TASW Network

The Towards a Safer World initiative (TASW) convenes a broad range of multi-sector, multi-regional stakeholders involved in whole-of-society preparedness including non-traditional partners from business and the military. TASW’s diverse network is committed to maintaining the body of whole of society practice, communicating it widely, mainstreaming it within institutions, reaching out to others who can benefit from it, and learning from each other. TASW’s objective is to improve the capabilities of a network of 300 committed champions of whole-of-society preparedness and their institutions through sharing and applying best practice, and through capacity-building events, simulations, workshops, training and research. TASW’s goal is more effective whole-of-society preparedness so as to lessen the economic, social and humanitarian impact of pandemics and comparable high-impact risks.

The Towards a Safer World Network contributes to increased societal resilience (including continuity of governance, economic systems, critical services and resilient livelihoods) in the face of disease pandemics and other comparable threats to health. The network includes non-traditional partners and is international but not inter-governmental. The Towards a Safer World Network is one strand of efforts to strengthen National Disaster Management and Emergency Preparedness capabilities. The number of disasters worldwide has increased dramatically in the past years. The IMF estimates that damage associated with disasters is 15 times higher now than it was in the 1950s. The containment of suffering, lives lost and economic damage within a disaster or crisis is directly linked to the effectiveness of response. It can be reduced through effective preparedness, including measures to improve response, to increase disaster management capacity, and to plan and prepare: these activities can have dramatic dividends.