The Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM) on the occasion of the International

Day for Disaster Reduction (13.10.2010), would like to reconfirm its ongoing commitment to

this important issue which is also of interest to the countries of the region.

PAM has actively dealt with this matter, through the work of the Special Task Forces within the

Second Standing Committee dedicated to Economic, Social and Environmental Cooperation.

Also in November 2009, PAM organised, in collaboration with the UN International Strategy for

Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), The International Roundtable of Parliamentarians on Disaster

Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in preparation for Copenhagen, at the end of

which, “The Malta Declaration of the Commitment by Parliamentarians to COP 15 and

Beyond.” was agreed upon by the participating parliamentarians, in representation of other

regional parliaments from around the world. The Declaration was then presented in Copenhagen

COP-15 Conference in December 2009.

A PAM high level delegation will also participate at United Nations Climate Change Conference

COP 16 & CMP 6 which will be held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December

2010, in order to follow up directly on how it can contribute through parliamentary diplomacy.

PAM therefore takes the opportunity to fully support the UNISDR campaign “Making Cities

Resilient: My City is getting ready!” which is of vital importance for the citizens of the

Mediterranean countries as “no city is immune”.

PAM calls on all its member states, delegations and individual delegates to offer their

participation to this awareness campaign, and also encourages them to promote further debates

on the readiness to prevent and intervene in cases of disaster, at the national and local level.

PAM Secretary General Dr. Sergio Piazzi, commenting on the importance of the issue said:

”Through experience we have learnt that natural or man-made catastrophic phenomena do not

discriminate between race, colour, religion, gender, borders, rich or poor countries, therefore we

are all called to be ready.”

It is with pleasure that PAM circulates, for your perusal, the message, ideas and proposals of the

UNISDR for this occasion. PAM hopes to be contributing to further disseminate the concept of a

diligent preventive approach to disaster reduction and/or its consequences.