Emergency Assistance

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TERMS OF REFERENCE

OF THE BSEC WORKING GROUP

ON COOPERATION IN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE

(adopted at the 44th CMFA Meeting on 17 December 2021)
 

The Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance was established persuant to Article 7 of the Agreement among the Governments of the Participating States of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation on Collaboration in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters, signed in Sochi, the Russian Federation, on 15 April 1998 (“Agreement”). The Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance as the BSEC Subsidiary Organ shall carry out its activities in conformity with the Agreement, BSEC Statutory Documents and in accordance with the following Terms of Reference (“ToR”):

 

OBJECTIVES AND GENERAL PROVISIONS

The objectives of the Working Group are as follows:

− strengthening cooperation among the BSEC Member States in implementing the provisions of the Agreement and the Additional Protocol to the aforementioned Agreement, signed in Kiev, Ukraine, on 20 October 2005.

− enhancing interaction of the BSEC Member States in achieving ways and means of promoting solution and principles reflected in the Agreement and its Additional Protocol;

− promoting coordination among the BSEC Member States and developing international cooperation in preventing and eliminating the consequences of the natural and man-made disasters, including floods and torrents as well as massive forest fires, and on providing necessary assistance in case of emergency situations in the BSEC Member States;

- establishing the principles and frameworks for the coordinated activities of the BSEC Member States among the respective national authorities and NGOs in case of natural and man-made disasters,

− developing the Regional and Bilateral Relations in the BSEC Framework as well as Sub-regional Cooperation with the regional and international institutions and agencies (including relevant BSEC Working Groups, Related Bodies, Observers, Sectoral Dialogue Partners etc.);

− exchanging scientific and technological information and data among national crisis management and rescue centers of the BSEC Member States, as well as exchanging technologies for prevention and elimination of disasters, for example, floods and torrents and massive forests fires, including through the implementation of multilateral programs and projects;

− promoting regional trainings, seminars and scientific conferences aimed at the achievement of better application of joint efforts in case of emergency and increase of awareness about the best practices, used in emergency situations, with a special focus on the activities of the BSEC Network of Liaison Officers on Emergency Assistance established pursuant to Article 1 of the Additional Protocol to the Agreement.

The operative management of the Working Group activities will be carried out by the Country-Coordinator, appointed for a term of two years, with the assistance of the BSEC PERMIS;

The Country-Coordinator at the beginning of its mandate shall submit a draft two-year Plan of Action of the Working Group that shall include specific provisions setting clear responsibilities and deadlines for its implementation. The draft Plan of Action and amendments thereto are subject to approval by the Working Group;

The Working Group shall hold at least one meeting per year, the date and venue remaining to be agreed upon by the Country-Coordinator with the Chairmanship-in-Office and the BSEC PERMIS.

 

MANDATE/TASKS

 

The Working Group shall:

  1. carry out the mandate defined by the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States in its resolutions, decisions and recommendations related to its activities, as well as in its Terms of Reference;
  2. draw up cooperation projects as well as pursue implementation of such projects/activities/initiatives in the area of its competence;
  3. approve the priority areas and consider projects for the Project Development Fund (PDF) funding in line with the two-year Plan of Action;
  4. consider reports of the subordinated bodies and decide accordingly;
  5. carry out control over actions connected with the wide-scale natural and man-made disasters, including massive forest fires, floods and torrents and other emergency situations response;
  6. consider and approve final documents (reports, conclusions, recommendations, summary of the proceedings etc.) of other BSEC events (seminars, workshops, symposia, conferences) or, whenever necessary, submit to the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) Meeting together with the relevant draft decision;
  7. submit to the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States reports on the progress of its activities, as well as relevant recommendations;
  8. organize conferences, seminars, workshops, training programs and exercises; other joint activities aimed at preventing and eliminating consequences of emergency situations to be carried out in consultation with the BSEC Member States and in compliance with the BSEC Charter.

 

SUBORDINATED BODIES

 

The Working Group shall exercise the authority over the BSEC Network of the Liaison Officers on Emergency Assistance and over the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts in Seismic Risks, established under the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States at its 24th Meeting held on 8 June 2011 in Bucharest, Romania.

The final documents of the subordinated bodies of the Working Group (reports, conclusion, recommendations, summary of the proceedings etc.) as well as of other BSEC events on Emergency Assistance (seminars, workshops, symposia, conferences) should be submitted for the consideration of the Working Group and approval of the BSEC Committee of Senior Officials.

 

 

TERMS OF REFERENCE
OF THE BSEC AD HOC WORKING GROUP IN SEISMIC RISK

The BSEC Ad Hoc Working Group in Seismic Risk (hereinafter, Ad Hoc Working Group) was established by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the BSEC Member States at its 24th Meeting held on 8 June 2011 in Bucharest.

The goals of the Ad Hoc Working Group are as follows:

- to contribute to seismic protection of the population, through seismic risk reduction in the BSEC Member States,

- to launch multilateral cooperation of appropriate national authorities, seismological institutes and centers as well as of representatives of the engineering communities, other institutions/centers, dealing with seismic risk reduction,

- to contribute to the application of the achievements of seismology and earthquake engineering in developing effective measures for seismic risk reduction,

- to elaborate minimum threshold seismic safety levels for hazardous facilities with due account of existing international regulations,

- to elaborate methods for the protection of monuments and historical buildings and to support their application.

For the implementation of the above goals the Ad Hoc Working Group will:

- develop facilities and means for seismic risk reduction such as seismic hazard and risk assessment, seismic codes and design appropriate standards, seismo-resistant construction and strengthening the existing buildings, public education early warning and notification system design, etc.

- discuss and plan concrete actions to reduce seismic risks in major cities on the basis of new and comprehensive analysis of seismic threat maps of the territories of the BSEC Member States;

- exchange scientific and relevant technological information and data and organize technology transfer through the implementation of multilateral programs and projects;

- contribute to the strengthening of the scientific and technological potential of the BSEC in the field of seismic risk reduction;

- develop mutually beneficial interaction with relevant international institutions and organizations;

- elaborate and implement projects by the available financial support from the relevant institutions of the BSEC Member States, as well as international organizations, aimed at estimating the seismic threat and to identify ways of reduction of seismic risk, in particular, in the major cities;

- have a dialogue with decision-makers, public institutions, relevant NGOs, research and technological centers, universities, business and financial circles to elaborate proposals for decision-making mechanisms within the framework of the Ad Hoc Working Group for enhancing cooperation of seismologists, tectonists and seismology engineers of the BSEC Member States.

The Representatives to the Ad Hoc Working Group shall be appointed by the appropriate national authorities, institutions and interested research communities dealing with the problems of seismology and related fields of engineering seismology, earthquake engineering and other issues of seismic risk reduction.

The Ad Hoc Working Group will meet at least once per year. For permanent contacts and consistency in work the Ad Hoc Working Group will establish an Expert Correspondence Network. The Ad Hoc Working Group will be subordinated to the BSEC Working Group on Cooperation in Emergency Assistance.

The Ad Hoc Working Group shall carry out its activities in conformity with the BSEC Charter and BSEC Rules of Procedure.