Statement at the meeting Reducing Disaster Risks in a Changing Climate

Mr President,

I am pleased to be able to take part in this important discussion and exchange of ideas and to present the views of the Government of Norway, and I look forward to you guiding us through what promises to be a very fruitful session this afternoon.

As we approach Poznan, this is an important  opportunity to take stock of where we are and the challenges that lie ahead. Addressing and adapting to climate change and preventing humanitarian crises, are top priorities for the Norwegian Government and we will  do our part in the joint efforts to advance the agendas for Poznan and Copenhagen.

While we are working to find solutions to the longer- term and underlying problems, we must also seek to alleviate the increasing humanitarian consequences of crises caused by climate change. Norway wants to play a constructive role in this work and to contribute to workable plans for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Mr. President,

Firstly I would like to draw attention to a joint initiative between the Norwegian Government, the  International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), launched at IPCC’s recent 29th session, where we proposed that a report be prepared on “Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change Adaptation and Human Security”. The initiative is  based on a report commissioned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the University of Oslo. Preparations for a scoping meeting to be held in Oslo early in 2009, are already under way.

The purpose of this exercise is to reach agreement on what the climate adaptation agenda might look like on the basis of what we now know. We hope that the UN member states will support the outcome of the meeting and contribute actively to the further work on these crucial issues. We believe the outcome of the meeting will be a significant contribution to disaster risk reduction for vulnerable countries in a changing climate.

I would also like to mention that the Norwegian Government recently presented a white paper entitled

Norwegian policy on the prevention of humanitarian crises, which examines the issues set out in the discussion paper for this meeting, and describes the measures the Government intends to implement at national, bilateral and  multilateral levels. The white paper underlines that there is no time for delay and that urgent action is required, based on existing,  well-documented knowledge.

Mr.President,

Finally, I would like to draw attention to the Norwegian Government’s recently launched humanitarian strategy, which identifies the following key goals in this area: enabling the international community to meet future global humanitarian challenges; preventing and responding to disasters; and rebuilding societies after humanitarian crises.

These are just some  examples of what the Norwegian Government is doing. I would just like to add that I very much appreciate this opportunity to listen, learn and exchange views with the United Nations community on these important issues at this crucial junction.

Thank you.