International Seminar on Policies and Practices in the Management of Seismic Risks in Urban Areas

This seminar was organized in the framework of the initiatives undertaken by the
United Nations in support of the Iranian Government following the earthquake in
Bam on 26 December 2003. The UN committed itself to supporting the Government
not only in the provision of short-term relief, but also in long-term recovery,
reconstruction and risk reduction. As set out in the UN Development Assistance
Framework for 2005 to 2009, the UN system in Iran will facilitate a Government-led
sustainable risk management program that reduces future natural disaster risks and
maximizes the development gains.

This seminar also represented a direct follow-up to the Workshop of Lessons Learnt
on the Response to the Bam Earthquake, held in Kerman on 14-15 April 2004.
On top of providing a chance for international experts, practitioners, academics and
policy makers to exchange experiences in the management of seismic risks in large
cities and to formulate recommendations, the seminar was also expected to
formulate a “Tehran message” on earthquake risk reduction to be delivered at the
upcoming World Conference on Disaster Reduction.

The seminar was co-organized by the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the UN
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, with ample support from the
Government of Iran and in consultation with UNESCO.

The seminar took place on 16, 17 and 18 November 2004 at a research facility of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in northern Tehran, and saw the participation of over 150
people, including:
• Senior officials from the Government of Iran
• Governors from nearly all the provinces of Iran
• Local administrators at provincial and city level
• Senior representatives from the Iranian Red Crescent Society
• Representatives from national NGOs
• National and international academics
• Representatives from regional organizations (ADPC and ADRC)
• Disaster managers and experts from some 15 countries
• Representatives from UN agencies and from international NGOs