Note : The present report doesn't necessarily reflect the views of the ICRC.

The workshop focused on Final Goal 3.1:
"Acknowledge the importance of disaster risk reduction and undertake measures to minimize the impact of disasters on vulnerable populations".

Workshop objectives:

• Share views and experience on the importance and relevance of disaster risk reduction in the work of the RC/RC.
• Reach a consensus on the key issues of disaster risk reduction.
• Generate increased commitment on the part of the RC/RC Movement and of numerous other protagonists at the local, national, regional and international levels.

Summary of the panellists' statements and the participants' comments

• The significant progress of the past 10 years reflected the gathering momentum on disaster risk reduction among governments, RC/RC Societies, NGOs and other organizations.
• It is difficult to promote disaster risk reduction because if it is successful, no disaster actually takes place.
• Risks are increasing as a result of: 1) human factors such as population, urbanization, environmental degradation; 2) other factors and phenomena such as El Niño and climate change, lack of coordinating agencies in governments, lack of community-level disaster plans, and the short-term vision often held by decision-makers.
• Disaster risk reduction is important to save lives, safeguard livelihoods and protect property – it is a key element in creating a stable civil society.
• Disaster risk reduction is a collective problem that requires a collective approach involving governments, communities and humanitarian organizations working in an integrated and coordinated way.
• Not only do disasters result in loss of lives and livelihoods, they also affect human dignity when those concerned are left without protection.
• RC/RC Societies have a vital role: to work with governments and other protagonists to reduce risks via a complementary approach whose nature and scope are defined at community level.
• RC/RC Societies provide a platform for the exchange of information and the sharing of experiences, allowing them to learn from each other.
• RC/RC Societies are critical players in disaster risk reduction as they have experience of working with the vulnerable and of working at local level to mobilize communities and strengthen disaster resilience.
• RC/RC Societies are vital interfaces between governments and communities – they are in the unique position of acting as auxiliaries to their governments in delivering humanitarian services while simultaneously having close ties to communities.

Recommendations

Partnerships
It is important to recognize the opportunities for effective partnerships with other players (e.g. private sector, government, academia and development organizations). These alliances nevertheless need to be of mutual benefit and non-hierarchical.
RC/RC Societies should analyse existing and future partnerships in the light of the challenges and opportunities they present.

Addressing root causes
RC/RC Societies can play a vital role as auxiliaries to governments, particularly in the areas of disaster planning and response. The time has come, however, to move from treating symptoms (e.g. unsafe conditions) to addressing the root causes of vulnerability. This raises a dilemma for RC/RC Societies: how far can they go in addressing those root causes, which may be the result of government action (or inaction)?
RC/RC Societies should remain independent and impartial in order to ensure that they can continue to speak up on behalf of those most at risk.

Role of RC/RC Societies
A "critical mass" of RC/RC, government and UN officials is genuinely committed to disaster risk reduction. This poses a major challenge to the International Federation, which must meet its constituency's expectations.
The RC/RC community needs a common approach that offers practical products such as:
agreed frameworks, and
innovative methods/tools to educate and raise awareness.

Information exchange
The sharing of experiences (whether positive or negative) and knowledge is a crucial step in the process of identifying lessons learned and good practices. RC/RC Societies share a collective memory of past experiences that is essential to avoid duplication of efforts.
RC/RC Societies should invest in compiling, processing and disseminating information.

Sustainable disaster risk reduction
Considering that governments are structured to address short-term priorities, it is essential for RC/RC Societies to take a long-term view (such as Strategy 2010) and maintain pressure on decision-makers in government, the media and the wider public to address longer-term strategies.
RC/RC Societies should promote a focus beyond short-term gains to create resilience to disasters.