United Nations A/RES/57/152 General Assembly Fifty-seventh session Agenda item 21 (a) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/57/L.63 and Add.1)] 57/152. International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development The General Assembly, Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, the annex to which contains the guiding principles for the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations system, and its resolutions 52/12 B of 19 December 1997, 54/219 and 54/233 of 22 December 1999, 55/163 of 14 December 2000 and 56/103 of 14 December 2001, and recalling agreed conclusions 1999/1 of the Economic and Social Council 1 and Council resolutions 1999/63 of 30 July 1999 and 2002/32 of 26 July 2002, Recognizing the importance of the principles of neutrality, humanity and impartiality for the provision of humanitarian assistance, Emphasizing that the affected State has the primary responsibility in the initiation, organization, coordination and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory, and in the facilitation of the work of humanitarian organizations in mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, Emphasizing also the responsibility of all States to undertake disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts in order to minimize the impact of natural disasters, Welcoming the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Stressing that national authorities need to enhance the resilience of populations to disasters through implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction so as to reduce risks to people, their livelihoods, the social and economic infrastructure and environmental resources, Welcoming the efforts of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and the United Nations Development Programme to strengthen the coordination of their activities in the field of disaster prevention, mitigation and management, _______________ 1 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/54/3/Rev.1), chap. VI, para. 5. 02 54821 Distr.: General 3 March 2003