Questions to Text a
What kind of organization is ICDO?
When and where was ICDO registered?
What’s the responsibility of ICDO at the international level?
Does ICDO have close ties with the UN and other member states
of ICDO?
What’s the supreme authority of ICDO?
Is the Executive Council an executive body of ICDO?
What’s the structure of the permanent Secretariat of ICDO?
What are the missions of ICDO?
What are the fields of ICDO cooperation?
ICDO works to promote security of the individual,
doesn’t it?
* * * *
Text b The History of icdo
ICDO is the International Civil Defence Organization. Its history comes back to 1931 when French Surgeon-General Saint-Paul founded “Geneva Zones” in Paris. “Geneva Zones” meant neutralized zones or open towns in which some categories of the civilian population (women, children, sick and elderly persons) could seek refuge during wartime.
In 1937 “Geneva Zones Association” became the International Association for the Protection of Civilian Population and Historic buildings in wartime.
Twenty years after its creation, the International Association of Geneva Zones (IAGZ) was still trying to implement the ideas its founder aimed at preparing and developing places for refuge for the civilian population.
In January 1958 the IAGZ was changed into the International Civil Defence Organization and given a new status. The Third Civil Defence Conference of ICDO was held in May 1958. The Agenda of the Conference included: atmospheric radioactivity, evacuation and shelter of people in wartime, protection of cultural property, etc.
From the beginning of the 1960’s ICDO altered its horizons by undertaking its aims for population protection in wartime to the problem of natural and technical disasters in peacetime.
In 1966 the representatives of the Member States of ICDO, at its Constituent Assembly, adopted the text of the present Constitution. The Constitution came into force on 1 March 1972 at the first General Assembly of Member States.
The ICDO Constitution conferred a number of tasks aimed at assuming, on an international scale, the responsibility of promoting protection and safety of persons and property faced with all types of disasters and gathering within itself the national authorities of the member countries, entrusted with the implementation of these measures.
ICDO has become a specialized organization in the protection of population and property in all disaster situations, has therefore mainly concentrated on working towards international assistance in peacetime and consolidation of international cooperation in this field.
Active Vocabulary to Text b
representative - представитель
consolidation - укрепление
to seek - искать
to aim at … - направлять на …
to found - основать
to register - регистрировать
to undertake - предпринимать
to concentrate on … - сосредоточиваться на …
to implement an idea - осуществлять идею