Tripoli, 20 January 2026 – The National Center for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize cooperation on strengthening national disaster risk management and preparedness systems in Libya.

The MoU signals the transition from an initial phase of technical collaboration to a more strategic partnership focused on improving institutional coordination and national preparedness. The agreement draws on recent efforts to establish the foundations of Libya’s disaster risk management operations framework, including the clarification of functional roles and standard operating procedures to guide coordination during emergencies and beyond.

Recent crises, including the 2023 floods, underscored the human and developmental cost of fragmented preparedness and response systems, highlighting the critical importance of early warning, shared information, and coordinated action across institutions. 

“This partnership represents an important step along this path and reflects a comprehensive vision for crisis and disaster management, grounded in our social responsibility to protect lives and support timely and appropriate decision-making. Our cooperation with UNDP demonstrates our commitment to drawing on international expertise while building national capacities, strengthening the state’s preparedness and ability to respond to risks and emergencies,” said Alfeetouri Eisay Alfeetouri, General Manager, National Center for Emergency, Crisis, and Disaster Management Center.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, UNDP Resident Representative, Dr Sophie Kemkhadze, emphasized the importance of strengthening national systems to ensure effective disaster risk management. 

“Disaster risk management is not the responsibility of a single institution,” said Dr. Kemkhadze. “It is a collective national endeavor, grounded in coordination, trust, and shared responsibility. What we are building together is not a standalone facility, but a national system that connects institutions, information, and decision-makers, before crises strike, not only during them.”

The partnership aims to strengthen coordination across key sectors, including environmental and climate data, public safety and health, food security and humanitarian response, as well as telecommunications and critical infrastructure. As the collaboration evolves, innovation and digitalization, including early warning systems and integrated information platforms, are expected to play an increasingly important role, supported by clear mandates, strong processes, and effective institutional coordination.

The agreement provides a framework for continued collaboration between NECDMC and UNDP, supporting a gradual shift from reactive response toward risk-informed and anticipatory action, in line with national priorities and long-term resilience objectives.

For more information, or media interviews please contact: media.ly@undp.org