ALMATY – The Senate of Kazakhstan, the Parliament’s upper chamber, approved a law ratifying the agreement establishing the Civil Protection Mechanism of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), aimed at strengthening cooperation among member states in responding to natural disasters and emergencies, on March 11.
The Senate of Kazakhstan, the Parliament’s upper chamber, has approved a law ratifying the agreement on the establishment of a Civil Protection Mechanism of the Organization of Turkic States. Photo credit: Ministry for Emergency Situations.
The draft law was presented during a plenary session by Deputy Minister for Emergency Situations Kegen Tursynbayev, who said the agreement will create a joint mechanism for responding to disasters and providing voluntary assistance to affected countries.
The agreement was signed on Nov. 6, 2024, by the heads of emergency agencies of OTS member states in line with decisions adopted at the organization’s summits in Istanbul in 2021 and Ankara in 2023.
According to Deputy of the Senate Andrey Lukin, the ratification establishes a legal framework for a coordinated emergency response system, aimed at improving the efficiency of humanitarian assistance and strengthening coordination among the relevant authorities of OTS member states.
“Assistance will be provided on a voluntary basis at the request of an affected state, while decisions to provide support will be taken by consensus,” he said.
Structure and headquarters
The Civil Protection Mechanism will operate as an international organization functioning as a specialized body within the OTS system.
Its governance structure will include a Council of Ministers and a Secretariat. The Council will consist of ministers responsible for emergency situations from member states and will meet regularly, at least once a year. The council will be chaired by the minister of the country currently holding the rotating presidency of the OTS.
“The agreement also provides for the development of unified standards for the professional training of rescue units, joint exercises, and the implementation of exchange programs between the participating states,” Lukin said.
A Secretary General will head the Secretariat appointed for a three-year term, with the possibility of extending the mandate for up to two additional years.
The Secretariat’s headquarters will be located in Istanbul, with Türkiye providing premises and organizational support during its establishment.
Budget and cooperation
The agreement also envisions creating a separate budget for the mechanism, funded by annual mandatory contributions from participating states.
Until a separate international agreement regulating the budget enters into force, each member state will contribute $50,000 annually. Additional expenses exceeding the total contributions during the first two years after the agreement enters into force will be covered by Türkiye.
Lawmakers noted that establishing the mechanism is expected to improve the protection of populations and territories across Turkic states and strengthen regional stability and security by enabling faster mobilization of resources during emergencies.
