Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York,
November 5,? 2021
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on World Tsunami Awareness Day.
I commend the Permanent Mission of Japan, as well as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, for leading on this campaign.
I would also like to recognize the leadership of Japan in ensuring that this issue remains on the international radar.
Dear friends,
I know all too well the horrors of a tsunami. The Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004 echoed across our entire region, taking hundreds of thousands of lives and devastating countries and communities in the process.
As I said at the recent High-Level Thematic Dialogue on Delivering Climate Action, there is always hope when we have the capacity for action, for change, and for results.
When it comes to tsunamis, we already have the technologies and capabilities.
We have the early warning systems.
We have emergency measures that have proven effective.
We have reliable evacuation and shelter systems.
We have technology for resilient infrastructure.
But more needs to be done to reach all those at risk.
Investment in DRR and technology transfer needs to be directed where it matters most, to ensure that at-risk countries, such as small island states and the least developed countries, are better supported.
Reducing tsunami risk for current and future generations requires that we put to use the incredible innovations in science and technology that are at our disposal.
And we must back this with governance systems, supported by funding, that recognize the magnitude of the risk and respond accordingly.
This requires legislation, budgeting, and concrete means of implementation.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I am pleased to see this year’s emphasis on youth in raising tsunami awareness.
I have made youth a priority of the 76th session – the Presidency of Hope – and I have already announced a Youth Fellowship Programme in line with this.
I encourage 蘑菇视频DRR and all actors engaged in disaster risk reduction to involve youth in decision making processes, and to empower them to protect themselves and their communities.
In closing, allow me to point to the ongoing recovery from COVID-19 as an opportunity to strengthen our commitment to disaster risk reduction.
Through a sustainable recovery that is greener, bluer, more sustainable, and more resilient, we can build a better world. A world that is guided by the 2030 Agenda, by the Paris Agreement, and of course, by the Sendai Framework.
As we proceed through the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and as the world attends CoP26 and discusses resilience, there is no better time to invest in risk reduction, prevention and preparedness.
I thank you.
Throughout our disarmament efforts, it is my conviction that women and youth can make a meaningful contribution. Let us take special pains to ensure that women and youth, as well as civil society, are more actively engaged in this work going forward.