United to enhance disaster preparedness: Announcing the launch of the priority actions to enhance readiness for resilient recovery
News was produced by: UNDRR
On 3 June 2025, global leaders gathered at the World Resilient Recovery Conference (WRRC) to launch the Priority Actions to Enhance Readiness for Resilient Recovery – an initiative aimed at accelerating the implementation of Priority Action 4 of the Sendai Framework: Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
The ten actions, pictured and described in further detail below, are important for several reasons.
First, the consultative process to get there was comprehensive and all-inclusive. A total of 130 countries participated across four distinct regions (Africa, Europe and Central Asia, Americas and the Caribbean and Arab States), bringing a diverse set of opinions, needs and expectations. In the end, more than 4,000 individual participants shared their knowledge and expertise.
The agreed-upon actions are representative of this crucial and comprehensive consultation process, with a particular focus on people. For example, Priority Action 9 aims to “Localize recovery through community leadership and empowerment.” Key methods to achieve this goal include strengthening the role of local governments and rural and urban governance in recovery readiness, ensuring they have the authority, resources, and capacity to act effectively as they are in the first line of response.
In addition, creating flexible financing mechanisms that channel funds directly to local actors and frontline responders is also crucial. These tenets of governance and financing were previously discussed in two key webinars in the build-up to WRRC. Finally, the global DRR community must also institutionalize inclusive consultation processes with native and indigenous communities, marginalized and high-risk populations in recovery planning.
A renewed focus on people and human recovery
Similarly, Priority Action 2 emphasizes strengthening the international community’s capacity to “Build and sustain institutional and human capacity for recovery.” In his remarks at the Opening Ceremony for this year’s WRRC, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR Kamal Kishore highlighted that the change in name from World Reconstruction Conference (WRC) to World Resilient Recovery Conference (WRRC) is a part of an intentional "shift in focus from reconstructing physical assets to ensuring human recovery.” He further added that, “It is not just important to reconstruct schools and houses and hospitals that have been damaged in an earthquake or a cyclone, but it is even more important that children have access to safe learning spaces, hospitals provide services [and] infrastructure is built to better standards so that it continues to facilitate livelihoods of communities that it seeks to serve.”
SRSG Kishore also emphasized the importance of Priority 4 of the Sendai Framework and its emphasis on “Build Back Better”, which was echoed by Mr. Hiroaki Hara, Vice Minister for Policy Coordination of the Cabinet Office in Japan, and co-chair of the International Recovery Platform (IRP). In his remarks, Vice Minister Hara noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Japan, and that “the recovery from this earthquake generated the initial concept of ‘Build Back Better’ for a disaster-resilient society.” He went on to say that “Today’s conference will set an important milestone by focusing particularly on strengthening recovery readiness at national and local levels.”
Emphasizing implementation and the way forward
Beyond the launch itself, the emphasis now shifts to implementation of the Priority Actions. Several key events in the coming months will offer the DRR community opportunities to track progress. These include the High-level Policy Forum on Recovery in September 2025, Regional Dialogues on Resilient Recovery, and the roll-out of the IRP Recovery Readiness Assessment Framework.
During the closing ceremony of the WRRC, Ms. Paola Albrito, Director of UNDRR, emphasized this way forward when she said that, “The International Recovery Platform will move ahead with implementation in close coordination with member states and other relevant partners. This includes convening a high-level political forum on recovery in September of this year to scale our commitment. At the regional level, we will use the regional dialogues on resilient recovery to ensure the regional perspectives and needs are fully integrated. And at the national level...a top priority will be the roll-out of the recovery readiness assessment to support countries in evaluating and strengthening their preparedness for resilient recovery. Let’s move forward, united in purpose and bold in action.”
Ambassador Christian Frutiger, Assistant Director General and Head of the Global Cooperation Domain said, “[I am] very proud to launch the Priority Actions to Enhance Readiness for Resilient Recovery. These are not just technical recommendations. They are a call to action for national and local governments and partners to join hands in enhancing readiness for resilient recovery. It is important to emphasize that the 10 priority actions are not stand-alone measures. They are interconnected pieces of a larger puzzle.” A short intermission between the presentation of the first five and second five priorities featured a performance by the percussion band KomandoBidon, to spur attendees onwards. “Let’s follow the drumbeat to action”, Ambassador Fruitger said. “We leave here with a clear set of priority actions; concrete steps we can put into practice. Now is the moment to invest, in readiness, in partnerships and in people. Let us carry this momentum into the 8th session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. Let us stay connected...and commit to turn our priorities into lasting impact.”
As part of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025), WRRC plays a key role in shaping global recovery dialogue. Organized under the umbrella of the International Recovery Platform (IRP), with support from key stakeholders, the conference featured technical sessions, masterclasses and regional consultations – all focused on strengthening readiness for resilient recovery. We invite you to explore the session recordings here.