1 December 2010: In meetings on 30 November and 1 December 2010, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) concluded its 65th session, taking action on various draft resolutions on sustainable development, including climate-related items.

On disaster reduction, the agreed drafts would have the UNGA: express its “deep concern” over the number and scale of natural disasters and the increasing challenges posed by their consequences, as well as the impact of climate change, which impeded progress towards sustainable development, particularly in developing, least developed, landlocked developing and other vulnerable countries; urge the international community to continue to address ways and means to reduce the adverse effects of natural disasters by implementing the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and encouraging institutional arrangements to enable it to continue its work; emphasize the importance of early warning systems and stress the need to better mainstream disaster risk reduction (DRR) into national development strategies while building and strengthening coping capacities by exchanging experiences and technical knowledge on the subject; and call upon the UN, and invite international financial institutions as well as other regional and international bodies, to integrate the goals of the Hyogo Framework for Action into their strategies and programmes, and help developing countries design and implement DRR measures with a sense of urgency.

On small island developing States (SIDS), the GA would urge the full and effective implementation of the outcome document adopted on 25 September 2010, by the High-level Review Meeting of the UNGA, as well as call upon the international community to enhance support for efforts by SIDS to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change, including by providing dedicated sources of financing, capacity building and technology transfer. [Summary of 30 November Meeting] [Summary of 1 December Meeting]