The objective of this presentation is to facilitate planning for the 3rd World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be convened in Japan in March 2015. Preparedness is a state of readiness on individual, urban, sub-regional, and national scales that is sufficient to keep the expected and unexpected effects of an earthquake from causing a disaster. Protection is a legally mandated state of planning and verified robustness, strength, and ductility for important buildings and essential - critical infrastructure to prevent loss of function. Emergency Response is all of the scripted and unscripted heroic and historic responses during the “race against time” after a quake to save lives and protect property. Presentation courtesy of Dr. Walter Hays, Global Alliance for Disaster Reduction.