like the United Nations Economic and Social Council and advisory bodies modeled on panels such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The organizational chart draws staff with career paths linked to institutions such as United Nations Volunteers, World Bank, UNDP, and academia including Columbia University and University of Oxford. Regional liaison offices mirror structures in capitals such as New York City, Geneva, Nairobi, Bangkok, and Addis Ababa, and collaborate with regional disaster entities like the Pacific Islands Forum, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
Program portfolios include risk assessment tools comparable to those developed by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, early warning partnerships akin to the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, resilience projects funded through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility, and urban resilience programs linked to municipal networks such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and United Cities and Local Governments. Initiative examples involve thematic campaigns paralleling work by Médecins Sans Frontières, advocacy engagements with Amnesty International and Oxfam International, and research collaborations with universities including Stanford University, University of Cambridge, and Australian National University.
The office sustains partnerships with multilateral development banks including the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and African Development Bank, and coordinates with humanitarian actors such as World Food Programme, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Mercy Corps, and CARE International. Cooperation extends to private sector alliances with corporations like Microsoft, Google, and IBM on data platforms, and non-governmental networks including Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction and academic consortia such as the International Council for Science.
Funding sources combine assessed contributions influenced by United Nations General Assembly budgeting processes, voluntary contributions analogous to those managed by the United Nations Development Programme, trusts similar to the Central Emergency Response Fund, and project finance channeled through instruments like the Green Climate Fund and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. Financial oversight engages auditors and controllers comparable to the United Nations Board of Auditors, and procurement follows rules shaped by agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Monitoring and evaluation practices use indicators aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and measurement frameworks influenced by the Sendai Monitor, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, and analytical approaches from institutions like OECD and UNISDR research partners. Policy impact assessments reference case studies from events such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Cyclone Idai response, and climate-linked incidents studied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Knowledge products circulate through channels including the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction publications, academic journals like Nature, Science (journal), and reports by research centers such as the London School of Economics Grantham Research Institute.