URCS acting as a leader in crisis – Dotsenko
The Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) is capable of acting as a leader in crisis situations, URCS General Director Maksym Dotsenko has said.
“The Ukrainian Red Cross proves that a national society is capable not only of providing humanitarian assistance, but also of acting as a leader in crisis situations, building partnerships, and transforming approaches to humanitarian response,” Dotsenko emphasized at the opening of an international forum on the exchange of experience in the field of preparation for and response to war and international armed conflicts on Tuesday in Kyiv.
The forum was attended by leaders of national societies of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, representatives of state authorities of Ukraine and Europe, international humanitarian partners and academicians.
Among the key topics of the forum are the role of national societies in armed conflicts, the legal framework of humanitarian activity, practical aspects of coordination, communications, and planning in wartime, humanitarian diplomacy, and adherence to the fundamental principles of the Movement.
Since 2022, the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Ukrainian Civil Protection Organization has been implementing large-scale humanitarian operations in unprecedented conditions. Today, the organization uses its experience to create a space for cooperation, analysis, and strategic planning that will help strengthen the International Movement's readiness to respond to similar challenges in the future.
“Since 2014, Ukraine has gone through a thorny path in humanitarian response, showing the strength and unity of the volunteer movement... This is an experience that will remain with us for life,” President of the Ukrainian Civil Protection Organization Mykola Polyshchuk said.
According to Viktor Vitovetsky, Director of the Civil Protection Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, the forum will not only allow for an exchange of experience, but also for determining further specific steps towards interaction and strengthening the capabilities of both Ukraine and its partners. He drew attention to the issue of integrating the Ukrainian Civil Protection Organization into the Unified State Civil Protection System. According to Vitovetsky, this will strengthen and increase the capabilities of the civil protection system in Ukraine.
“The example of URCS confirms that even in the darkest times, humanitarian aid becomes not only an expression of compassion, but also a vital force that changes the world,” Hugo Slim, advisor on international relations of the British Red Cross, senior researcher at Oxford University and expert on the ethics of war, said.
