Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction
The 8th Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 (GPDRR2025) began with preparatory events on Monday, 2 June, ahead of the upcoming official programme with highlevel meetings from 4-6 June in Geneva, Switzerland. GPDRR 2025 is organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and hosted by the Government of Switzerland. Two parallel events took place on Monday: the Third Stakeholder Forum and the Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) MultiStakeholder Forum.
Third Stakeholder Forum
Opening
The Third Stakeholder Forum opened with statements by the Governments of Switzerland and Indonesia and senior UN leaders under the theme “United for Resilience.” Speakers highlighted progress on the Bali Agenda for Resilience, an outcome of the 7th Global Platform in 2022, and the opportunities for inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Mirjam Macchi, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, appreciated stakeholders’ solidarity around the evacuation and assistance to the historic village of Blatten, destroyed last week by a glacial landslide 200 km from Geneva. She noted that even livestock were cared for-a powerful reminder that “resilience begins with local people” and inclusive solutions are more effective when those directly affected by disasters bring vital knowledge to action.
Achsanul Habib, Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the UN, reaffirmed Indonesia’s commitment to risk-informed policies and inclusive approaches. He encouraged all participants to use the Stakeholder Forum as “not only a platform to listen and share, but a platform to act together.”
The event also showcased the Sendai Framework Voluntary Commitments online platform (SFVC), where stakeholders can register their commitments, and users can identify areas of activity as well as gaps. Yuki Matsuoka, Head, UNDRR Office in Japan, noted that 729 individual organizations so far have registered their commitments.
Whole-of-society approach for the Sendai Framework on DRR: A collective responsibility
Sarah Wade-Apicella, UNDRR, moderated the session. On effective methods to implement inclusive DRR, Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, underscored the need for people with disabilities to be involved early in co-development of disaster risk strategies, and for foresight processes to incorporate diverse voices. Major Hamad Sabah Al-Sawar, Director of Crisis and Disaster Management, Bahrain, described Bahrain’s communication platform providing diverse modes of information sharing in multiple languages, the use of a phone application, and a common hashtag used to mobilize public action.
On intersectional and intergenerational knowledge sharing, Tom Colley, HelpAge International, drew attention to the wide network of older people associations worldwide as opportunities to engage this age group in DRR. He noted these associations can also harness and serve as channels for bringing Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge into DRR strategies. Barrise Griffin, Disaster Risk Management Authority, The Bahamas, emphasized moving away from one-off, extractive approaches to information gathering, and instead facilitating ongoing dialogue. Josefina Miculax Sincal, Huairou Commission, called for frameworks and trainings to strengthen good practices at the community level.
Participants then heard comments and questions from the floor on the role of national DRR platforms in community-level participation, engagement, and school programs for children; managing conflicts of interest; looking beyond immediate impacts of DRR; measuring the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement; shifting risk ownership to local communities to handle disasters; and securing resources.
Data and financing for disaster displacement as loss and damage
Steven Goldfinch, Asian Development Bank (ADB), moderated this session.
Christelle Cazabat, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, explained that research into Hurricane Milton’s impacts in the US shows how people’s aspirations change when displacement stretches into the long term. She noted 2024 saw the highest number of people displaced in a single year globally (45.8 million), as well as the highest number of people continuing to live in displacement (9.8 million).
Noralene Uy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines, noted that her country ensures children have access to child-friendly spaces during displacement, and that national protocols guide national and local assessments and reporting. Isoa Talemaibua, Ministry for Maritime and Rural Development, Fiji, highlighted Fiji’s risk assessment activities and stressed the value of financial tools such as green and blue bonds, and parametric insurance that enables rapid payouts based on environmental triggers.
Hoang Phuong Thao, ActionAid Vietnam, highlighted the organization’s work with marginalized and remote communities to use smartphones for receiving early warnings, as well as for reporting on local conditions, thereby informing the government’s trend analysis. Catalina Díaz Escobar, Corporación Antioquia Presente, emphasized that data collection itself is a political process and should be conducted in an ethical and respectful manner.
