Boroujerd, June 28, 2006 - Lorestan Province, A two-day international workshop concluded its work here, after reviewing lessons learnt and experiences from past response operations and reconstruction programmes in Iran and some other affected countries in a bid to help the Government to draw up a strategic framework for response and post-earthquake reconstruction.

Jointly organized by UNDP and the Governor General Office of Lorestan province in collaboration with the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the two-day high-level workshop in the western province of Lorestan, scene of a destructive earthquake in March this year, brought together senior national and provincial policy-makers and officials from the Government and Parliament; as well as representatives of the private sector and NGOs and renowned national and international experts from Iran, Pakistan, Japan and India.

"Iran's capacities in providing immediate response to disasters are enormous," said UN Resident Coordinator/UNDP Resident Representative Knut Ostby at the workshop. "However," he added, "there is a need to empower community groups, as they are the key players in initiating rapid response within the crucial first few hours of disasters everywhere. I believe all disaster risk reduction programmes should focus on empowering local authorities and community-based groups to ensure effective rapid response to disasters."

Prominent among the presenters was General Farooq Ahmed Khan, Pakistan Federal Relief Commissioner, who gave the audience valuable insights into the large-scale response to the 8 October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

The workshop concluded on the second day by covering such issues as institutional arrangements for reconstruction; public awareness and information management; appropriate delivery mechanisms and community participation in shelter reconstruction, rebuilding critical infrastructure and promoting higher standards of safety; appropriate policies in livelihood sector recovery; and main considerations for recovery of social sector.