Amy Sebring: On behalf of Avagene Moore and myself, welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Today's topic is the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan last week. Amy Sebring: First, for the benefit of any first-timers, we will go over the order of business. We will begin with a presentation and then we will proceed to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We are going to handle the presentation a little differently today. As you can imagine, our participants just got back very late on Monday, so we gave them a few questions to address. Amy Sebring: We have taken their responses and put them together, and I will be pasting in the results, after a few words of background. Then our guests will respond directly to your questions and comments. Amy Sebring: We will provide further instructions just before we begin the Q&A section, but you may wish to jot down your questions or comments as we go along. Amy Sebring: Please do not send private messages to our speakers or the moderator, as we will be busy with the presentation. If you need assistance, you may send a private message to Avagene. Amy Sebring: Incidentally, if you cannot see the User List on your chat window, you can try maximizing the window, then returning to the smaller view to force a correct display. Amy Sebring: An edited transcript of today's session will be available by later this afternoon -- just check back on our home page or the background page (refresh the pages as needed). Amy Sebring: The U.S. was well represented at the conference, and we did invite a few others to join us today, but either they are still over there enjoying Japan, or had conflicts in their schedule here at home. Amy Sebring: We are very pleased and grateful that Drs. Comfort and Hays were able to take the time to be with us today. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce our guests, neither of whom are strangers to the Forum. Amy Sebring: First, Louise Comfort is Professor of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She teaches in the field of organizational theory and policy design, and has published many articles and books. Amy Sebring: She has done field research on organizational response and information processes in disaster operations following fourteen earthquakes in ten nations. This was not her first trip to Kobe as she worked there following the Kobe earthquake. Amy Sebring: Walter W. Hays is a Senior Fellow with the Global Institute for Energy and Environmental Systems (GIEES), a new institute within the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also serves as Executive Director of the ... Amy Sebring: Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction (GADR), which is a global network of professionals representing the science, engineering, insurance, business, and academic communities of practice; national, regional, local governments; NGO's; and the United Nations. Amy Sebring: Welcome to you both, and thank you for joining us today. ... Amy Sebring: (say hello at this point if you wish!) Louise Comfort: Hi friends, glad to be with you. Amy Sebring: First, by way of background, by the end of the conference, and after a week of negotiations by delegations from countries around the world, a number of documents were completed, including: Amy Sebring: the Hyogo Declaration, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015, and a Common Statement of the Special Session on the Indian Ocean Disaster: Risk Reduction for a Safer Future Amy Sebring: Based on reporting from the conference, there was some concern that these might not be completed on time, but the context of the tsunami disaster gave some urgency to the negotiations, which were completed successfully. Amy Sebring: We have direct links to all these documents, and a final WCDR press release on our Background Page, but you can also access by going to http://www.unisdr.org/wcdr Amy Sebring: A good overall summary of the conference may also be accessed at http://www.iisd.ca/vol26/enb2609e.html Amy Sebring: Now onto our "Participant Perspectives" ... Amy Sebring: First we asked each of them to provide some background as to why they attended the conference. Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: I attended WCDR as the head of a 20-person delegation representing the 1,000-member Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction, ... Amy Sebring: an international NGO comprised of professionals involved in all aspects of disaster risk reduction in 70 countries. I also attended the first World Conference in Yokohama in 1994 as a member of the USA delegation. Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: I participated as a delegate from the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI). EMI is an international, nongovernmental scientific organization that works with researchers and policy makers in megacities to develop and implement action strategies to reduce disaster risk. Amy Sebring: I am currently serving as Vice Chair of this organization and as coordinator of the Cluster Cities Program (CCP). The CCP includes five clusters of megacities that are vulnerable to seismic risk located in different regions of the world. Amy Sebring: The clusters include: East Asia Kobe, Shanghai, Manila; and Seoul; Asia: Mumbai, Tashkent, Dhaka, Beijing, and Kathmandu; Americas: Mexico City; Los Angeles, Quito and Bogota; Mediterranean: Naples, Istanbul, Cairo, and Tehran; and Pacific:Wellington, New Zealand and Tianjin, China. Amy Sebring: Next we asked "Which sessions were you able to participate in, and what were your impressions?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: It was like drinking from a fire hose with occasional timeouts. I attended a mix composed of : a) plenary sessions, which were very large, limited to principal and secondary heads of delegations, ... Amy Sebring: formal with presentations by talking heads of organizations, and focused on potential outcomes that were consistent with their missions, Amy Sebring: b) sessions on Thematic Cluster 3: Knowledge Management and Education, which focused on sharing of topical and thematic information through presentations by working level experts and outreach based on use of extensive handout materials, Amy Sebring: c) the special session on "Animals in Disasters," which focused on hands-on experiences in 2-3 countries in the stricken area of the 26 December 2004 Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster, and Amy Sebring: d) a special Symposium, which focused on "boots on the ground experiences" since 1997 in the evolving Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative. Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: I attended the opening and closing sessions of the conference and the EMI sessions. EMI organized a Thematic Session jointly with UN-Habitat, UN-Development Programme, Kobe University, and the Pacific Disaster Center on the "Addressing the Root Causes of Vulnerability of Human Settlements in Megacities." Amy Sebring: This session featured reports from practicing managers of four megacities and the Kingdom of Morocco. The megacities included Istanbul, Bogota, Quito, and Kathmandu. Amy Sebring: In addition, EMI and Kobe University organized a two-day Symposium on Disaster Risk Management for Megacities in Asia: Planning and Implementation. Amy Sebring: The session was co-sponsored by the International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Pacific Disaster Center. The first day was open to the public and included two panels, a Round Table, and a special session on The Great Sumatran Earthquake and Tsunami of 26 December 2004. Amy Sebring: The first panel focused on Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction in Megacities. The second panel presented Models of Disaster Risk Assessment in Megacities. Amy Sebring: A highlight of the Symposium was a vivid account of the impact of the tsunami on the city of Banda Aceh, in Aceh Province on the island of Sumatra by Indonesian researchers from the Bandung Institute of Technology. Amy Sebring: The Round Table included perspectives on disaster risk reduction from research and funding organizations, including EMI s Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (3cd) program; Ministry of Home Affairs, India; Kobe University, Pacific Disaster Center; World Bank, and the United Nations Development Program. Amy Sebring: Next we asked "With respect to the Indian Ocean Disaster, beyond the call for a tsunami warning system, was there any discussion of post-disaster mitigation in the affected countries?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: No, except for education and training and the special Symposium above, there was very little emphasis on post-disaster mitigation measures. Amy Sebring: To the best of my knowledge, all sessions that dealt with the 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Disaster mainly focused on experience and the technology considered viable for getting people out of harm's way. Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: Regarding the Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami Disaster, there were several sessions devoted to this event, including a High Level Table with participants from major international organizations. Amy Sebring: Much of the discussion focused on describing the event and assessing the immediate needs of the affected communities. The sessions also discussed the importance of managing the very large amounts of international assistance that have been pledged, Amy Sebring: and urged the member states of the United Nations to channel their contributions through the International Strategy of Disaster Reduction, instead of directly through their governments. Amy Sebring: This would prevent, as Klaus Toepfer of the UN Environmental Program stated, the waving of national flags in response to an international disaster. Amy Sebring: The most significant issue of post-disaster mitigation was the strong consensus and commitment to build a post-disaster tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean Basin, with the requisite information infrastructure and training to enable nations in the region to access the warning system and interpret the information in terms of their local contexts. Amy Sebring: Next we asked "With respect to the intergovernmental and final declarations, how did that process work and what was the U.S. role?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: The US role was to listen and look for opportunities to connect with others. All 150 countries that participated in WCDR, including the USA, were represented by a delegation comprised ... Amy Sebring: typically of 2 to 10 mid-level disaster-reduction professionals and led by a senior member of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (e.g., the USA's Department of State) having responsibility for recommending policy on disaster reduction. Amy Sebring: Very few delegations except for UN organizations and some NGO's were led by their Senior Policy Maker. Except for Japan, the host country, officials at the highest levels (e.g., Kofi Anan (UN) and James Wolfenson (World Bank) typically did not attend. Amy Sebring: Each country's contributions as well as those of the UN organizations to the intergovernmental and final declarations were developed days, weeks, and months in preparatory meetings before going to Kobe. Amy Sebring: This process did not rock any boats and worked well for all topics except the 26 December 2004 Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster in the sense of generating broad general statements that looked and sounded very much like those of the 1994 Yokohama World Conference, but without new details. Amy Sebring: The 26 December 2004 Earthquake-Tsunami Disaster was simply too recent, too visible in the media, and still too political to be treated effectively in this public forum. Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: Regarding the intergovernmental and final declarations, there were intensive meetings held by different committees to draft the declarations. Each member state of the United Nations was represented by an official delegation. Amy Sebring: The U.S. delegation was ably represented by a number of people well-known to the hazards research community, especially Helen Wood of NOAA and Dennis Wenger of the National Science Foundation. Amy Sebring: Next we asked "What among the outcomes do you consider to be significant?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: The "global call to arms" was very significant, although not new. Examples include: Amy Sebring: "We will build upon relevant international commitments and frameworks as well as development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration to strengthen global disaster reduction activities for the twenty-first century." Amy Sebring: "We recognize the intrinsic relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable development, and poverty eradication, among others, and the importance of involving all stakeholders, including ... Amy Sebring: governments, regional and international organizations and financial institutions, civil society, including non-governmental organizations and volunteers, the private sector, and the scientific community." Amy Sebring: "We can and must further build the resilience of nations and communities to disasters through people-centered early warning systems, risk assessments, education, and other proactive, integrated, ... Amy Sebring: multi-hazard and multi-sectoral approaches and activities in the context of the disaster reduction cycle, which consists of prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and emergency response, as well as recovery and rehabilitation." Amy Sebring: "We believe that it is critically important that the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 be translated into concrete actions at all levels and that achievements are followed up through the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, in order to reduce disaster risks and vulnerabilities." Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: To me, one of the most significant outcomes was the inclusion in the Hyogo Declaration of a statement that recognized the need to develop indicators to track the progress of disaster risk reduction strategies as part of the process to realizing the expected goals for disaster risk reduction. Amy Sebring: Without some form of reasonable measurement, it is not possible to determine whether or how these goals are being reached, or how effective are the strategies in current use. This kind of performance assessment is essential to achieving actual change in disaster risk reduction policies and practice. Amy Sebring: Next we asked "What will happen next in follow up?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: The next steps, which are the "acid test" of the Hyogo Declaration, are expected to come immediately from the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), ... Amy Sebring: which is expected to work in cooperation and coordination with some fraction of the 200 Member States and some fraction of the global partners. Amy Sebring: Collaborative activities with ISDR are already being planned for the next ten years and communicated in conjunction with the Decade on Education for Sustainable Development, which began on January 1, 2005. Amy Sebring: Global, regional, and local rallying points (e.g., flagship conferences to continue and expand upon WCDR) are now planned for Charlotte, NC on July 24-30, 2005 and Davos Switzerland on August 27-September 1, 2006, with others in the wings to be announced. Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: There needs, of course, to be a follow-up to this conference to assess progress and confirm strategies that are effective and redesign those that are not. Amy Sebring: There will likely be a formal follow-up conference in ten years, but there will be smaller meetings addressing specific problems in the intervening years. Amy Sebring: It is through this process of systematic review and public dialogue visible to the international community that organizations and nations maintain focused attention on disaster risk reduction. Amy Sebring: Finally we asked "Do you expect this will make any difference in 10 years?" Amy Sebring: Walter Hays: Yes, small gains in connecting with disaster-prone, developing countries and in overcoming the universal barriers of ignorance, apathy, organizational and disciplinary boundaries, and lack of political will are meaningful. Amy Sebring: Otherwise, we will need another call to arms in 2015. I remain hopeful that Kobe will be a useful step in going the last mile! Amy Sebring: Louise Comfort: I expect that the commitments to action made at this conference will make a difference in disaster risk reduction over the next ten years. There were 168 member nations of the United Nations represented at this conference. Amy Sebring: It was a highly visible conference, and nations sent prime ministers and ranking department secretaries to this conference. The staggering impact of the Sumatran Earthquake and Tsunami underscored the obvious conclusion that no nation can manage extreme events alone. Amy Sebring: The long-term effects and costs of such an event are enormous, and much of those costly consequences could be prevented with better planning and mitigation. This event also underscored the principle that continuing risk can most effectively be managed through international collaboration and cooperation. Amy Sebring: This event, catastrophic in its human and property losses, nonetheless also created an opportunity for constructive change in disaster risk reduction policy and practice. In multiple arenas, groups, organizations, and governments across the globe are focusing on disaster risk reduction in new ways. Amy Sebring: The old national emergency plans were obviously ineffective in this event. Only international collaboration could manage the scope, depth, and severity of risk, and help to define and implement workable strategies for responsible, sustainable disaster risk management. Amy Sebring: Our thanks to both Louise and Walter for their thoughtful remarks. Now, to proceed to your questions. Rocky Lopes: I have a ! and a ? Amy Sebring: Our protocol for audience questions is to enter a question mark ? to indicate you wish to ask a question or make a comment. Amy Sebring: Then go ahead and compose your question or comment to have it ready, but do NOT hit your Enter key or click on the Send button until you are recognized by name. Please WAIT your turn. We will take questions in the order the question marks are sent to the screen. Amy Sebring: ONE QUESTION AT A TIME please and please keep your questions or comments reasonably concise. Amy Sebring: PLEASE INDICATE to whom your question is addressed, either to Walter or Louise, or if you wish, to both. We are ready to begin now... Rocky Lopes: ? Amy Sebring: Rocky either your comment OR question first please. Rocky Lopes: Question to both: I have not had a chance yet to read the conference report, but I m wondering about the efficacy of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean. Media