• Chapter 1 Common Statement
• Chapter 2 Population protection measures in emergency situations
• Chapter 3 Principles and ways of population protection
• Chapter 4 The competence of  State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations in population protection sphere
• Chapter 5 The rights and obligations of RA citizens
• Chapter 6 Population training
• Chapter 7 Rescue forces
• Chapter 8 Population protection logistics and financing
• Chapter 9 Concluding statements

This law defines the bases and the arrangement of population protection in emergency situations, the rights and responsibilities of state and local authorities, enterprises, institutions, organizations, irrespective of the organizational-legal type, (henceforth enterprises, institutions and organizations) as well as officials and the citizens in this sphere.

Chapter I
Common Statements

Article I: The main concepts used in the present law

The following main concepts are used in the present law:
Emergency situation -major accidents, dangerous natural phenomenon, technical, natural or ecological (natural protection) disasters, epidemic, epidemic of animals, widely spread infectious diseases of plants and agricultural cultured plants in a certain area or building situations created as a result of implementation of weapons which can lead to human losses, to significant harms to health and environment, to major material losses and to the breach of normal conditions during vital activities of people:
Population protection - protection of human life and health in emergency situations, as well as legal, organizational and engineer activates aimed at protection of the property of citizens, country and other owners:
Emergency situation prevention - predetermination and elimination of agents causing emergency situations:
Reduction of the possible results of emergency situations - a complex of activities held beforehand for the possible mitigation of emergency situation impact:
Elimination of the results of emergency situations - fulfillment of rescue and urgent restoration activities to create normal conditions for human life and activities:
Disaster zone - area (residence, building) or part of the area affected in the result of emergency situations:
Displacement - temporal removal and distribution of people, animals and material values from a hazardous area to a safe one:
Shelter - temporal securing of human life and activities from the influence of mass extermination weapons, and of special means of extermination in emergency situations in the area of corresponding buildings:
Individual protection - protection of people from radiation, toxic and bacteriological agents with the help of protective means:
Rescue activities - a complex of activities aimed at saving people, material and cultural values:
A rescuer - a physical person foreseen to fulfill rescue activities and certificated by the Legislation of the Republic of Armenia:
Rescue forces -formations consisting of rescuers foreseen to fulfill rescue activities and experienced with adequate technical equipment:
Object of top importance - an object having state and military significance, providing population activity and being highly dangerous (29.03.2002 AL-310).

Article II: Legal bases of providing population protection

Legal bases of providing population protection are: the RA Constitution, the RA international agreements, the present law and other legislative acts.

Article III: Population protection system

State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations are included in population protection system.

Chapter II
Activities on population protection in Emergency Situations

Article IV: Preventive activities of population protection

Preventive activities of population protection are:

a) A convenient distribution of dangerous enterprises and productions in the detailed plan drafts or in the main plans of residencies and other functional areas from the population protection point of view:
b) Construction of buildings, engineering nets, hydro-technical structures, constructions, ways of transport communication and highways with the necessary levels of safety and reliability:
c) Provision of dangerous objects' safe operations:
d) The organization of observance and monitoring of radiation, chemical and bacteriological infections of the environment, surrounding areas and other objects:
e) Provision of the agricultural operations' stability:
f) Organization of population training

Preventive activities of population protection are carried out by the defined order of the RA Government.

Article V: The main activities of population protection in emergency situations

The main activities of population protection in emergency situations are as follows:

a) State bodies and population warning about the threat and appearance of emergency situations:
b) The organization and realization of population protection in the affected area with the help of population shelter, displacement and individual protection:
c) Observance, survey and monitoring of the environment, water and food infection and condition:
d) Population protection from radiation, chemical and bacteriological agents:
e) Fulfillment of rescue and other emergency accident-restoration activities in the affected area:
f) The strengthening of the protection of public order, as well as of objects having protective significance, providing human activities and other important objects:
g) The fulfillment of population vital activities in the affected area:
h) The regulation of displacement of citizens and means of transportation, import and export of loads:
i) The purposeful collection and implementation of state bodies property, logistic reserves, transport and other means:
j) In case of necessity, possessing and implementation of non-state property in the affected area with a later equivalent compensation:
k) Primary implementation of republican, local and departmental contact nets to organize and carry out rescue operations:
l) Fulfillment of quarantine and other sanitary-anti-infection activities in the affected area:
m) Protection of agricultural cultured plants and animals:
n) Fulfillment of medical service for population:
o) Assessment of damages brought about in the result of emergency situations in the affected area:
p) Involvement of able-bodied citizens (with their agreement) in the process of the elimination of emergency situation consequences in accordance with their professional and personal qualities aimed at fulfillment of population protection activities.

