ICDO general assembly's decisions will help develop civil defense systems - Puchkov
BISHKEK. May 12 (Interfax) - Decisions by the General Assembly of the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) will be crucial to improving its work and setting international trends in the area of civil defense, Russian Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said.
"The decisions we will be making today at the General Assembly will be crucial, not only to further efforts to improve the ICDO work, but also to form new contemporary trends in the development of civil defense and population protection on the international level," Puchkov said at the opening of the 22nd ICDO General Assembly.
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry is one of the key international players in the field of protecting populations and territories against disasters, and participates in the discussion of these priority issues on international platforms, including the United Nations, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, Indian, China, South Africa), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Russian minister said. The Russian ministry is the ICDO's strategic partner and biggest donor, the minister said.
"Thus, states and international organizations jointly form a global agenda in the area of disaster prevention and response," he said.
The practice of conducting off-site ICDO events gives attendees an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the national specifics of the local civil defense system, share practical experience, discuss important issues of the construction of solid modern mechanism for protecting populations and territories against natural and man-made disasters, the Russian emergencies minister said.
For his part, ICDO Secretary General Vladimir Kuvshinov said that the General Assembly will hold "interesting discussions, focusing on tackling disasters and protecting populations and territories against natural and man-made disasters." "Furthermore, the ICDO is to approve a whole host of documents aimed at improving the organization's internal and external activities," he said.
In 2016, ICDO marks its 85th anniversary and the Kyrgyz Emergency Ministry turns 25, Kuvshinov recalled.
The 22nd ICDO General Assembly began in Bishkek on May 12. The event is being attended by representatives from 40 member states.
