United Nations A/RES/55/163 General Assembly Distr.: General 7 February 2001 Fifty-fifth session Agenda item 20 (a) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/55/L.38/Rev.1 and Add.1)] 55/163. International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development The General Assembly, Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, which contains in its annex the guiding principles for the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations system, and its resolutions 52/12 B of 19 December 1997 and 54/219 and 54/233 of 22 December 1999, and recalling agreed conclusions 1999/1 of the Economic and Social Council 1 and Council resolution 1999/63 of 30 July 1999, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations, 2 Recognizing the importance of the principles of neutrality, humanity and impartiality for the provision of humanitarian assistance, 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 faciliatation of the work of humanitarian organizations in mitigating the consequences of natural disasters, Emphasizing also the responsibility of all States to undertake disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts in order to minimize the impact of natural disasters, Emphasizing further, in this regard, the importance of international cooperation in support of the efforts of the affected State in dealing with natural disasters in all its phases, Stressing the need to optimize and disseminate the listings of organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and scientific organizations, as well as the need to develop further a directory of the specialized national, regional and international institutions and agencies working in the field of international response to natural disasters, together with an inventory of national 1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fourth Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/54/3/Rev.1), chap. VI, para. 5. 2 A/55/82-E/2000/61. 00 56917