The World Conference on Disaster Reduction 2005 took place in Kobe, Hyogo. When the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene this conference in Kobe, accepting the invitation of the government of Japan, it was with several objectives in mind, including identifying good practice in disaster reduction, defining challenges and opportunities and examining emerging issues, and developing a new plan of action for disaster risk reduction for 2005-2015. During these five days at the Portopia Hotel and at the Kobe International Conference Centre and Exhibition Hall, the international community had the opportunity to sensitise all layers of authority and all avenues of development planning and to move determinedly to build around the world a new culture of resilience, as promoted by the International Strategy on Disaster Reduction (ISDR).