On 6 January, the Secretary-General of the International Civil Defence Organization (ICDO), Mr. Arguj Kalantarli, met with Mrs. Nadzirah Osman, Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations, at ICDO’s Headquarters in Geneva.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the ICDO and Malaysia in the fields of civil defence, disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, and emergency response. The parties exchanged views on avenues for enhancing collaboration in support of national and regional efforts to reinforce institutional capacities and resilience to emergencies and disasters.

In this context, the Secretary-General briefed the Permanent Representative on the ICDO’s current activities undertaken within the framework of its humanitarian mandate, including ongoing institutional reforms, modernization efforts, and planned humanitarian missions, including the ICDO’s humanitarian assistance project for Gaza.

The meeting further included an exchange of views on the hosting of forthcoming ICDO sessions in Malaysia, within the framework of strengthening the country’s engagement with the Organization and promoting broader regional participation.

The meeting reaffirmed the mutual interest in further deepening dialogue and practical cooperation in pursuit of shared objectives in civil defence, humanitarian action, and disaster management.