UAE marks World Civil Defence next Monday

The UAE will join the international community in marking the World Civil Defence Day which is being held this under the motto 'Civil protection and preparation of civil societies for disaster risk prevention'. The higher organising committee has completed preparations to celebrate the event. A panel discussion will be held at Yas Hotel during which civil defence experts and specialists will review latest trends in the industry. In a message on the occasion, Mr. Nawaf Al-Sleibi, Secretary-General of the International Civil Defence Organisation (ICDO) said this year's celebration would come under the motto "Civil protection and civic organisations' preparedness for disaster risk reduction", in acknowledgement by the ICDO of the important and central role played by civil society organisations in disasters and crises, as well as community preparedness to respond to them. ''In recent years, the world has witnessed many different and complex disasters ranging from natural and manmade disasters to humanitarian crises and civil wars that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and displaced millions, in addition to their damage on State economies. Today, we observe that some areas even lack the minimum requirements for decent living.'' ''Studies and field experiences indicate that civil defence and emergency services, regardless the amount of strength, resources and diligent planning that are made available to them within the framework of their missions, cannot by themselves alone ensure the protection of a nation, its properties and the environment. ''We must stand and show appreciation and respect for civil society organisations. In fact, during the last two years, these organisations did not hesitate to provide substantial services to areas hit by disasters and major incidents across the world, taking care of hundreds of thousands of victims and refugees. They still support government agencies to alleviate the suffering of these refugees, especially those forced by incidents to leave everything behind and resort to safe zones in neighbouring countries. These organisations stand united through their various denominations, nationalities and regulations,'' he added. ''Civic organisations are like a train carrying passengers of different social strata, including the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate, the worker and the non-worker, the farmer and the industrial worker, the elderly and the young. This combination, provided that we listen to it carefully and provide it with a proper environment, will be easy to unite for the sake of a common goal, consisting of building a safe community, ready to respond to any kind of emergency, a community of solidarity as found in some countries, the names of which I prefer not to mention, because differences in habits, tradition and religion between countries call upon every State to build a civil society solidarity network according to its own distinctive characteristics.'' ''Securing our future is based on solidarity, mobilization, volunteer recruitment and community preparedness. So let's work on solidarity as well as community preparedness and secure a better future,'' he concluded.