International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development A/RES/69/243 Recognizing also the clear relationship between emergency response, rehabilitation and development, and reaffirming that, in order to ensure a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation and development, emergency assistance must be provided in ways that will be supportive of short- and medium-term recovery leading to long-term development and that certain emergency measures should be seen as a step towards sustainable development, Emphasizing, in this context, the important role of development organizations and other relevant stakeholders in supporting national efforts to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General; 6 2. Expresses its deep concern at the increasing impact of natural disasters, 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; 3. Calls upon Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to accelerate the full implementation of the Hyogo Declaration 1 and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,2 in particular those commitments related to assistance for developing countries that are prone to natural disasters and for disaster-stricken States in the transition phase towards sustainable physical, social and economic recovery, for risk-reduction activities in post-disaster recovery and for rehabilitation processes, and in this regard encourages States, the United Nations system and all stakeholders to continue to engage in the consultations on the successor to the Framework, culminating at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015, and to implement the successor framework; 4. Emphasizes the need to promote and strengthen disaster preparedness activities at all levels, in particular in hazard-prone areas, and encourages Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to increase funding and cooperation for disaster risk reduction activities, including disaster preparedness; 5. Encourages Member States to provide dedicated financial contributions to preparedness, response and recovery efforts in a harmonized, flexible and complementary approach that fully utilizes and helps to coordinate humanitarian and development funding options and potential; 6. Calls upon all States to adopt, where required, and to continue to implement effectively, necessary legislative and other appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of natural disasters and integrate disaster risk reduction strategies into development planning, as well as to incorporate a gender perspective into policies, planning and funding, and in this regard requests the international community to continue to assist developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition, as appropriate; 7. Acknowledges that climate change, among other factors, contributes to environmental degradation and to the increase in the intensity and frequency of climate and extreme weather events, both of which amplify disaster risk, and in this _______________ 6 4/10 A/69/303.