The Global Platform for Disaster Reduction was established by UNISDR in 2007 as a biennial forum for continued and concerted emphasis on disaster reduction, providing strategic guidance and coherence for implementing the Hyogo Framework, and for sharing experiences and expertise among all its stakeholders.

The Global Platform is now the world's foremost gathering of stakeholders committed to reducing disaster risk and building the resilience of communities and nations.

For the GNDR, this offers an important opportunity to learn and also share views of members working at the frontline of disasters as to what is working, and what needs to improve if risk reduction work is to be successful.

Find out more about the Global Platform on the UNISDR website

Global Platform 2007

The first Global Platform was held 5-7 June 2007.  Find out more on the UNISDR website.  The seeds for the creation of a Global Network of Civil Society Organisations working on Disaster Reduction were sown prior to this conference, and the network was officially launched during this Platform.  Find out more about how the GNDR got started.

Global Platform 2009

The Second Session of the Global Platform was held 16-19 June 2009, under the slogan 'invest today for a safer tomorrow'.

The core activity for the GNDR team was to report findings and recommendations emerging from the Views from the Frontline programme. The 'Clouds but Little Rain' report compiled following work by Global Network members around the world was presented and distributed.

The UN Global platform website contains a record of proceedings.  Take a look here.

Global Platform 2011

The Third Session of the Global Platform convened 8-13 May 2011 brought together disaster risk reduction, recovery and reconstruction experts. The theme of the conference was 'increased investment in local action'.

Over 2,000 policy makers and practitioners, from government, international organizations, NGOs, academia, and the private sector from both developing and developed countries gathered to assess and share information as well as set new directions for the disaster risk reduction imperative, with emphasis on local initiatives and activities.

One of the core activities for the GNDR team was to share the findings from Views from the Frontline 2011, and to present the case studies from around the world showing Action at the Frontline.  GNDR members participated in various sessions including:

• Pastor Lawrence Temfwe from Zambia shared a platform with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and emphasized the importance of action at the frontline in the opening plenary session
• Ms Haydee Rodriguez from Nicaragua played an active role in the expert panel facilitated by GNDR to explore how to get a return on investing in local action
• Mr Abdul Shakoor Sindhu from Pakistan offered views on strengthening local recovery in a discussion on The Key to Building Back Better
• Vishaka Hidellage from Sri Lanka played a key role in raising the views and voices of people working at the frontline of disasters. She delivered a closing statement from the GNDR at the final session of the conference. Read the closing statement here
• Marcus Oxley, Chair of the Network participated in various panel discussions including the World Reconstruction Conference High Level Policy Panel: Responding to Natural Disasters – A Long Ignored Development Challenge

Various GNDR members hosted the GNDR video display and stall to share views with delegates throughout the conference and to highlight the Action at the Frontline programme

• Visit our conference blog and see comments and commentary from Network Members posted during the conference.
• See the results of our conference polls and Share your Views here.
• Download the GNDR statement from the closing plenary
• View more photos from the conference here