A/RES/54/233 Page 2 Emphasizing that the affected State has the primary responsibility in the initiation, organization, coordination and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory and in the facilitation of the work of the humanitarian organizations in mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, 1. Expresses deep concern at the increasing number and scale of natural disasters, resulting in massive losses of life and property worldwide, in particular in vulnerable societies lacking adequate capacity to mitigate effectively long-term negative social, economic and environmental consequences of natural disasters; 2. Stresses that humanitarian assistance for natural disasters should be 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 disaster; 3. Calls upon States to adopt, where required, and to continue to implement effectively necessary legislative and other appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of natural disasters, inter alia, by disaster prevention, including building regulations, as well as disaster preparedness and capacity-building in disaster response, and requests the international community in this context to continue to assist developing countries, where appropriate; 4. Stresses the need to strengthen efforts at all levels, inter alia, at the domestic level, to improve natural disaster awareness, prevention, preparedness and early warning systems, as well as international cooperation, in response to emergencies from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, bearing in mind the overall negative impact of natural disasters, the resulting humanitarian needs and requests from affected countries, as appropriate; 5. Encourages further efforts by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Inter-Agency Standing Committee members and other members of the United Nations system in promoting preparedness for response at the international, regional and national levels and strengthening the mobilization and coordination of humanitarian assistance of the United Nations system in the field of natural disasters, inter alia, through the effective deployment in all regions of the world and expansion of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination roster appropriately to include more representatives from countries of Africa, Asia and the Pacific and Latin America and the Caribbean, bearing in mind that these representatives are funded by the participating countries; 6. Also encourages further efforts by the United Nations Development Programme to strengthen operational activities and capacity-building in natural disaster mitigation, prevention and preparedness, taking due account of the evolving comprehensive strategy to maximize international cooperation in the field of natural disasters; 7. Invites the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and concerned organizations, taking due account of the evolving comprehensive strategy to maximize international cooperation in the field of natural disasters, to strengthen their support to the United Nations disaster management teams which are dispatched upon request by host Governments and steered by the United Nations resident coordinator; /...