Albania National Platform

History

In the ministry responsible for civil protection in Albania (currently, the Ministry of Defence), under the direction of the National Civil Protection Agency, a Technical Advisory Commission (TAC) was created and is in operation, advising on reducing disaster risk. The TAC is established with the Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 1020, dated 16 December 2020, “On the composition, functioning and tasks of the Technical Advisory Commission for disaster risk reduction”, in support of Article 100 of the Constitution of the Republic of Albania and Article 25 of Law No. 45/2019, “On civil protection”, with the proposal of the Minister of Defence. Several meetings have taken place so far, dedicated to: delineating the duties and responsibilities for civil protection of each institution according to their area of responsibility; discussing the priorities for the efficient deployment of civil protection capacities and the measures to be taken by municipalities for coordination and coping with emergency situations; discussing the establishment of an early warning system and the monitoring of risks; and addressing the issue of setting up a common platform for monitoring and exchanging information, among other issues. Several meetings have taken place since the establishment of the TAC, which have also aimed at discussing strategic documents of civil protection: Disaster Risk Assessment at the Central Level, the National Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction and the National Plan for Civil Emergencies.

Structure

The TAC is chaired by the Director General of the National Civil Protection Agency, and is composed of representatives of the ministries, their dependent structures and institutions, as follows:
 

• Ministry of Defence; Ministry of Interior; Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Finances and Economy; Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy; Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development; Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth; Ministry of Health and Social Protection; Ministry of Tourism and Environment; Ministry of Justice; and Ministry of Culture
• General Directorate of the State Police; Directorate for Local Affairs and Prefectures; General Directorate of Material Reserves of the State; and General Directorate for Fire Protection and Rescue
• Albanian Road Authority; National Secretariat of Large Dams; and National Environment Agency
• National Forestry Agency; State Authority for Geospatial Information; Water Resources Management Agency; National Committee of Large Dams; National Housing Authority (by invitation); and National Urban Construction Inspectorate (by invitation)
• Institute of Geosciences (by invitation); Albanian Geological Service; Institute of Public Health; Institute of Applied Nuclear Physics (by invitation); National Institute of Cultural Heritage; Polytechnic University of Tirana (by invitation); Institute of Food and Veterinary Safety; Institute of Geography and Military Infrastructure; Institute of Construction (by invitation); and Agricultural University of Tirana (by invitation)
• Albanian Power Corporation and Electricity Power Distribution System Operator
   

The Director General of the National Civil Protection Agency, for specific issues, as the case may be, may call some of the members of the TAC.

Depending on the needs, representatives from scientific and monitoring institutions, non-governmental organizations, etc. are also invited to TAC meetings.

Mandate

The protection of human life, property, cultural heritage and the environment. The main responsibilities of
the TAC include:

• Reviewing strategies, policies, programmes and plans for DRR and civil protection, with the aim of protecting human life, property, cultural heritage and the environment
• Reviewing and recommending issues related to education/schooling programmes for the structures of the civil protection system and the public in the field of civil protection
• Examining and analysing plans for civil emergencies, prepared by State and non-State institutions, and giving relevant recommendations, as appropriate
• Helping improve the civil protection system, making it fully efficient, setting priorities and identifying needs
• Contributing to solutions for preventive, rehabilitation and recovery measures for different types of natural disasters or other disasters
• Reviewing or evaluating studies in the field of civil protection