A/RES/50/117 Page 3 when considering the relevant chapters of Agenda 21 4/ and of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States; 5/ 6. Welcomes the measures proposed by the Secretary-General to bring the International Framework of Action for the Decade into line with the Yokohama Strategy and its Plan of Action, in order to provide disaster reduction activities worldwide and regionally with authoritative and effective programme guidance so as to ensure stronger cohesion of disaster reduction programmes and the joint participation of concerned sectors in their implementation; 7. Notes the initiative for an informal mechanism between the secretariat of the Decade and Member States, intended to facilitate and support the promotion of Decade activities and the regular exchange of information between Governments, organizations of the United Nations system and other organizations; 8. Welcomes, in pursuance of its resolution 49/22 A, the restructuring of the Special High-Level Council and the Scientific and Technical Committee for the Decade so that for the second half of the Decade they will provide the necessary support to global, regional and national policy and strategy development, public awareness-building and resource mobilization, and at the same time provide links with the scientific community and support the national committees for the Decade and national authorities in their cooperative efforts to integrate disaster reduction programmes into national activities for sustainable development; 9. Endorses the decision of the Secretary-General to extend until the end of the Decade the mandate of the United Nations Steering Committee for the Decade, established in pursuance of General Assembly resolutions 42/169 of 11 December 1987 and 44/236; 10. Emphasizes that effective and efficient coordination and servicing of the above-mentioned components of the International Framework of Action for the Decade require a financially and structurally stable secretariat of the Decade, reporting to the Secretary-General through the Emergency Relief Coordinator; 11. Decides, in pursuance of its resolution 49/22 A, to convene a closing event of the Decade, through coordinated sectoral and cross-sectoral meetings at all levels, in order to facilitate the full integration of 4/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1 (Vol. I and Vol. I/Corr.1, Vol. II, Vol. III and Vol. III/Corr.1)) (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol. I: Resolutions Adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex II. 5/ Report of the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Bridgetown, Barbados, 25 April-6 May 1994 (A/CONF.167/9 and Corr.1 and 2) (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.94.I.18 and corrigenda), chap. I, resolution 1, annex II. /...