2024-08-26 07:16:15
On January 18, RA Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan and the Executive Director of the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) Anna Yeghiazaryan signed a memorandum of understanding, strengthening the commitment to a unified approach of cooperation and mutual assistance in the field of population protection in emergency situations.
The partnership recorded in the memorandum underlines the common vision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications to create effective cooperation mechanisms in the areas of population protection, disaster preparedness and response, risk reduction and prevention.
The partnership aims to strengthen close cooperation in disaster risk reduction activities, sharing information on available resources and pooling capacities for disaster response, increased preparedness and risk reduction. The partnership also includes activities for the development of public protection systems in emergency situations through the mobilization of volunteer potential and the implementation of large-scale awareness initiatives.
Minister of Internal Affairs Vahe Ghazaryan, welcoming the attendees, highly appreciated the close cooperation between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Armenian Red Cross Society in a number of areas, expressing readiness to deepen and expand it.
Vahe Ghazaryan singled out the work of ensuring the rights of the forcibly displaced citizens from Nagorno Karabakh within the framework of this cooperation and thanked the Armenian Red Cross Society for the support shown in that direction.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, referring to the wide-scale reforms underway in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, also expressed special thanks to all international partners for their support to the Ministry and its subordinate services.
He singled out 2023 from the implemented works. Disaster Risk Management 2023-2030 approved by the Government on October 5. strategy and 2023-2026. the action plan, the implementation of which will contribute to effective disaster risk management.
According to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the memorandum will raise the cooperation to a new level in terms of disaster risk reduction and prevention, definition of mechanisms in matters related to the protection of the population in emergency situations, and other directions.
Disaster risk management is one of the strategic directions of the Armenian Red Cross Society. Being a support structure for the government in the humanitarian sector, disaster risk management activities have been carried out in the entire territory of the Republic of Armenia, within the framework of relevant memorandums and agreements, in close cooperation with relevant sectorial structures and today already in close cooperation with the rescue service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and local self-government bodies. Sharing the experience of the International Red Cross Movement, the ICRC carries out activities aimed at disaster preparedness, response and early recovery, contributing to the increase of resilience of communities, while simultaneously responding to all major disasters that occurred in the country. This partnership, based on the principles outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding, aims to develop and strengthen a comprehensive, unified response system. Both parties are committed to working together to analyze the necessary information, conduct educational and capacity building activities and joint activities that will increase disaster preparedness and public awareness.
“We attach great importance to the signing of this Memorandum, which will give a new impetus to our cooperation,” said Anna Yeghiazaryan, executive director of the CPC.
The Armenian Red Cross Society, being a full member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, is guided by the fundamental principles of the Movement: Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntarism, Uniqueness, Universality.
Being a support structure for the government in the humanitarian field, the CRC has been operating for 104 years in the following strategic directions in the entire territory of the republic: disaster management, population movement, social-health care, first aid, dissemination of youth, humanitarian values, etc.
The mission of the CRC is to reduce the vulnerability of the population by mobilizing the power of philanthropy, to prepare to face the situations that can cause the vulnerability of the population, to provide the necessary assistance by supporting people in difficult socio-economic conditions.