DISASTER MANAGEMENT TEAM

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Mandate

The UN Disaster Management Team (DMT) is a mechanism for emergency preparedness and response coordination. It is responsible for preparing for, and facilitating prompt, effective and well-coordinated emergency response by its member organizations to a new disaster in Armenia. The DMT mechanism helps coordinate the disaster-related activities, consolidating and directing the efforts of its members to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the assistance provided and avoid to the extent possible duplications and unilateralism.

The DMT recognizes, and in no way supersedes, the mandates and specific functions of the member organizations.

The DMT focuses mainly on international assistance that may involve locally available resources as well as those brought from outside.
Objective

The primary purpose of the DMT in Armenia is to ensure a prompt, effective and coordinated country-level response by the UN system, other international organizations and country missions in the event of a disaster. This is achieved through building disaster risk reduction (DRR) capacities including prevention, preparedness and response measures by:

• Organizing regular inter-agency contingency planning processes
• Updating regularly disaster preparedness and response plans and arrangements
• Initiating and conducting knowledge sharing and skills development events for member agencies
• Ensuring necessary organizational arrangements for the smooth functioning of the DMT
• Facilitating national capacity development efforts in the area of disaster management.

Composition

The DMT is composed of all UN Agencies present in Armenia (UNDP, UNHCR, UNDPI, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDSS, FAO, WFP, WHO, UNIDO, IOM).

Organizational Structure     

Chair

The Chair of the DMT in Armenia is the UN Resident Coordinator.

Secretariat

The Chair and the DMT are supported by the Secretariat represented jointly by UNDP and RC Unit. Its main functions are to facilitate the identification of issues of concern to the DMT, and help ensure the adequate and timely implementation of agreed DMT actions to address these issues. The Secretariat also takes the lead in developing the proposed DMT Work Plan, and is responsible for compiling DMT related materials, organising regular DMT meetings, preparing and circulating copies of summary minutes including any significant new information presented, decisions and recommendations made, and matters to be followed up.

Technical Working Group

The Working Group is composed of agencies (UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, UNFPA, UNDPI, UNDSS, WFP, WHO and Armenian Red Cross Society) that have a mandate to provide relief support during an emergency. This group is responsible for all the technical aspects and implementation of the DMT preparedness processes and response to emergencies and is authorised to manage DMT's day-to-day operation.

Cooperation with the Government of Armenia

In all matters pertaining to disaster management, the DMT recognizes the primary role of the Government of Armenia (GoA) in preparing for and responding to disasters and emergency events. National counterpart of the DMT is Ministry of Emergency Situations (MoES). The Agreement on disaster management, preparedness and response activities and Memorandum of Understanding on provision of operative information and use of common communications means during possible disasters signed between the UN DMT and the MoES on February 14, 2011 provide legal framework and collaboration arrangements for both the preparedness and emergency response phases. Parties agree to cooperate in two main areas:

• Information exchange on issues related to disaster management, including preparedness phase
• Cooperation arrangements in the event of an emergency.

The documents outline the necessary procedures that will be needed to manage the response to potential disasters. They also include arrangements for assessments, information management, communications and co-ordination and ensuring complementary activities in the event of disaster.
The DMT also facilitates capacity-building support to the Government of Armenia and other relevant in-country entities to strengthen the country's disaster preparedness and response capabilities.

Key directions for DMT activities in Armenia:

• Country implementation of Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Cluster Approach
• Operational guidance for coordinated assessments in humanitarian crises
• Inter-agency contingency planning
• Capacity building of DRR national system, including implementation of Hyogo Plan of Action (HFA) and establishment and functioning of DRR National Platform
• Knowledge and skills improvement of DMT members

Materials

Joint Efforts are Essential to Address Disasters, Press release (14 February 2011)

Country implementation of IASC Cluster Approach

Useful links:

Contacts:

DMT Secretariat
UN House, 14, Petros Adamyan st.
Yerevan, Armenia
Tel: +37410 566073
Fax: +37410 543811
e-mail: ashot.sargsyan@undp.org
or anoush.avanesyan@undp.org