communities to natural hazards and add to the human impact on ecosystems, primarily by

increasing demands for food, fresh water, timber and fuel,

Affirming that all women have the right to plan their own lives, including when and whether to have

children, and stressing that unintended pregnancy is the factor of continued population growth most

amenable to policy intervention,

Convinced that governments are a critical stakeholder when it comes to addressing disaster risk

resilience and population dynamics in the context of sustainable development, which is a matter of

political responsibility, and that parliamentarians have a critical role to play in ensuring that the

political will exists to achieve results through legislation, policy oversight and the allocation of

resources,

Noting that women and children are more likely to suffer physically and psychologically in disasters

and during the post-disaster recovery and reconstruction period,

Acknowledging that women have to be part of disaster management, from prevention to

rehabilitation,

Underscoring the need for education at all levels and the importance of winning over local players in

order to raise awareness of disaster risk resilience and related demographic issues and to galvanize

public support for the measures needed to build resilience,

1. Calls on all members of parliament to acquire information on and knowledge of issues

related to disaster and risk trends, so as to enhance their oversight role with regard to

reducing the impact and risk of disasters, building resilience, protecting people and

safeguarding development gains from disasters and the effects of climate change, while

guaranteeing that this becomes an important issue on the national agenda and that the

relevant measures are implemented;

2. Also calls on all members of parliament to take immediate action to review existing

legislation related to disaster risk reduction in the light of community realities and

considering their environment, natural habitat and people as the main resources for

developing relevant processes, and to determine whether it is sufficient to hold key players,

including policymakers and the private sector, to account for the consequences of risk-

intensive development policies or investments;

3. Invites the United Nations to formalize the principle of reparation for victims of natural

disasters and reparation for damage caused by States with development strategies that run

counter to the recommendations made by the 1992 United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development;

4. Appeals to all governments to take immediate action to review national policies and

regulations so as to ensure that socio-economic development is balanced against the need

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