Decree No. (437) of 2008 on establishing the National Safety Authority

General People’s Committee

Decree No. (437) of 1376 FDP (2008 AD)

on establishing the National Safety Authority

The General People’s Committee,

Upon review of:

• Law No. (1) of 1375 FDP on the rules of procedure of the People’s Congresses and the People’s Committees, and the implementing regulations thereof;

• Law No. (11) of 1971 AD on Civil Defence;

• Law No. (55) of 1976 AD issuing the Civil Service Law;

• Law No. (15) of 1981 AD on the salary system for national employees of the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya;

• Law No. (10) of 1992 AD on security and the police;

• Law No. (21) of 1992 AD on mobilisation;

• Law No. (4) of 1375 FDP establishing the National Security Council;

• General People’s Committee Decree No. (139) of 1430 FBP dissolving the Agricultural Pest Control Unit and the provision of its supplies;

• General People’s Committee Decree No. (164) of 1373 FDP (2005 AD) dissolving the Agricultural Aviation and Cloud Seeding Corporation;

• General People’s Committee Decree No. (226) of 1373 FDP (2005 AD) dissolving the Air Ambulance Services Unit;

• General People’s Committee Decree No. (57) of 1374 FDP (2006 AD) organizing the General People’s Committee for the Health and Environment Sector;

• General People’s Committee Decree No. (137) of 1374 FDP (2006 AD) establishing the General Authority for Humanitarian Assistance and Relief;
• General People’s Committee Decree No. (288) of 1374 FDP (2006 AD) reorganizing the administrative unit of the General People’s Committee for Public Security;
• General People’s Committee Decree No. (488) of 1374 FDP (2006 AD) restructuring the Supreme Council for Civil Defence and forming civil defence committees in the districts;
• General People’s Committee Decree No. (1035) of 1375 FDP (2007 AD) establishing the Crisis Management Centre;
• General People’s Committee Decree No. (1036) of 1375 FDP establishing the Central Authority for Emergencies;
• The decrees issued by the General People’s Committee in its tenth ordinary meeting of 1376 FDP;

has decreed:

Article (1)

Pursuant to this Decree, an authority called the National Safety Authority shall be established, which shall be a legal entity with financial autonomy affiliated to the General People’s Committee for Public Security.

Article (2)

The Authority’s headquarters shall be in the city of Tripoli. Authority branches shall be established under a decree from the Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Public Security at the locations and sites proposed by the head of the Authority.

Article (3)

The Authority shall hold competence to adopt the necessary measures and procedures to respond to disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires, building collapses, oil or gas spills, regional water pollution, and any disasters or emergent risks that might cause harm to persons or property, in particular the following:

1. Adopt appropriate measures to respond to and limit disaster risks and prepare and equip the necessary emergency teams for such.
2. Adopt measures to secure and protect installations, transportation, communication, and lighting, in coordination with the related bodies.
3. Adopt preventative measures to protect the population, resources, and installations at times of war and peace.
4. Confirm that industrial safety measures are followed at public and private facilities and that preventative measures for fire and other risks are adopted.
5. Prepare and operate civil defence operations rooms and centres and prepare the necessary bunkers for shelter in emergencies.
6. Organise early warning mechanisms and adopt preventative measures to avoid disasters.
7. Prepare purification centres and form special teams, store medications and provide medical treatment and victim transport.
8. Coordinate with the competent bodies to prepare public and private hospitals, medical centres, and other locations suitable for receiving injured persons.
9. Intervene in the event of accidents or disasters to prevent risks and reduce injuries and losses, undertake the necessary measures to clear debris.
10. Implement and monitor plans and measures for firefighting, civil rescue, and ambulance operations.
11. Handle major fires, oil spills, and pollution that exceeds the local capacities to fight or handle, as well as land, sea, and air rescue.
12. Provide in-kind and financial aid and assistance in disasters.

Article (4)

The Authority may undertake the following to achieve its objectives:

1. Establish a rapid communication network linking hospitals, vital areas, and strategic installations and establish and equip a main communications room and branch rooms in the districts.
2. Prepare human capacities and supply the heavy materials needed to perform its duties.
3. Establish civil defence plans and programs and monitor the implementation thereof at times of war and peace, prepare statistics on such, and train various individuals and teams in civil defence, rescue, and ambulance activities.
4. Spread and improve awareness of civil defence.
5. Supervise the storage of necessary materials and equipment and arrange alternate stores for emergencies.
6. Implement the programs necessary to improve the State’s capacity to deal with disasters of all types.
7. Study and determine urgent and future needs related to public safety and supply the equipment, premises, media, gear, systems for alarm, detection, survey, removal, purification, individual and collective evacuation, and means for combating radiation and sea and land fires.
8. Organise operations to detect and destroy bombs, mines, and war debris.
9. Establish and manage the institutions necessary to prepare and train administrative and technical cadres specialised in all fields of search, rescue, relief, evacuation, fire-fighting, and civil safety.
10. Propose policies, programs, and specifications to limit environmental pollution in all domains.
11. Possess and use the capacities necessary to deal with cases of chemical and radioactive pollution.

Article (5)

The Supreme Council for Civil Defence shall draft environmental policy and approve civil defence and rescue plans and projects.

Article (6)

The Authority established under this Decree shall have the right to utilise the equipment, gear, all movable and immovable assets, and the capabilities of the Armed People, oil companies, and any public body when incidents occur requiring such, and it may request any authority, department, entity, or any public or private body to provide the human or material assistance required.

The bodies mentioned in the preceding paragraph shall place such gear, equipment, and assets at the Authority’s disposal, at its request, and shall provide a detailed description of such. The use of such items by any body other than the Authority shall be prohibited during emergencies.

Article (7)

The Authority shall have a president and a vice president named pursuant to a decree issued by the General People’s Committee based on a submission from the General People’s Committee for Public Security, in coordination with the National Security Advisor.

Article (8)

The Libyan Commission for Aid and Humanitarian Assistance and the Central Authority for Emergencies shall be dissolved.

The General Administration for Civil Defence and Fires at the General People’s Committee for Public Security’s administrative unit established under the aforementioned General People’s Committee Decree No. (288) of 1374 FDP shall be abolished.

Article (9)

1. The movable and immovable assets owned by the bodies set out in the preceding Article shall be transferred to the Authority. One or more committees shall be formed to inventory and assess such assets. Committee results shall be approved under a decree from the Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Public Security.
2. Workers at the bodies dissolved pursuant to this Decree shall be transferred to work at the Authority.

Article (10)

The Authority shall have an independent budget prepared in accordance with the accounting regulations in force. The Authority’s fiscal year shall commence with the start of the State’s fiscal year and end at the end thereof. The Authority’s first fiscal year shall commence from the date this Decree is issued and end at the end of the following fiscal year. When preparing the general draft budget, an item allocated for emergencies shall be entered.

Article (11)

The Authority’s financial resources shall consist of the following:

1. Amounts allocated thereto in the State’s general budget.
2. Gifts and donations.
3. Any other resources legally collected thereby.

One or more accounts shall be opened for the Authority at a bank operating in the Great Jamahiriya.

Article (12)

The regulations governing the Authority’s work and the Authority’s organisational structure shall be issued under a decree from the General People’s Committee for Public Security, based on a proposal from the Authority’s president.

Article (13)

This Decree shall enter into force on the date of its issue, and it shall be implemented by the competent bodies.

The General People’s Committee – Libya

Issued on: 10 Rajab

Corresponding to: 13/07/1376 FDP 2008 AD