reports indicate a lot of scrambling to have such a system in place as soon as possible. But since the area of the strongest earthquakes, including the 9.0 quake of 26 December, was only 155 miles off the coast of Sumatra, how effective would such a system be for nearby countries of Indonesia and Thailand, which I understand w Rocky Lopes: let me finish... Rocky Lopes: ...were struck very quickly by the tsunami, with insufficient time to not only interpret a warning, but then get the warning to the public? Of course, a tsunami warning system would be more helpful for more distant countries like Sri Lanka and India. Just wonder about your thoughts and the gist of the conversation about it in Kobe beyond what I have read in today s presentation. Amy Sebring: okay, let's start with Louise please? Walter Hays: Rocky... Louise Comfort: Rocky, much of the discussion centered on the extent... Walter Hays: The technology has changed dramatically since the Pacific watning syste,... Louise Comfort: of the region to be included in the warning system... Amy Sebring: Walter, please wait, we will come back to you. Amy Sebring: Please continue Louise. Louise Comfort: the scientists believe that the warning system should be global... Walter Hays: Close by tsunamis are still a problem, but ... ray pena: ? Louise Comfort: not limited to a single ocean basin... Louise Comfort: that is a very large, multi-year undertaking, but would prove most effective for disaster risk reduction and warning. Amy Sebring: Okay now please Walter. Walter Hays: they can be dealt with through education... Walter Hays: Peolple know that the water rushes out... Walter Hays: They did not follow what they knew... Walter Hays: especially the tourists. Amy Sebring: Ray next please. (will come back to you Rocky) ray pena: Louise, you indicate the recent earthquake and tsunami underscore the conclusion that "no nation can manage extreme events alone." How extreme would an event have to be for the USA to need international assistance? Paul Nevins: ? Burt Wallrich: ? Louise Comfort: Ray, the U.S. has major resources.... Louise Comfort: but some events will require international cooperation... Louise Comfort: e.g. cross-border disasters with Canada or Mexico.... Louise Comfort: ...or events for which little scientific understanding is available... Louise Comfort: the US can manage local disasters, but global warming, for instance, is an international phenomenon. Amy Sebring: Walter would you like to add? Walter Hays: A good exa,ple is an earthquake in the Central US and a hurricane on teh east coast at Walter Hays: teh same time plus you get the idea. Amy Sebring: Rocky, your comment now please. Rocky Lopes: Louise, I wholeheartedly concur that the development of indicators to track progress is very important. That will make the work of this conference more successful than, for example, the IDNDR which had no such indicators. Amy Sebring: Louise, would you care to expand? Amy Sebring: for example, how is that going to be carried out? Louise Comfort: The IADB has supported the development of a set of indicators that have been applied... Louise Comfort: to 12 nations in Latin America as a test case. This is a very good start... Louise Comfort: and the result has been an increased awareness and commitment to disaster... Louise Comfort: reduction in all 12 nations. Amy Sebring: Louise, IADB=? Louise Comfort: Inter American Development Bank. sorry. Amy Sebring: Thanks. Walter do you wish to comment re indicators? Walter Hays: We need to measure progresss in transforming ignorance, apathy, and lack of political will... Walter Hays: any country is a good starting place, even USA Amy Sebring: Paul next please. Paul Nevins: Looking to see who to shift to (changing work) to help the most, who are the shakers and the movers to join up with and make the most difference/impact? Amy Sebring: Lets start with Walter on this one. Walter Hays: I believe that the Global Alliance is a good starting point, but... Walter Hays: certainly not thenonly one... Walter Hays: We need to find the leaders. Amy Sebring: Walter, please put up your Website link if you have it handy .... Amy Sebring: Louise, you care to add? Louise Comfort: Japan is taking a leading role, with its $500M commitment to the tsunami disaster... Walter Hays: www.gies.gadr.uncc.edu Louise Comfort: Germany and the European Union are not far behind... Walter Hays: Sorry gi, gadr.giees.uncc.edu Louise Comfort: and there are new nations that are making very visible contributions.... Louise Comfort: e.g. India with its information technology, and Thailand in telecommunications in Asia. Amy Sebring: Burt is next please. Burt Wallrich: Louise and Walter, did the conference deal at all with the role of local NGOs (ones that are not usually