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to spread the principles of preparing that the International Association of individuals as well as to bodies, such
refuge zones among a larger number Geneva Zones should extend its acti- as associations, societies or even go-
of countries. Many consultations were vities to all issues concerning the pro- vernments. The aims of ICDO were ex-
held with the national civil defence tection of the population and the en- tended. While it continued to deal with
institutions and organizations which vironment, and specifically become an refuge and safety zones, it was also as-
signed the responsibility
of establishing liaison
between national civil
defence organizations,
undertaking and promo-
ting studies and research
on population protection
matters, and facilitating
the exchange of expe-
rience and the coordina-
tion of efforts in the area
of disaster prevention.

On the basis of its new
statutes, in May 1958
ICDO organized the
International
Third
Civil Defence Confe-
rence in Geneva. About
130 delegates from 33
countries attended the
conference, including
representatives of the
first three governments
that had decided to be-
come members: Egypt,
Iran and the Philippines.

had been set up to face of the threat of international organization specialized From the beginning of the 1960s
a new generalized armed conflict. in civil defence matters. ICDO considerably extended its
horizons from population protection
In July 1956, the "Geneva Zones In- In January 1958 the International in wartime to the problem of natural
formation Bulletin" changed its title Association of Geneva Zones chan- and man-made disasters in peacetime.
to "Civil Defence". The main idea of ged its name to the International
this bulletin was: "The activity of the Civil Defence Organization (ICDO) In 1966, at the fourth International
Geneva Zones Organization in the and was given new statutes allowing Conference was held in Monaco. The
sphere of protection of children, mo- membership of the Organization to representatives of the Member States
thers, the aged and invalids
in case of war coincides with
the development of natio-
nal civil defence bodies in
different countries. [ ... ] The
Association continues to
develop the idea of the eva-
cuation of non-combatants
to safety places, known as
"Geneva Zones", and to
work out development plans
fW
for these places and spreads
the civil defence measures at
international level, thus the
Organization acts as a coor-
dination centre between the
different national civilian
defence bodies."
The Second Internatio-
nal Civil Defence Confe-
rence took place in 1957 in
Florence. During this mee-
ting the delegates demanded

26 International