A/RES/59/279 8. Invites the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, in collaboration with other international and regional financial institutions and the United Nations, to convene members of the international community, including affected countries, to address the medium- and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction needs of the affected countries; Recognizes the importance of the decision by the Association of 9. Southeast Asian Nations to establish regional mechanisms on disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation, encourages regional cooperation in this regard, and urges donor countries and regional and international organizations as well as other relevant institutions to provide, where appropriate, financial and technical assistance; 10. Also recognizes the importance of the promotion of public education, awareness and community participation in disaster prevention and preparedness, particularly at the local level, as well as the pressing need to develop and promote national and regional capacity and access to technology and knowledge in building and managing a regional early warning system and in disaster management, through national and regional efforts as well as through international cooperation and partnership; 11. Emphasizes the urgent need for the establishment of a regional early warning system, particularly for tsunamis, in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian regions, and notes the interest expressed by some Governments, bodies and organizations, including the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, to support the establishment of this system; 12. Welcomes the proposed convening of a regional ministerial meeting on regional cooperation with regard to a tsunami early warning system, to be held in Thailand on 28 January 2005; 13. Also welcomes the proposal of Germany to host a third international early warning conference, covering the complete range of natural hazards, with a focus on the urgent implementation of early warning systems for hydrometeorological and geological hazards on a global scale; 14. Further welcomes the fact that the World Conference on Disaster Reduction will discuss the issue of a global and regional tsunami early warning system as part of its agenda; 15. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixtieth session on the implementation of the present resolution under the item entitled “Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance” and to report to the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session in 2005. 79th plenary meeting 19 January 2005 4