From Paris to Sendai: the fundamental connection of climate and DRR
Jamie Cummings, Sendai Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, moderated the session. Animesh Kumar, UNDRR, underlined that risk is a common denominator across the Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stating that all these global frameworks share the goal of resilience. He encouraged the institutionalization of the agreements at the national level and highlighted the need to localize them. On technical assistance, he stressed that funding applications under the Santiago Network -a mechanism to support countries recovering from loss and damage due to climate change -should be designed to catalyze downstream impacts. Hisan Hassan, National Disaster Management Authority, Maldives, described his country’s focus on EW4All and slow-onset losses. Manon Robin, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat, discussed integration of national adaptation plans and DRR strategies and emphasized, supported by Le-Anne Roper, UNDRR, the need to focus on coordinating actors on different aspects of climate resilience. Amber Fletcher, University of Regina, emphasized that slow-onset disaster management and funding are crucial for food producers, and stressed the significance of non-economic loss and damage.
Innovative financing and private sector leadership in DRR
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Manisha Gulati, ODI Global, noted that most funding goes toward emergency response after disasters occur. She highlighted that when the private sector invests in critical services, DRR becomes an outcome, not only a target.
Yezid Niño, Private Sector Liaison, UNDRR Americas, emphasized the relevance of understanding that DRR is part of the development of the countries and pointed toward the role of regulatory frameworks in involving the private sector in financing DRR. Terry Kinyua, Co-Chair of the ARISE Global Board, stressed that the resilience of communities amounts to the resilience of a country.
Through digital interaction, attendees identified cost-benefit analysis, data gaps, and trust as the major barriers to private sector investment in DRR. Among the actions leaders can take to accelerate investment in resilience, attendees mentioned political incentives, regulatory alignment, resilience as a national priority, and the involvement of local leaders.
Implementation of climate and DRR gender action plans at the national level-Synergies and strategies
Mwanahamisi Singano, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), moderated this panel discussion unpacking synergies between the different Gender Action Plans (GAPs) under multiple conventions and frameworks, including the Sendai GAP. She noted the need to avoid duplication and ensure cost effectiveness.
Mary Picard, Humanitarian and Development Consulting, gave a keynote address describing the actions leading to the launch of the Sendai GAP in 2024. Panelists mentioned key lessons from their experiences with governments in implementing the GAPs, including the challenge of competing priorities and political preferences among different ministries when attempting to coordinate the different GAPs. Other interventions focused on holding governments and agencies accountable for implementing GAPs and enhancing communication among women’s networks, particularly those involved in DRR. Following interventions on regional mapping tools and GAP observatories that monitor implementation progress, Singano invited participants to provide inputs towards developing a universal DRR gender equality observatory.
Community-led action for resilience, building partnerships for inclusive action
Maité Rodríguez, Fundación Guatemala, moderated this session. The panel featured grassroot women leaders and related international organizations. Godavari Dange, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, a women-led organization of farmer-producers, highlighted women farmers’ work in drought preparedness to cultivate and stockpile animal fodder. She also highlighted technology training conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic for women to use online platforms. Norma Choc Botzoc, Community Practitioners’ Platform for Resilience in Guatemala, described grassroot women’s own development of risk and vulnerability assessments, which, she noted, are being used as tools for advocacy to local authorities to direct resources appropriately. Speakers from ADB and the Centre for Coordination of Disasters in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC) affirmed the central importance of cooperation and co-design of programs for climate resilience and recovery after disasters.
Disaster preparedness and risk reduction in urban areas—Building back better
Ladeene Freimuth, The Freimuth Group, moderated the session. Guilherme Simões, National Secretary for Peripheries, Ministry of Cities, Brazil, outlined the Live Peripheries program, which provides access to better urban infrastructure, social services, and opportunities; and the Peripheries Without Risk strategy, a community-based risk reduction and climate adaptation plan.
