U.N. group sets disaster plan
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 Tsunami survivors in Indonesia have little to celebrate on the holiday of Eid al-Adha.
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(CNN) -- In the wake of last month's tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean, countries attending a United Nations conference on disaster reduction have agreed to pursue a plan aimed at reducing the risk posed by natural disasters.
At the closing session of the World Conference on Disaster Reduction held in Kobe, Japan, 168 delegates adopted a framework for action regarding natural disasters.
Called the Hyogo Framework for Action: 2005-2015, it "represents a substantive set of objectives to ensure that the world reduces risk and vulnerabilities to natural hazards in the next 10 years," said Jan Egeland, the U.N.'s undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
The plan calls on nations, particularly those which are disaster-prone, to place disaster risk on political agendas and to invest in disaster preparedness.
"This new plan will help reduce the gap between what we know and what we do," Egeland said. "The critical ingredient is political commitment."
Delegates also adopted a declaration that recommends a "culture of disaster prevention and resilience" be fostered, and noting the relationship between disaster reduction, sustainable development and poverty reduction.
The documents are non-binding, according to a statement issued after the conference's conclusion, but can serve as a blueprint in guiding nations and individuals toward developing more disaster-resilient communities.
In addition, in a special session held on the tsunami, delegates pledged their support for the creation of a tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, emphasizing the importance of international and regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, aid groups have warned it might be too soon for the U.S. military to scale back its emergency operations for Asia's tsunami victims, as an informal cease-fire between Indonesian troops and rebels appeared to have collapsed, threatening to derail relief efforts.
Speaking in Bangkok, Thailand, the U.N. special coordinator for tsunami relief, Margareta Wahlstrom, said she hoped the military would not leave immediately because the relief operations depend on its "resources and machinery." (Full story)
In Indonesia, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono joined tsunami survivors crowding mosques in ravaged Aceh province on Friday to mark Islam's holiest day, pledging to rebuild the region.
Visiting the area that bore the brunt of last month's earthquake and tsunamis, Yudhoyono told residents it was time for unity in an apparent reference to the 30-year-old insurgency that has plagued the region.(Full story)
