Artikel XIX

Without prejudice to the requirement to discharge any other obligations assumed under or in connection with this Agreement, Participating States undertake to:
a) establish and maintain, as the case may be, national relief organizations capable of responding swiftly, effectively and in a coordinated manner to disasters in Participating States;
b) establish emergency disaster planning groups and define national policies and priorities in the event of disasters;
c) provide national disaster management agencies with adequate support including named emergency coordinators, liaison officers within key government Ministries, emergency support services and access to utilities;
d) ensure that national disaster management agencies and their coordinators have specific functions and responsibilities to ensure the development of an adequate response capability to support adequate responses to national disasters;
e) define the role and functions of key agencies including the Security Services, Health and Public Works in disaster emergency response management and establish a system for regular review of their procedures to ensure coordinated response;
f) establish and equip a suitable emergency operations centre capable of handling emergency telecommunications and coordinating emergency response involving relevant services;
g) develop and maintain an emergency telecommunications system based on the most appropriate technology to ensure the coordination of emergency operations among stakeholders;
h) establish and strengthen procedures for coping with major disaster threats and maintain review systems for testing the procedures through drills and simulations;
i) review and rationalize legal arrangements for disaster mitigation and emergency action;
j) review and catalogue past disaster events and list credible future emergency responses and identify and map areas with special problems and peculiarities such as flood or landslide prone areas;
k) establish data bases of key resources, both human and material, and a system for keeping them current and to computerize and integrate them into an automated emergency information system;
l) develop, in collaboration with competent governmental agencies, an emergency shelter policy and programme involving the full participation of local officials from community-based organizations;
m) develop and review a system for community participation, local mobilisation and counter disaster action in the event of isolation;
n) develop strategies for loss reduction in the public and private sectors focusing on vital economic activities and critical facilities;
o) develop a system and procedures for damage assessment in order to facilitate rapid and effective post impact evaluation;
p) develop and implement a comprehensive disaster public awareness, information and education programme involving media houses, schools, voluntary agencies and other institutions in order to ensure public participation and community involvement in the disaster management system;
q) develop and implement appropriate training programmes for persons involved in the disaster management system;
r) identify and seek participation in bilateral and multilateral technical cooperation programmes designed to develop disaster management capabilities;
s) identify and maintain in a state of readiness and make available immediately on request by the Executive Director relevant material and human resources in the event of disaster.