For information only - not an official document

UNIS/OS/431
30 October 2013

World Disasters Report 2013 launched in Vienna

 Focus on technology and the future of humanitarian intervention

VIENNA, 30 October (UN Information Service) - The 2013 edition of the World Disasters Report, with a focus on technology and the future of humanitarian intervention, was launched today at the Vienna International Centre. The launch was organised by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), together with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), Embassy of Norway in Vienna and the Austrian Red Cross.

This year's edition of the World Disasters Report highlights how the responsible use of technology offers concrete ways to make humanitarian assistance more effective, efficient and accountable. The Report details how humanitarians are employing technology in new and creative ways and what risks and opportunities may emerge as a result of technological advancements. The Report is proposing new information and communication technology tools for humanitarian action that can detect needs earlier and predict crises better, enabling better response and increasing accountability and transparency.

 Speakers at the event highlighted the key findings of the report and how governments, humanitarian actors, private sector and academia are currently using and advancing technology to address global problems.

The World Disasters Report, which has been published annually since 1993, brings together the latest trends, facts and analysis of contemporary catastrophes and their effect on vulnerable populations worldwide. A live streaming of the event was broadcast on the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response - UN-SPIDER Knowledge Portal at http://www.un-spider.org/

Photos of the event are available at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unisvienna/sets/72157637123111844/

For more information see: http://www.unoosa.org/

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Contact:

Sinead HARVEY
United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
Telephone: (+43-1) 26060-8718
Email: sinead.harvey[at]unoosa.org