UNDRR (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) is a UN Agency created in Geneva in 1999.
Since it represents the global focal point for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and resilience UNDRR works closely with Member States, International Organizations, civil society and the private sector, to promote prevention and disaster risk management. It is universally recognized for its leading role in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, an international agreement aiming at reducing risks, promoting resilience of local communities and infrastructures.
UNDRR’s strength lies in its capacity to promote cooperation among Governments, the scientific community, and humanitarian actors. Its Secretariat, based in Geneva, coordinates the activities on disaster risk reduction and organizes key events such as the Disaster Risk Reduction Global Platform, the next edition of which will be held in June 2025.
In case of disasters, UNDRR offers its technical expertise to Governments to enhance local and national capacity for managing risks and planning for reconstruction. For this reason, UN Member States often choose to rely on UNDRR to develop prevention, risk, and resilience national policies.
Currently, the head of the UNDRR is Kamal Kishore, appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction on 20th May 2024. Prior to this, Kishore held the position of chief of the Indian National Department for Disaster Management since 2015, leading the G20 Working Group on DRR during the Indian Presidency, and contributed to the establishment of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructures, launched by the Indian Prime Minister at the 2019 Climate Action Summit.
Italy engages meaningfully with UNDRR, proactively contributing to its activities both on the financial and the operational level. In 2022 Italy was recognized as the UNDRR’s second largest donor, and since 2021 Italy has cooperated on strengthening the early warning systems and the management of transboundary risks in Africa, applying tools and methodologies from the Italian Civil Protection Department and the private sector. Since September 2023, Italy has chaired for a year the UNDRR Support Group, focusing in particular on the implementation of the recommendations of the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework as well as the mutual reinforcement of the Sendai Framework, the UN 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Website: https://www.undrr.org/