The International Civil Defence Organisation is an intergovernmental organisation whose objective is to contribute to the development by States of structures ensuring the protection and assistance of population and safeguarding property and the environment from natural or man-made disasters.
Adopted on 22 May 2000, the objective of the Framework Convention on Civil Defence is to encourage and facilitate collaboration between States in the field of civil defence, be it for prevention, preparation, intervention and post crisis management in natural or man-made disasters, in the interests of victims and to safeguard property and the environment.
To this end, the Convention sets out the various general principles according to which all assistance operations should be conducted.
The Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance is therefore of a nature such as to encourage States to become more actively involved in cooperation in the field of civil defence and to remove the obstacles that can hinder the pooling of civil defence resources
Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance
Commentary of the Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance
Model of bilateral agreement in the field of civil defence
International directory of means of assistance in civil defence
Registration to the UN Secretariat
States Party
International Civil Defence Directory
In a context increasingly oriented towards an international approach to dealing with disasters, it is important to clarify the organisation and the scope of those entities’ responsibilities, and in particular of those whose mission it is to coordinate the emergency management at the international level, be it in the framework of bilateral or multilateral operations, by making available to them information as clear and complete as possible on the national partners with whom they may be called upon to collaborate.
This Directory provides the reader with a clear and structured presentation under the following headings of the management of emergency situations by these States: Legal, Mission, Regulation and procedure, Organisation, Staff, Training, Equipment/appliances, Finances.
The participants to the World Civil Defence Conference, held in Amman (1994), have adopted an Universal Declaration on Civil Defence calling on Governments to consider the expression as well as the definition of “Civil Defence” provided in article 61 of the Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions should be enlarged outside armed conflicts. The concept of “Civil Defence” should be understood to encompass all humanitarian activities related to protecting the population, their property and environment.
International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent
The XXVIth International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (December 1995) underlined the importance of civil defence in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and, within the framework of the Resolution it adopted on the protection of civilian population during conflicts, recognised the role played by the International Civil Defence Organisation in the promotion of civil defence at the international level.
In this Resolution, the XXVIth International Conference invited States party to Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions to implement and disseminate the Protocol’s Rules concerning civil defence and recommended that the International Committee of the Red Cross in collaboration with the ICDO encourages international cooperation in this field and this be an item on the Agenda of international meetings on IHL.
ConferencesCooperation ICDO – EMERCOM of Russia
10th World Civil Defence Conference 3-5 April 1994, Amman, Jordan Amman Declaration
11th World Civil Defence Conference 26-28 October 1998, Beijing, China Beijing Declaration
International Conference
“Voluntary service within civil defence: an act of solidarity and citizenship” 14-16 September 1999, Tunis, Tunisia Tunis Declaration
Ministerial conference
« Civil Defence: a tool for sustainable development » 30 October - 1st November 2000, Geneva, Switzerland Geneva Declaration
12th World Civil Defence Conference
“Civil Defence, a tool for international solidarity against natural and man-made disasters in the 21st century” 25-27 June 2001, Geneva, Switzerland
First International Conference for the follow-up of the Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance 3 October 2002, Geneva, Switzerland Résolution finale
Several cooperation agreements were signed between ICDO and the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergencies of the Russian Federation (EMERCOM of Russia) on specific humanitarian operations.
Thus, several joint humanitarian operations are being conducted around the world: mine clearance projects are underway in Lebanon, Serbia and Nicaragua.
Similarly, a food assistance program has been shipped by train to Afghanistan and similar operations are planned in other Asian countries.
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The XXVIth International Conference of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent (December 1995) underlined the importance of civil defence in International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and, within the framework of the Resolution it adopted on the protection of civilian population during conflicts, recognised the role played by the International Civil Defence Organisation in the promotion of civil defence at the international level.)
