The United Nations is undertaking extensive work to prevent natural hazards and disasters and minimise their impact. The UN World Conference in Kobe, Japan, in 2005 brought together delegations from 168 countries and adopted a declaration, the Hyogo Declaration, and a ten-year plan – the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters. Its purpose is to make the world safer from natural hazards through efforts to reduce the risks and the consequences of natural disasters. The primary objective is the reduction of disaster losses, in lives and in the social, economic and environmental assets by the year 2015.