considered to be disaster agencies) in disaster preparedness and recovery? Amy Sebring: Let's see, Louise? Louise Comfort: Local NGOs will be very important in doing the actual work, but... Walter Hays: Burt, Not explicitly...The workd EDUCATE has the activities most needed... Louise Comfort: there will need to rely on connections to international NGOs for resources and technical assistance. Amy Sebring: Walter, continue? Walter Hays: The two E's stand for equity and E-training Amy Sebring: Thanks. We are at the end of our queue ... Amy Sebring: other questions? please put in a question mark? Burt Wallrich: ? Amy Sebring: Burt, when you are ready please. Burt Wallrich: Both [and Rocky if he wants]: Can you comment on the role of local NGOs? How can they be better prepared to cope with major disasters? [The ARC has been instrumental in training them in some U.S. communities.] Amy Sebring: Walter, would you like to start please? Amy Sebring: It would seem this also touches on education. Walter Hays: Anticipate, instead of just respond... Walter Hays: We are 90 percenht response and 10 percent anticipation... Walter Hays: Everyone acknowledges that thenpolitical limelight is on rfesponse... Walter Hays: Not anticipation. Avagene Moore: ? Amy Sebring: Louise, comment? Louise Comfort: Burt, this is a matter of culture and resources...the local NGOs know their communities, but often do not have the experience or resources to manage large operations. Amy Sebring: Rocky did you wish to comment? Isabel McCurdy: ? Rocky Lopes: Yes... Rocky Lopes: There is a big difference on "training" of NGOs to respond to provide relief, compared with "education" of all on what to expect and how to respond... Rocky Lopes: That has been the long-term struggle, since many responders aren't educators and have difficulty understanding how to effectively educate the public compared with training their own folks to effectively respond. Amy Sebring: Thanks Rocky. Ava next please. Avagene Moore: Was there any discussion about the base line within the countries affected by the tsunami re: how prepared are they to respond or be able to warn their populations? Is it important to have the basics of some type of local infrastructure in place across the board? Amy Sebring: Let's go to Louise first on this one. Louise Comfort: There were significant differences among the nations.... Paul Nevins: ? Louise Comfort: two of the nations had long-running civil conflicts that had reduced their capacity... Louise Comfort: Banda Aceh, for example, had almost no preparedness in place... Louise Comfort: and the local emergency responders were also victims of the disaster. Rocky Lopes: ! Amy Sebring: Walter, would you like to add anything? Walter Hays: Keep in mind that we started the Decade on Education on January 1, 2005... Burt Wallrich: ! Walter Hays: Banda Aceh had been lulled into sleep... Walter Hays: by tehn long time interval between tsunamis... Walter Hays: Education has to be every person's job... Walter Hays: penetrating all of society every day. Amy Sebring: Isabel next please. Isabel McCurdy: Did conference speak to how nations would honour their pledges and promises? Christopher Effgen: ? Christopher Effgen: ? Amy Sebring: Let's start with Walter on this one. Walter Hays: It is an honor system. Amy Sebring: Louise? Walter Hays: No accountability until the disaster strikes. Louise Comfort: It is regrettable that in previous disasters... Louise Comfort: only a fraction of the pledges were honored. Japan set the example on this disaster... Louise Comfort: by releasing $250M during the week of the conference, and $250M next week. Let's hope... Louise Comfort: the other nations will follow. Amy Sebring: Paul next please. Paul Nevins: In the US, many seaports have mutual aid co-ops joining the forces of industry and government. In one area, even the USN has a mutual aid agreement with the non-profit mutual aid co-op. Very effective during 11-sep issues in securing ports and reopening them discretely, professionally. Handles Haz.Mat. in the same way ustilizing the ICS/UCS methodologies. These have been in place sine the late 60's and early 70's (depending upon the seaport). Does anything like that exist in that part of the Paul Nevins: world? Did it pop up in any discussion? Ollie Davidson: ! Amy Sebring: Louise, can we start with you? Amy Sebring: I guess we are talking public private partnerships here generally. Louise Comfort: Mutual aid agreements do exist....but it is a matter of building sufficient trust that they will be honored.... Isabel McCurdy: ? Louise Comfort: Also, mutual aid agreements imply a reasonably healthy economy to be able to spare resources, even if they will be returned reciprocally at another time... Louise Comfort: this is not easy for countries like Indonesia. Thailand