GP2025 Closes with The Geneva Call for Disaster Risk Reduction

 The eighth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction took place from 2 to 6 June 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland. It was co-chaired by Ambassador Patricia Danzi, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.

This edition of the Global Platform was the first since the Midterm Review of the Implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Since 2015, countries have made significant progress, but challenges remain. Recognising this, the Global Platform was organised under the theme of “Every Day Counts, Act for Resilience Today."

The 8th Global Platform's outcome document, the Co-Chairs' Summary, aims to serve as a guide and a rallying call to governments and stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of the Sendai Framework in the remaining five years until 2030. The Summary concludes with an eight-point call to action: The Geneva Call for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Geneva Call for Disaster Risk Reduction

Successes over the last ten years in the implementation of the Sendai Framework are a cause for optimism, especially as local actors and communities are inspiring the world with examples of how they are managing risks. As the cost of disasters increases and international assistance dwindles, urgent, more concrete actions are needed in the next five years to sustain progress towards achieving the expected outcome and goal of the Sendai Framework by 2030, thereby contributing to meeting the goals of the 2030 Agenda, and post-2030 considerations.

1.     Better data to understand risk: The collection, analysis and application of risk information should underlie all resilience-building measures. Countries need to collect and share historical data, track disaster impacts, broken down by sex, age, disability and income, and conduct predictive analyses. The use of the disaster tracking system and the Sendai Framework Monitor should be scaled up.

2.     Use technology to leapfrog progress: All countries and communities can benefit from the ethical use of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to accelerate disaster risk reduction. Technology access should be facilitated for developing countries and ‘last-mile’ communities in all countries.

3.     Promote integrated risk governance and cooperation: The growing complexity of risk demands breaking institutional and policy silos and integrate plans across domains. To that end, a comprehensive risk management approach should be pursued to integrate the implementation of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and social and environmental protection. International and regional cooperation needs to be enhanced to address transboundary and emerging risks, such as glacial lake outburst floods, sea-level rise and sand and dust storms, as well as extreme heat in line with the UN Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat.

4.     Invest in prevention: Increasing funding for disaster risk reduction is crucial to generate benefits across the development, humanitarian and climate agendas. This includes funds from domestic public budgets and climate finance, also leveraging innovative mechanisms with the private sector. The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is an opportunity to scale this up. International funding and technical assistance, as mutually agreed, should be enhanced for the most at-risk developing countries, as well as countries in fragile and conflict settings. Capacity building for disaster risk management can be reinforced through the Santiago network.

5.     Risk-inform all investments: When disaster risks are ignored, even the most ambitious development projects are likely to fail. Public and private investments should be guided by a thorough understanding of disaster risk. For example, investment in the resilience of the education sector has a multiplier effect. Implementing the Comprehensive School Safety Framework will help protect children and youth from disasters.

6.     Scale-up early warning systems: Despite their value in reducing disaster deaths, nearly half of the world still lacks Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS). Achieving 'Early Warnings for All' requires increased international support and national ownership. Moreover, investing in anticipatory action, social safety nets and combating inequality can minimize disaster impacts and expedite recovery.

7.     Leave no one behind: All members of society can be leaders and agents for resilience. Governments and stakeholders should ensure full-scale implementation of the Sendai Gender Action Plan, the Global Children and Youth Call to Action and recommendations for accelerating disability inclusion.

8.     Prepare to ‘Build Back Better’: The Priority Actions to Enhance Readiness for Resilient Recovery provide a guide for countries to better plan how they will Build Back Better after disasters. Moreover, recovery efforts should be inclusive to address social and cultural needs.