A/HRC/19/63 85. Examples of international awareness-raising programmes include an educational kit developed by UNICEF and United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) which includes a board game entitled “Riskland”. GLOBE (Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment) is another programme that launched an educational campaign in 2011 to empower more than one million school children worldwide to take action on climate-related environmental issues. As part of the Children in a Changing Climate Coalition, children in El Salvador are trying to address the specific threat of floods and landslides by planting trees; in another community, children are planting tough, deep-rooted grass to stabilize hillsides.64 86. Many countries have also taken steps to teach children about natural hazards and disaster preparedness in school curricula. According to the 2009 World Disasters Report, approximately 40 per cent of countries that responded to the United Nations survey at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Japan, in 2005 indicated that they were providing such education.65 In Slovenia, a new optional subject has been introduced in primary schools entitled “Protection against natural and other disasters.” In Madagascar, UNICEF has worked to develop pre-emergency cooperation agreements with participating organizations to ensure timely and rapid responses in the event of a cyclone or flooding.66 (c) Design and implementation of disaster prevention and disaster risk reduction plans 87. Numerous governments have developed disaster reduction plans. In partnership with UNDP, Macedonia has developed a programme entitled “Strengthening the capacities and preparation of the local authorities in cases of natural disasters,” aimed at strengthening capacity and resilience to plan for and recover from natural disasters. Similarly, Myanmar has developed a Plan of action for child protection in emergencies to be implemented with United Nations agencies, inter-governmental organizations, NGOs and civil society. Slovenia has developed a “System of protection against natural and other disasters,” which addresses the entire disaster cycle and facilitates cooperation between all rescue and other services in accordance with uniform principles. 88. The absence of information relating to children in a natural disaster has inhibited the potential to develop appropriate prevention and response measures. UNICEF noted that “disaster risk reduction, with community resilience as an objective, is increasingly recognized as a key climate change adaptation strategy”,67 while Save the Children advocates for child protection to be included in disaster risk reduction plans.68 IV. Conclusions and recommendations A. Conclusions 89. While States retain primary responsibility for the protection of children in a natural disaster, fulfilment of these obligations are frequently challenged as a result of absent or incapacitated institutional and legal structures. Despite the many actors and stakeholders providing emergency response services in natural disasters, children continue to face significant risk, both within and without the protection perimeter. 64 65 66 67 68 IFRC, World Disasters Report 2009, (see footnote 14). Ibid. UNICEF, 2011 Humanitarian Action for Children, (see footnote 5), p. 4. Ibid. Save the Children, “Child Protection Fact Sheet, (see footnote 7), p. 4. 17