SCOJtEx-2019: Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Joint Exercise on Urban Earthquake Search and Rescue- ‘SCOJtEx-2019’ in New Delhi. The four day exercise will be held from 4-7 November 2019. The joint exercise is being hosted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The SCOJtEx will be followed by a meeting between SCO experts and officials of ministries responsible for prevention as well as elimination of emergency situations.

About SCOJtEx-2019

Objective: To rehearse the disaster response mechanism, share knowledge, experience and technology for mutual coordination.

Participant: All the eight SCO member countries will be participating- India, Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Representatives from Brazil, Mongolia, South Africa, International Search & Rescue Advisory Group, ASEAN Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance (AHA) Centre are invited as observers. Other participants include representatives from embassies of all SCO member nations, heads of state disaster response forces (SDRF) and representatives of other stakeholders.

Key Features:

Focus of Joint Exercise will be to test the region’s preparedness and resilience towards effective activation of Inter-governmental interaction for immediate response. The exercise will also provide an opportunity to enhance coordination as well as co-operation involving multi-agency operations in an earthquake scenario.

This simulation exercise will be conducted as per the methodology and guidelines of International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG), a network of disaster-prone and disaster-responding countries as well as organizations dedicated to operational field coordination and urban search and rescue (USAR).

During exercise, discussions will be held on role and responsibilities of many organisations and teams, including those involved in emergency medical services, as well as urban search and rescue at both national and international levels.

Discussions will be also held on the role of humanitarian system, emergency response and assessment team, United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), on-site operations coordination centre local emergency management authority and humanitarian civil-military coordination.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2019