2 December 2009: The UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR), in partnership with the Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, convened the International Roundtable of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Malta, on 24 November 2009, which adopted the Malta Declaration of the Commitment of Parliamentarians to COP15 and Beyond.
Recognizing disaster risk reduction as a first line of defense in adapting to climate change, the parliamentarians urge political commitment through action at the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. The Declaration calls for the parties at the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 15) to “ensure immediate action for the finalization of a legally-binding agreement, with progressive and accessible financing mechanisms adequate for reaching the goals of disaster risk reduction coupled with accessible appropriate technology, to ensure availability based on region-specific vulnerabilities.”
According to UN/ISDR, the Declaration is the result of a series of UN/ISDR consultative meetings with parliamentarians around the world, aiming to increase the understanding and knowledge of national legislators on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.[UNISDR Press Release][The Malta Declaration]