Speech by the Directory General

In our view, disseminating useful and relevant information about the Civil Protection’s operational activities requires a concerted effort to establish a strong media presence.

To achieve this goal, we cannot do without the modern technologies available to us, particularly information technology and the countless opportunities it offers through the internet.

Like all institutions keen to meet the needs of their communities, the General Directorate of Civil Protection decided to create a website—an additional platform that allows it to get closer to both its partners and the public.

By providing state institutions and various stakeholders from the public and private sectors who share the city’s spaces and are aware of the concerns arising from its development and the risks stemming from its expansion, the Civil Protection website offers us all the information and data that can be used to better manage its future. This gives us a significant advantage in fulfilling our mission.

The pursuit of full coordination among the various stakeholders involved in prevention and interventions, both in anticipation of and during natural or technological disasters, remains a constant concern for sector officials. However, overcoming these obstacles should not deter our ongoing efforts to protect lives, property, and the environment. This is achieved through intensified preventative measures, underpinned by a firm commitment to establishing a genuine risk awareness culture. Such a culture will prevent the misuse or waste of resources and energies due to any gap that may arise between us, as stakeholders, and the environment we are required to interact with and influence.

By increasing awareness-raising activities, and even better, by raising awareness among the largest possible number of citizens about the potential dangers threatening society as a whole, we can achieve the necessary solidarity and integration between those responsible for protecting lives, property, and the environment, as well as with all citizens. This will ensure that, in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, human losses are minimized and its harmful effects on the nation are mitigated.

For all these reasons, and driven by the need for efficiency in carrying out tasks, we cannot ignore the advantages offered by these tools, whether in terms of the ease and availability of information or its accuracy and objectivity. This allows them to be utilized by various departments within the security apparatus and numerous public and private institutions, and to be employed in disseminating awareness campaigns aimed at the general public.

To this end, we are providing users with this space for convergence and exchange, which I have no doubt will offer countless opportunities in the field of awareness-raising and will allow for the establishment of a genuine preventative culture, which we are obligated to promote and cultivate among the public.

Our hope is that this virtual meeting space will facilitate the convergence of ideas, encourage constructive dialogue, and disseminate useful information that will enhance awareness among a wider range of stakeholders and citizens, and foster a deeper understanding of the dangers threatening the security of people, property, and the environment.