The 29th World Congress of Public Services International (PSI), meeting in Durban, South Africa, on 27-30 November 2012RECALLING  that a massive M9 earthquake struck the whole of eastern Japan at 14:46 on March 11, 2011, setting off a tsunami and a nuclear power plant collapse that has thrown Japan and the surrounding into a state of fear;RECOGNISING that the earthquake and tsunami claimed a large number of victims as well as destroying and washing away everything in the affected areas, that the damage resulting from the nuclear power plant collapse has affected not only the vicinity of the nuclear power plant but has spread across an extremely wide area, and that the nature of the damage is limited not only to nuclear exposure and contamination, including marine pollution, but also to a wide range of issues such as economic losses for business from groundless rumours associated with the region, the collapse of communities, mental health issues, and economic and employment concerns;And, as indicated, in the resolution adopted by the PSI Asia-Pacific comrades at the October 2011 APRECON and reconfirmed at the November 2011 EB, the World Congress therefore:TAKES NOTE that disasters impact multiple facets of the economy and society, that while in most cases these are natural disasters that are also simultaneously man-made disasters, that public services assume an important role at each stage – from disaster prevention to emergency response, recovery, and restoration – and that the physical and psychology strain placed on public services workers who carry out these tasks is immeasurable, and that finally excessive reduction and privatisation of public services have exacerbated these issues.RECOGNISES  the urgent need for the following efforts to be made expeditiously:Strengthening of the United Nations Disaster Relief Mechanism and creation of a fundraising system to secure necessary funds;Creation of new renewable energy sources that reduce dependence on nuclear energy and fossil fuel;Advocate internationally best practices to improve collaboration in environmental protection;Positioning of the “relationship between disasters and public services” as one of the central themes of the Global Unions QPS campaign;Organisation of emergency workers and the establishment of trade union rights;Hosting of an international PSI conference to focus on energy policies;Strengthening and improved implementation of measures for disaster refugees.CALLS FOR joint action by members of the global PSI affiliates engaged in public services to work towards building a safe and secure society.MANDATES  the Executive Board of PSI urgently to appoint a committee under its direction specifically to examine and develop suitable strategies to achieve the desired objectives outlined above.See all Congress resolutions including the Program of Action and the Constitution.