Marcie Roth, World Institute on Disability, highlighted EWS as one of the best-proven and cost-effective methods for reducing disaster deaths and losses. She drew attention to “Infinite Access,” a communication platform designed to deliver emergency alerts in multiple accessible formats.
Mario Flores, Habitat for Humanity International, discussed the challenges and opportunities of urban environments, stressing the need to build better in the first place; to have risk-informed development; and to consider housing as a platform for a peoplecentered resilience approach.
Debbra Johnson, ARISE-US Network, addressed the report “Navigating the sustainability-resilience nexus,” which brings together the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the DRR Sendai Framework.
Breaking the DRR financing silos: A systematic shift in DRR financing for localization of inclusive resilience
Camila Tapias, UNDRR ARISE Global Board Member, moderated the session. Noting that financial capital existed but is not reaching local levels, Tanjir Hossain, Stakeholder Engagement Mechanism, called for breaking down silos so funding is not sitting around while millions of people suffer. Steve Goldfinch, ADB, described the National Disaster Management Fund of Pakistan that finances projects with high economic benefits using a 70% – 30% funding model from provincial governments. He also highlighted the National Disaster Risk Management Fund of the Philippines that encourage local governments to invest in disaster response, relief, preparedness and risk reduction measures. Emma Haight, UNDRR Investor Advisory Board, described the adoption of a green sewer design, first developed in Washington DC, which proved so successful that the design was replicated in London, UK, Cape Town, South Africa, and Quito, Ecuador, highlighting its environmental and financial risk reduction, and over USD 200 million in cost savings. Michelle Chivunga, Global Policy House, discussed using artificial intelligence to shift DRR responses, optimize data utilization in local governments, track and mobilize funding, and to use digital capital during humanitarian crisis to make up for funding shortfalls. Sara Hoeflich, United Cities and Local Government, recommended investment in basic services such as water supply, street cleaning, and sewer solutions to ensure clean cities as an investment and risk mitigation measure. Marcos Concepción Raba, Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction, discussed effective localization.
Global Early Warning for All (EW4All) Multistakeholder Forum
Opening
Julien Thöni, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Switzerland, said timely early warning action should provide critical time to act and respond, and noted that innovation better predicts and reaches people faster. Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), suggested key criteria for improving early warning systems (EWS), including that science must connect people; and systems and partnerships must include actors “outside the DRR tent,” especially those most at risk. Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Head of UNDRR, said EWS should not be regarded as a once-off intervention. He said national ownership must be strengthened, and the concept of leaving no one behind should be embedded into all efforts. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Just Transition, via video, suggested EWS is the most basic tool for saving and protecting lives, and called for high-level political support, a boost in technology access, and public and private finance at scale.
Fireside chat: The state of EWS
Johan Stander, WMO, drew attention to national ownership, stakeholder engagement, and the involvement of funding partners when investing in EW4All. Sujit Kumar Mohanty, Chief of Branch, UNDRR, emphasized co-design and co-ownership approaches to meaningfully engage stakeholders for successful EW4All.
Good practices: Stakeholder perspectives on EWS
Interventions during this panel session included: calls to integrate women and youth in all decisions focused on EWS; investing in women’s leadership, particularly those with disabilities; ensuring young people are equitably involved; reaching those living in remote rural areas and conflict zones; and leveraging the communication power of mobile networks through private-public partnerships.
Perspectives from across regions on EWS
Panelists in this session focused on: successful collaboration and EWS progress in Zimbabwe after the 2019 Cyclone Idai; institutionalization of the community-based approach to EWS in Barbados; main challenges to integrate scientific tools and remote sensing into EWS in Lebanon; integration of the private sector in EWS decision-making process in Makati, the Philippines; and the role of cross-border cooperation, knowledge sharing, and educating people for effective EWS in Poland.
Thematic Sessions
Four thematic sessions took place during the day. These were: