On 22nd December 1989, the General Assembly designated the second Wednesday of October the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction. This day was to be observed annually during the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, 1990-1999. In 2001, the General Assembly decided to maintain the observance of the International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction as a vehicle to promote a global culture of natural disaster reduction, including disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness.