A/RES/59/212 Underlining the need for further improvement in information and analyses available regarding needs, responses and funding related to natural disasters, 1. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General entitled “International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development” 2 and “Strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations”; 3 2. Expresses its deep concern at the high number and the scale of natural disasters and their increasing impact, resulting in massive losses of life and property worldwide, in particular in vulnerable societies lacking adequate capacity to mitigate effectively the long-term negative social, economic and environmental consequences of natural disasters; Calls upon all States to adopt, where required, and to continue to 3. implement effectively necessary legislative and other appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of natural disasters and integrate disaster risk reduction strategies into development planning, inter alia, by disaster prevention, including appropriate land-use and building regulations, as well as disaster preparedness and capacity-building in disaster response and mitigation, and requests the international community to continue to assist developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition, bearing in mind their vulnerability to natural hazards, in this regard; Stresses, in this context, the importance of strengthening international 4. cooperation, particularly through the effective use of multilateral mechanisms, in the provision of humanitarian assistance through all phases of a disaster, from relief and mitigation to development, including the provision of adequate resources; Also stresses that humanitarian assistance for natural disasters should be 5. provided in accordance with and with due respect for the guiding principles contained in the annex to resolution 46/182 and should be determined on the basis of the human dimension and needs arising out of the particular natural disasters; Recognizes that economic growth and sustainable development 6. contribute to improving the capacity of States to mitigate, respond to and prepare for natural disasters; Reaffirms that disaster risk analysis and vulnerability reduction form an 7. integral part of humanitarian assistance, poverty eradication and sustainable development strategies and need to be considered in the development plans of all vulnerable countries and communities, including, where appropriate, in plans relating to post-disaster recovery and the transition from relief to development, and affirms that within such preventive strategies, disaster preparedness and early warning systems must be further strengthened at the country and regional levels, inter alia, through better coordination among relevant United Nations bodies and cooperation with Governments of affected countries and regional and other relevant organizations with the aim of maximizing the effectiveness of natural disaster response and reducing the impact of natural disasters, particularly in developing countries; _______________ 2 3 A/59/374. A/59/93-E/2004/74. 3