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 UN supports Mexico City's efforts to train 10,000 public servants to confront disasters Mexico City, a high-risk mega city, expects to train 10,000 civil servants on their responsibilities and options to consistently help reduce risks facing their city. The training is sponsored locally and supported by the UNISDR regional office and the Capacity Development for Disaster Reduction Initiative (CADRI) of the UN. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, known for his commitment to disaster risk reduction and improving the city's resilience to climate change, made an opening statement where he stressed the importance of training decision makers and technical staff from all the City dependencies and departments, especially those that have a multiplying effect on decisions and plans.
 Disaster risk reduction forum held against backdrop of Shanghai Expo Some 150 participants from local governments around the world, national representatives, academia, civil society and private sector exhibitors met in the “Forum on Disaster Risk Reduction”, held in Shanghai from 28-31 July 2010. The Forum was held within the context of the global campaign “Making Cities Resilient - My city is getting ready!” and the Shanghai EXPO 2010 “Better city - better life”. An exciting program, with plenary presentations, working groups and visit to the Shanghai EXPO 2010 permitted participants to learn, exchange experience and design ways forward to improve disaster resilience in urban areas.
Training toolkit and factsheet piloted in Kenya to strengthen disaster management On 25 to 26 August, the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa is holding a pilot workshop on “Training of Trainers” in the Rift Valley Province to test a toolkit to “train trainers” in disaster risk reduction. “The outcome of this training will create a super highway for spreading hazard and disaster risk reduction information to local communities, thereby increasing their knowledgebase and consequently their resilience to natural disasters,” said Pedro Basabe, Head of the UNISDR Regional Office for Africa. Expected to attend are 30 Disaster Risk Reduction platform members from the provinces, and five regional participants from Burundi, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal and Kenya.
 Chennai launches “Safer Chennai Campaign” Chennai, one of the first Indian cities to participate in Making Cities Resilient campaign, has launched its own “Safer Chennai Campaign” on 19 August 2010. At the launching, the “Chennai Zone Profile” report was released, which was undertaken in a multilateral effort between the Corporation of Chennai, the University of Madras and Kyoto University.
Indonesia strengthens bid to make schools and hospitals safer Over 13,000 schools and hospitals have joined the “One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign” since its national launch in Indonesia on July 29, quadrupling in the space of one week from 3,156 schools to 13,500. The number of hospitals that joined rose from 105 to 133. With the support of the local communication and information authority in Ciwidey, West Java Province, organizers set up computers where participants made online pledges.
Audit of UNISDR governance and organizational structure The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) conducted an audit of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction secretariat (UNISDR), releasing a report on 28 July. To conduct the audit, OIOS held a series of discussions with UNISDR officials, the OCHA Administrative Office and UNOG Administrative Services in Geneva, and the OCHA Executive Office in New York. At the time, UNISDR secretariat regional representatives were in Geneva to attend a retreat on the ISDR secretariat’s 2010-2011 work programme, and the audit team had an opportunity to interact with them on arrangements at the regional level. The report says UNISDR "arrangements require a review to define its requirements and to allow for more effective financial management". Haitians have a right to minimum standards of safety Months before the damaging quake of 12 January hit Port-au-Prince and neighbouring cities, human rights lawyer William O'Neill -- one-time senior advisor on human rights in the UN Mission in Kosovo, former chief of the UN Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda, and who once led the legal department of the UN/OAS Mission in Haiti -- had urged international donors to empower Haitians to demand that elected officials “stop squabbling and start focusing on protecting their constituents’ lives.”
In Shanghai, Port-au-Prince Mayor urges local governments to develop “a culture of security” “Local governments need to develop a culture of security and have access to the means to respond to a catastrophe,” stressed Haiti’s Mayor of Port-au-Prince to other mayors gathered at a forum on disaster risk reduction in Shanghai, which concluded today. His key message to other mayors, based on the experience of Port-au-Prince after January’s devastating earthquake was, “Be ready.” At the same forum, five new mayors joined the Making Cities Resilient campaign, and Governor Joey Salceda of Albay Province, Philippines, was named Champion.
 Indonesia Pledges Safety of Over 3,000 Schools and 100-plus hospitals On 29 July, Indonesia committed to increase the safety of 3,156 schools and 105 hospitals as part of its engagement to the One Million Safe Schools and Hospitals Campaign, launched globally in Manila last April 2010.
 Three more mayors join resilient cities campaign from Philippines Three mayors from the Philippines joined 60 other mayors from around the world who have pledged to meet some or all of the "Ten Essentials" that will make their cities more resilient. A ceremony was held as part of a workshop on strengthening climate resilience, organized by Plan International, the Institute of Development Studies and Christian Aid, from 22 to 23 July 2010 in Bangkok, Thailand.
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