The year 2014 was an exciting and engaging one for the Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) programme as our working groups continued to deliver on our research objectives. We recorded several milestones that underscored the significance of the IRDR message in the global disaster risk reduction arena: the second IRDR conference with more than 300 participants from 54 countries; and our role in the preparatory process for the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, at which we expect government will adopt a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015. The four IRDR project working groups continued implementing their respective work plans, with much success.
IRDR participated in all Major Group discussions with the co-chairs of the World Conference preparatory committee concerning the pre- and zero drafts of the proposed framework, attended expert open meetings held in Geneva, and produced numerous statements, for example, on the integration of disaster risk reduction and development policies. The year also witnessed changes in the composition of the Science Committee (SC) and the International Programme Office (IPO). The global IRDR community said farewell to Howard Moore, who retired from his role at the ICSU secretariat in Paris, and who had, over many years, been a staunch and faithful supporter of IRDR.
