World Civil Defence Day, created by decision of the ICDO General Assembly in 1990, is celebrated every year on the 1st of March. On this occasion different events are organized in Yerevan and marzes in Armenia. Among them: open lessons, trainings and evacuations, the RA Minsitry of Territorial Administrattion and emergency situations informs.
The issue of the defense of civil population especially actual in wartime situations. The first man who conceived it was the French Surgeon-General George Saint-Paul who founded the Association of “Geneva Zones” in Paris, on 28 may 1931. This gave him the idea to create safety areas, or neutralized zones, where civilians, in particular women, children, the elderly and the infirm, could seek refuge in times of war.
In 1936, in line with its mandate to work for the humanization of armed conflict, the Association launched a call for the establishment of areas of refuge for the population during the Spanish Civil War, the Sino-Japanese War (1937) and later in France during the Second World War.
In 1958, the International Association of Geneva Zones becomes the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO) and was given new status as a non-governmental organization with the following objectives: establishing liaison between national civil defense organizations; undertaking and promoting studies and research on population protection matters; facilitating the exchange of experience and the coordination of efforts in the area of disaster prevention, preparedness and intervention.
In 1972 the representatives of ICDO member states approved the current text of the organozation’s constitution, which entered into force on 1 March 1972. It attributes the status of intergovernmental organization to the ICDO. March 1 was established as World Civil Defense Day.
Armenia has become member of ICDO in April 1994. This year over 80 different trainings and other events will be organized in the territory of the RA. The list of the events for media coverage is available on the official website of MTAES of the RA.