and India however came to the aid of their neighbors very generously. Amy Sebring: Walter, what are you hearing from your GADR members on the partnership issue? Walter Hays: Money is great, but not the only solution to a problem that requires everyone... Walter Hays: to be part of the greater good in global perspective... Walter Hays: which means working at teh margins of your capability and giving beyond your self. Amy Sebring: We have 5 questions left. Can either of you stay for a few more minutes? Louise Comfort: yes, Amy. Walter Hays: Yes. Amy Sebring: Ok, great, thanks ... Amy Sebring: Rocky next please. Rocky Lopes: I want to commend Walter for organizing all of the pre-conference activities in the U.S. I received literally hundreds of emails from him before I left the Red Cross about it, and regret that my role was limited and I could not contribute. I extend my commendations to him for his commitment and dedication to collaboration, as well as to Louise for her foresight and long- term vision. Burt Wallrich: [I withdraw my request to comment.] Amy Sebring: Thanks Rocky ... Amy Sebring: Burt withdrawn .. Amy Sebring: Christopher next please. Christopher Effgen: We need to apply the principles of risk threat management and perform the analysis on the known threat universe. Was there any sense at the conference that this needed to be a global goal? Amy Sebring: Walter, can you address ... Amy Sebring: although I do believe you will find this emphasized in the conference documents Christopher ... Walter Hays: Christopher, Yes. But, the UN left the details vague... Walter Hays: But teh Japanese did not... Walter Hays: They are ready, willing, and able to help, begining... Walter Hays: with a long list of technologies for prevention... Walter Hays: which they distributed in digital and hard copy. Amy Sebring: This is up your alley also Louise. Comment? Louise Comfort: I think there was greater awareness of risk and the need to cooperate in risk reduction at this conference...that any I had ever before attended. Amy Sebring: Ollie next please. Ollie Davidson: There was little representation from business/industry, still a MAJOR missing link. There is a meeting on this in Davos, Sw this Sat. Amy Sebring: (Ollie was also there) Amy Sebring: Ollie can you explain a little about the Davos meeting? Ollie Davidson: The Disaster Resources Network, a business NGO is organinzing the meeting Amy Sebring: I see, thanks... Amy Sebring: finally, last question for today, Isabel. Isabel McCurdy: Do you know who is looking after all these monies? Amy Sebring: Louise? Louise Comfort: This is a MAJOR issue...the ISDR is officially charged with this responsibility.... Louise Comfort: but separate nations are placing conditions on their pledges.... Louise Comfort: it will be a matter of continuing negotiations, but I am placing my bet on the lead that Japan and Germany have set... Louise Comfort: by designating their very large contributions to go through the ISDR. Amy Sebring: Walter, would you like to say a final word ... Walter Hays: Davos will also host another flagship conference in August 27- September 1, 2006 to continue Kobe and go beyond... Amy Sebring: about the conference you are hosting? Walter Hays: Keeping ISDR alive from year to year is a vital issue. Walter Hays: GADR is hosting Walter Hays: a flagship conference in Charlotte on July 24-30, 2005. Amy Sebring: Thanks Walter ... Ollie Davidson: Walter, Thanks for including me and the Animal Disaster Issue in your Delegation! Amy Sebring: Let's wrap it up for today. Thank you very much Louise and Walter for taking the time to share this information with us, and we will continue to watch for further developments. Amy Sebring: Please stand by a moment while we make some quick announcements .... Amy Sebring: We are please to announce and welcome three new EIIP Partners, University of Washington Office of Emergency Management, http://www.washington.edu/admin/business/oem POC: Steve Charvat, CEM ... Amy Sebring: National Center for Biodefense Solutions, http://www.ncbsolutions.org POC: Kevind Parsons, MD, Chief Medical Officer ... Amy Sebring: and St. Edward's University, New College (Austin TX), http://www.stedwards.edu/newc/pacepsm.htm POC: Dr Craig Campbell, Director Public Safety Management . Amy Sebring: If your organization is interested in becoming an EIIP Partner, please see the link Partnership for You on our Home Page. Amy Sebring: Again, the transcript will be posted late this afternoon and you will be able to access it from our home page or the background page. Amy Sebring: Thanks to everyone for participating today. For our first-timers, we hope you enjoyed and will come again. Amy Sebring: We stand adjourned but before you go, please help me show our appreciation to Louise and Walter for a fine job.