New
Objective
South
Eastern Europe is prone to disasters that transcend borders or overwhelm the capacity
of a single country to cope. The level of preparedness and prevention in case
of natural and man-made disasters varies from country to country and regional
co-operation does not exist to the extent necessary.
The Stability Pact's
Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (DPPI) aims to pull together ongoing
activities and identifies unmet needs in order to improve the efficiency of the
national disaster management systems and to endorse a framework for regional cooperation.
Description
DPPI has been a primary
example of regional ownership, with full involvement of regional countries cooperating
under the SP auspices, supported by interested countries, international organizations
and agencies (UNDP, IFRC, NATO, SRSA Sweden). It brings together 12 countries
(Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, FYROM, Moldova,
Romania, Slovenia, Turkey, FRYugoslavia). DPPI was initiated at a brainstorming
meeting called by the Office of the Special Coordinator in Brussels on the March
16, 2000. The meeting was attended by Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, the International
Federation of the Red Cross, UN OCHA and the Gorizia Research Area. An ad hoc
Steering Group was formed under the joint chairmanship of Croatia and Italy.
As
a first operational step, the Steering Group appointed an operational team, which
led an assessment of the needs and capacities related to the disaster preparedness
of 12 countries in the region. The Regional
Report prepared by the Operational Team was discussed at the Geneva Workshop
on 16-17 June 2001.
On the DPPI Workshop in Banja Luka, BiH, from10-12 October
2001, regional countries brought several project proposals in line with the above
mentioned subject areas. Follow up and prioritization of the projects was done
on DPPI working meeting in Budapest, Hungary, from 11-13 March 2002. The implementation
phase will start shortly, dependant on donors contribution.
At the SP for
SEE Regional Table in Bucharest, Romania, on 5 June 2002, Declaration
on Cooperation in Disaster Preparedness and Prevention in South Eastern Europe
was signed by 11 countries and International Federation for Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia associated itself
with the Declaration.
At the Regional DPPI Meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria,
16 -18 September 2002, a new DPPI structure was adopted and the DPPI Action Plan
with Terms of Reference for Advisory Board to DPPI endorsed by participants.
Important events
DPPI Advisory
Board Meeting 21 February 2003
DPPI
Regional Meeting in Sofia, 16 - 18 September, 2002
International
Fire Fighting Exercise "Taming the Dragon - Dalmatia 2002"
DPPI Working Meeting in Budapest, 11
- 13 March, 2002.
Archive
