UfM Regional Platform on Civil Protection
Context
Disasters know no borders, and the challenges and risks they pose are often shared across nations. The Euro-Mediterranean region has increasingly experienced severe natural disasters, including over 1,800 forest fires reported in 2021 alone, which devastated thousands of hectares of land. Additionally, floods have become more frequent, with significant events in several countries resulting in great damages. Earthquakes also pose a persistent threat, particularly in the numerous seismically active areas of the region, where devastating tremors have led to substantial loss of life and infrastructure damage.
Marine pollution and the impact of climate change, such as rising sea levels and extreme weather events, further complicate the region’s disaster landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the region’s vulnerability, with health crises exacerbating existing challenges.
In this context, greater cooperation among UfM Member States is increasingly recognized as essential for strengthening civil protection in the region. The effectiveness of responses to these disasters often depends on preparedness, regional coordination, and the capacity for timely interventions, which ultimately influence human and environmental outcomes.
The Platform's objective
While UfM Member States hold primary responsibility for national disaster risk management, international and regional assistance can significantly enhance national response capacities during disasters. Pooling resources, facilitating efficient mutual assistance, sharing expertise, and utilizing specialized equipment can strengthen regional civil protection services and networks. By establishing a regional Civil Protection Platform, UfM Member States can effectively coordinate common responses to potential disasters and collaborate on risk assessment, crisis prevention, preparedness, and planning.
In 2019, the Civil Protection Cooperation process among UfM Member States was relaunched after a decade-long hiatus. On February 11, the UfM Secretariat and the European Commission convened a Directors-General of Civil Protection meeting, bringing together UfM Member States and other EU partners to address common challenges in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This meeting set the stage for an Action Plan in 2020, culminating in Final Recommendations aimed at increasing resilience and fostering cross-institutional cooperation and dialogue among policy, operational, and scientific communities.
During its first meeting in December 2022, the Platform identified key objectives, including establishing a common vision and action plan, organizing thematic and geographical exchanges, identifying shared challenges, strengthening operational cooperation, sharing knowledge, planning future working sessions and events, designing and supporting projects, and connecting with other UfM platforms in areas such as research, education, environment, climate action, and youth.
This Regional Platform aims to facilitate cooperation in civil protection, serving as a dynamic space for exchanging ideas that complements and interfaces with the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
Key priorities
First phase:
Following the 2019 meeting, UfM Member States initially established three working groups to implement the Final Recommendations:
- Preparing for Efficient Mutual Assistance in the Euro-Mediterranean Area
- Engaging Citizens in Disaster Risk Management
- The Role of Volunteers in Civil Protection
The first working group, focused on Preparing for Efficient Mutual Assistance, convened on 26 November 2019, in Brussels, Belgium. This group aimed to identify priorities for the Civil Protection Action Plan for Efficient Mutual Assistance. The proposed priority actions include:
- Host Nation Support
- Preparedness for Response
- Risk Assessment and Situational Analysis for Rapid Response
The two other working groups met virtually on 19-20 October 2020, in preparation for further discussions scheduled for January 2021 in Brussels. These meetings were designed to advance their respective agendas and enhance collaboration in civil protection across the region.
Second phase:
Following this first phase meetings, three new working groups were set, across the three phases of the disaster management cycle: Prevention, Preparedness, and Response. The prepared a draft regional strategy that was submitted to the UfM Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on October 4, 2023, with the aim of launching a Mediterranean Civil Protection Framework (MFPC) initiative.
Following the SOM, the fourth meeting of the Directors General of Civil Protection of the UfM took place on October 18-19, 2023, where the MFPC initiative and a corresponding 2030 action plan were endorsed.
The MFPC initiative operates on a voluntary and non-binding basis among the members of the regional platform, seeking to establish a foundation for regional cooperation and to unify shared interests and challenges. To give substance to the MFPC, the UfM leverages the existing agendas of its partners, ensuring alignment with the objectives of the 2030 action plan.
Policy framework
Civil protection contributes to the objectives of peace, stability, cooperation, and security set out in the Joint Declaration of the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean of 13 July 2008.
As it was reminded in the UfM Co-Presidency Joint Conclusions of the 5th UfM Regional Forum, on 27 November 2020, “The UfM Platform on Civil Protection should play a key role in the discussion of the common challenges and the concrete actions to develop within the Civil Protection Action Plan for strengthened Euro-Mediterranean cooperation on prevention campaigns, emergency response and crisis management.”
Documentation
- Third meeting of Civil Protection Directors-General of the Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
- Fourth meeting of Civil Protection Directors-General of the Member States of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM)
- 2030 UfM Action Plan on Civil Protection and Disaster Risk Management
Key dates
- March 2022, Brussels: Organization of a conference opening the EU Civil Protection Forum (DG ECHO) entitled: “Europe in the world: the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) as model of regional cooperation in the neighborhood. »
- September 2022, Nicosia: Session dedicated to the “Regional Challenge of Disaster Management in a Context of Climate Change” at the Nicosia Risk Forum (CERIDES, European University of Cyprus)
- December 2022, online: Launch and first meeting of the UfM regional platform on civil protection
- June 2023, Rome: High-level conference on “Climate change and civil protection, towards effective Euro-Mediterranean cooperation” + Second meeting of Regional Platform. Official launch of DG ECHO’s three Euromed projects: PPRD MED, Regional Multi-Risk Study, and regional on-site assistance.
- October 2023, Valencia: Fourth meeting of the Directors General of Civil Protection of the UfM and joint meeting with the directors of the MPC
- April 2024, Tunis: First Euro-Mediterranean pilot workshop on the prevention and fight against wildfires
Key partners
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