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.