A/RES/59/279 of communities severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami 2 and the outcome of the Ministerial-level Meeting on Humanitarian Assistance to Tsunami-affected Communities, held in Geneva on 11 January 2005, Welcoming further the recent announcement by the Paris Club creditors that they will not expect debt payments from affected countries that request such forebearance until the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have made a full assessment of their reconstruction and financing needs as well as specific initiatives from countries on this issue, Welcoming the appointment by the Secretary-General of a Special Coordinator to coordinate international emergency relief operations in support of national emergency programmes of countries affected by the tsunami disaster and covered by the flash appeal, Expressing concern over the medium- and long-term social, economic and environmental impacts of the disaster on the affected States, Stressing the need to develop and implement risk-reduction strategies and to integrate them, where appropriate, into national development plans, in particular through the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, so as to enhance the resilience of populations in disasters and reduce risks to them, their livelihoods, the social and economic infrastructure and environmental resources, Recognizing that the development of stronger institutions, mechanisms and capacities, including at the community level, that can systematically build resilience to hazards and disasters is essential to reducing the risks and the vulnerability of populations to disasters, including disaster preparedness, mitigation and early warning systems at all levels, Recalling the need for continued commitment to assist the affected countries and their peoples, particularly the most vulnerable groups, to fully recover from the catastrophic and traumatic effects of the disaster, including in their medium- and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, and welcoming Government and international assistance measures in this regard, Emphasizing that disaster reduction, including reducing vulnerability to natural disasters, is an important element that contributes to the achievement of sustainable development, Welcoming the convening of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, from 18 to 22 January 2005, with a view to updating the guiding framework on disaster reduction for the twenty-first century, Noting the outcome of the International Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, held in Mauritius from 10 to 14 January 2005, Stressing the importance of advancing the implementation of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (“Johannesburg _______________ 2 2 Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Seychelles, Somalia, Sri Lanka.