Disaster Reduction''.

And chairman of Bermuda's Emergency Measures Organisation, Deputy Governor Mr.

Peter Willis, said special emphasis will be placed on women and children, the most vulnerable people in many countries.

The theme of the day "Women and Children -- Key to Prevention'' was chosen to correspond with and contribute to major UN events in 1995, namely the Fourth World Conference on Women and the celebration of the UN's 50th anniversary.

Mr. Willis said: "One of the highlights of the 50th anniversary celebrations is the special emphasis on school and university programmes for children and youth.'' He noted that the theme was in keeping with the needs of the world community as identified at the World Conference on Natural Disaster Reduction in Yokohama, Japan.

"Its Plan of Action called for greater emphasis on public awareness on issues facing vulnerable communities,'' Mr. Willis said. "In many countries of the world, the most vulnerable persons are women and children.'' He added that International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction was this year focusing on women and children to draw attention to the many cases in the world where women and children are the victims of disasters.

"Its goal is to change their role from being victims through community education and disaster preparedness projects so that by their example they can become the key to prevention in their community,'' Mr. Willis explained.

EMO's disaster preparedness coordinator Mr. Lowdru Robinson said the public education committee for the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction was using the focus on children to plan activities in Bermuda.

Those activities, Mr. Robinson said, included: Obtaining resource materials about disasters for teachers; Producing a video on hurricanes and how to prepare for them in Bermuda, which is a project of Bermuda Red Cross; and Suggesting various classroom activities on the topic of disasters.

"Children are the key to developing a `culture of prevention' in our community for creating a safer Bermuda in the 21st Century,'' Mr. Robinson said.