NADMO Partners Austrian Centre for Peace to Strengthen Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Austrian Centre for Peace (ACP), officially joining the Fit for Practice Partnership under the HAWA V (Preparedness for Humanitarian Assistance and Peacebuilding in West Africa) programme.
The partnership is expected to strengthen NADMO’s institutional capacity in disaster preparedness, humanitarian response and peacebuilding through knowledge exchange, technical cooperation and institutional development, while enhancing Ghana’s disaster risk management systems.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Director-General of NADMO, Major Dr Joseph Bikanyi Kuyon (Rtd), described the agreement as a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to build resilience against disasters and strengthen emergency response mechanisms.
He said the collaboration would not only enhance NADMO’s operational capacity but also contribute to improving disaster risk management across the West African sub-region.
Major Dr Kuyon reaffirmed NADMO’s commitment to working closely with the Austrian Centre for Peace and other partners to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve humanitarian response and protect vulnerable communities from the impact of disasters and crises.
Leading the ACP delegation, Ms Sophia Shanga said the Fit for Practice Partnership would create extensive opportunities for professional development, peer learning, networking and the exchange of best practices among participating institutions.
She noted that the collaboration would strengthen institutional capacities and improve humanitarian action, disaster preparedness and peacebuilding efforts in Ghana and across the West African region.
According to her, the initiative is designed to foster stronger cooperation among humanitarian and peacebuilding actors, equipping institutions with the knowledge and practical skills required to respond effectively to emerging crises.
The HAWA V programme supports humanitarian and peacebuilding actors in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Togo and Côte d’Ivoire, enabling them to respond to emergencies in a more prepared, coordinated and effective manner. It also seeks to ensure that emergency and disaster response interventions are gender-responsive, conflict- and climate-sensitive while promoting conflict prevention and resolution mechanisms.
The programme is a regional initiative being implemented by the Austrian Centre for Peace in partnership with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), CARE Austria, CARE International Ghana and other local partners across West Africa.
Funding for the programme is provided by the Austrian Development Agency and the Austrian Ministry of Defence under the International Partnerships Austria initiative.
Judith Twumwaa, ISD
