AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. Chair. We also would like to thank the delegation of Peru for leading the negotiations of this resolution to a successful conclusion.

The United States strongly supports disaster risk reduction, including through our development assistance efforts and technical cooperation with other nations to improve preparation for and response to disasters. We are pleased to join consensus on the resolution before us today, and in doing so, we would like to clarify our views on several elements in the text.

With regard to this resolution’s references to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, the Paris Agreement, climate change, and other issues, we addressed our concerns in a General Statement delivered on November 17, 2017.

With respect to operative paragraph 15 bis, while we recognize the importance of regional and national efforts to reduce the risk of disasters, we do not think a resolution such as this one should single out one regional initiative to the exclusion of others. We are disappointed that the resolution does not include language that acknowledges the increased prevalence and risk of gender-based violence, particularly targeted at women and girls, in humanitarian crises.

We also reiterate our views on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction set forth in the United States’ Explanation of Position delivered on March 18, 2015.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.