From Wednesday 17 to Friday 19 May, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a High-Level Meeting on the Midterm Review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. This meeting aims to assess the progress made in implementing the Sendai Framework, the 2030 Agenda, and other 2015 agreements.

The Review emphasizes the need for a significant “course correction” to prevent and reduce the negative impacts of disasters, which are often unequally distributed, with developing countries and communities being the hardest hit. The General Assembly is expected to adopt a political declaration during this meeting, calling for greater action to strengthen disaster resilience in all decision-making processes, actions, and investments. Urban and peri-urban areas will be a particular focus of this transformation.

Representatives from Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) and local government members will participate in the High-Level Meeting, providing their insights and recommendations to accelerate ambition and action on urban disaster resilience. The sessions of the meeting can be followed via livestreaming on UNTV, starting from 8 am (EST) on Wednesday 17 May and concluding with the Closing Session at 5:45 pm (EST) on Friday 19 May.

For a comprehensive overview of the program and related documentation, please visit the Midterm Review website. Additionally, there will be a Risk Reduction Hub Event on Scaling Up Risk Sensitive Urban Development at 8:15 am (EST) on Wednesday 17 May, which may be of interest. For further inquiries or if you are attending the New York meetings, please contact Andy McElroy at mcelroy@un.org.