ECO Adopts Islamabad Declaration to Strengthen Regional Disaster Resilience
ISLAMABAD: The 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction concluded Thursday with the adoption of the Islamabad Declaration, reaffirming a collective pledge by ECO member states to strengthen regional cooperation, enhance disaster resilience, and ensure coordinated responses to future emergencies.
The two-day meeting, held from January 21–22, 2026, was hosted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on behalf of the Government of Pakistan and brought together ministers, heads of delegations, senior officials from ECO member states, and representatives of regional and international organizations. NDMA Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik chaired the session, while Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environment Coordination Dr. Musadiq Malik attended the closing ceremony as chief guest.
The meeting reviewed the outcomes of the High-Level Working Group session held on January 21 and endorsed key decisions aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness, risk governance, and resilience across the ECO region. These commitments, aligned with the Izmir Treaty, ECO Vision 2025, and the Sendai Framework, were incorporated into the Islamabad Declaration 2025.
Lieutenant General Adil Abdullayev, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Azerbaijan, stressed the need for stronger regional coordination to address increasingly complex disaster risks. Ernest Zhusupov, Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted the importance of collective preparedness, capacity building, and strengthened early warning systems across the region.
Major General Isozoda Sulaymon Umar, Deputy Chairman of Tajikistan’s Committee for Emergency Situations and Civil Defence, recalled the outcomes of the 9th ECO Ministerial Meeting held in Dushanbe in 2024 and pointed to growing risks from climate-induced hazards, emphasizing the need for harmonized regional frameworks and coordinated implementation mechanisms.
Ali Hamza Pehlivan, Head of Türkiye’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to regional cooperation and welcomed initiatives for joint training, simulation exercises, and real-time seismic data sharing through the proposed Regional Seismic Data Centre. Sanjar Takhirovic Zuparov, First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations of Uzbekistan, underscored the importance of strengthening institutional coordination and translating regional commitments into practical, action-oriented outcomes.
Muhammad Idrees Mahsud, Member DRR, Pak-NDMA, highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to advancing regional resilience through innovative and inclusive disaster risk reduction approaches, technology-driven capacity building, disaster early warnings, and anticipatory action supported by Pakistan’s National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC).
Support for enhanced regional collaboration was also conveyed by Umyd Orazmammedov, Defence Attaché of the Embassy of Turkmenistan to Pakistan, while Abdol Rahim Motahari Rad, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Iran, reiterated Iran’s commitment to strengthening cooperation under the ECO framework, particularly in disaster response coordination, knowledge exchange, and capacity development.
A key outcome of the meeting was the endorsement of Pakistan’s offer to utilize NDMA’s National Emergencies Operation Center as an ECO hub for disaster risk reduction planning, multilateral training simulations, joint assessments, shared analytical products, and proactive disaster management approaches. Member states agreed to consider customized NEOC-based models as scalable frameworks for similar facilities across the ECO region, with technical support from Pakistan.
The meeting also encouraged regular joint training programs and simulation exercises, including Comprehensive International Simulation Exercises (CISE), to strengthen regional preparedness, interoperability, and coordination among civil, military, academic, private sector, and humanitarian stakeholders.
Ministers endorsed several regional initiatives, including the development of a Land Hazard Zonation Map for ECO member states, improved mechanisms for timely risk communication, enhanced joint search and rescue capacities, real-time seismic data sharing, coordinated logistics and relief operations, and diversified financial and material support through engagement with communities, humanitarian partners, volunteers, and the private sector. Türkiye’s offer to establish a Regional Seismic Data Centre for real-time data exchange was welcomed.
The meeting further strengthened collaboration with international partners, including UNESCAP, APDIM, and UNICEF. Ministers endorsed a new two-year work plan between the ECO Secretariat and UNICEF Tajikistan and welcomed the launch of a joint project — a short animation video for children of the ECO region on disaster prevention and preparedness — aimed at raising awareness among children and communities.
Through the Islamabad Declaration, member states reaffirmed their commitment to inclusive, people-centered disaster risk reduction, emphasizing the empowerment of women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups. The declaration highlighted whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, academic collaboration, and sustainable partnerships as essential to advancing resilience.
To ensure effective implementation of the updated ECORFDRR in line with ECO Strategic Objectives 2035, the meeting agreed to strengthen follow-up mechanisms through the ECO Secretariat, including enhanced coordination, technical support, and regular progress reviews. Member states also discussed the date and venue of the 11th ECO Ministerial Meeting, to be finalized in consultation with the Secretariat.
At the closing ceremony, Federal Minister Dr. Musadiq Malik said climate-induced disasters are no longer distant possibilities but present realities, stressing that the ECO platform offers an opportunity for collective, inclusive, science-based, and people-centered action. He said Pakistan was committed to leading by example, fostering regional solidarity, and placing vulnerable groups at the heart of disaster risk reduction.
NDMA Chairman Lt. Gen. Inam Haider Malik said the Islamabad Declaration represents a collective resolve to safeguard communities across ECO countries against growing disaster threats, adding that Pakistan stands ready to share its expertise and advanced capabilities through the National Emergencies Operation Center to strengthen regional preparedness and resilience.
ECO delegates expressed appreciation to the Government of Pakistan and Pak-NDMA for the arrangements and hospitality extended to all delegations, and commended the ECO Secretariat for its contribution to the successful organization of the meeting.
The conclusion of the 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting marked a renewed collective resolve to translate regional commitments into concrete action, strengthening disaster resilience and safeguarding communities across the ECO region against present and future risks.