In case of necessity the RA Government can establish management special bodies in the affected area to fulfill the activities prescribed by the present draft.

Charter III
Principles and Ways of Population Protection

Article VI: Population protection principles

The protection of population is carried out all over the republic. The protection of population is organized and carried out in a distinguished way due to age, residence, military and economic peculiarities prescribed by the order of RA Legislation.
The principles of population protection are:

a) Supremacy of securing human life and health;
b) Publicity of population protection problem in emergency situations:
c) Show of complex approaches towards the reduction of emergency situation consequences, as well as to the organization of activities providing normal operations of the system levels for the protection of population from these consequences.
d)Fulfillment of checked and tested activities, which guarantee technical security aimed at excluding the appearance of technical accidents and disasters.

Article VII: Ways of population protection

Ways of population protection are displacement, shelter and individual protection.

Article VIII: Displacement of population

The RA Government defines the order of the displacement of population from the hazardous area.
In case of necessity the population can be displaced from the hazardous area on foot, in an arranged column.
Regional State management and local authorities carry out the displacement, reception and the distribution of the displaced people.

Article IX: Shelter of population

Population shelter is realized in special on-ground, underground constructions (shelters, metros) and in the areas of housing resources.
The population shelter is carried out by providing the population with adequate signals on protection awareness.
The shelter period is defined by the RA Government authorized body (henceforth authorized body).
State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations carry out population shelter.

Article X: Individual protection of population

The individual protection of population protects people's respiratory organs and skin from toxic evaporation droplets, aerosol effects, radiation dusts, and infectious bacteria and from the impact of toxic agents.
State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations fulfill the provision through individual protection means.

Article XI: The organization of population displacement, shelter and individual protection:

State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations organize and carry out population displacement, shelter and individual protection defined by the RA Government Order.

Chapter IV
The competence of State and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations in population protection sphere

Article XII: The RA Government competence

The RA Government

a) Directs the population protection in emergency situations.
b) Confirms the projects of the reduction and elimination of emergency situation consequences, population protection and monitors their implementation.
c) Defines the order of state examination fulfillment of projects and solutions, units and procedures, objects which are considered possible reasons for emergency situations appearance.
d) Provides population warning and information in emergency situations.
e) Declares the affected zone and defines its area and organizes the works of supplying that area with the utmost assistance and material resources.
f) Confirms the assessment and reimbursement order of the damage that the population suffers in the result of emergency situations (29.03.2002, AL-310).
g) Fulfills other competences, prescribed by the RA legislation on population protection sphere.
h) Confirms the order of foundation and implementation of funds, financial, food, medical and other material resources aimed at providing assistance to casualties in emergency situations introduced by an authorized body (29.03.2002, AL-310).

Article XIII: The competence of the authorized body

The authorized body

a) Works out and provides the implementation of projects on the prevention of the emergency situation consequences, the reduction and elimination of its possible consequences, population protection.
b) Founds and accumulates financial, food, medical and other material resources, funds to provide assistance to casualties in emergency situations and provides their purposeful implementation.
c) Organizes State examination of procedures, units, projects, solutions and objects considered possible reason for emergency situation appearance.
d) Organizes the rescuers certification activities and population training on the main problems of population protection in emergency situations, defined by the RA Government order.
e) Coordinates and monitors the operations of the republican executive, State, regional and local authorities, enterprises, institutions and organizations in population protection sphere.
f) Organizes public warning and awareness in emergency situations.
g) Fulfills other authorities on population protection sphere defined by the RA legislation.

Article XIV: The competence of Republican executive bodies

The Republican executive bodies

a) Organize the protection of employees of their system in emergency situations.
b) Organize the activity of dependant enterprises, institutions and organization in emergency situations.
c) Provide population protection within their competence and establish necessary specialized formations for that purpose (29.03.2002, AL-310).
d) Fulfill other authorities on population protection sphere defined by the RA legislation.

Article XV: The competence of State management regional bodies

State management regional bodies

a) Organize population protection of the region in emergency situations.
b) Organize the working out of projects on emergency situation prevention, the reduction and the elimination of emergency situation possible consequences in the area of region and coordinate the activities defined in the project.
c) Participate in emergency situation prevention defined by relevant State project, in the reduction and elimination of emergency situation possible consequences as well as in the realization of activities of operative character.
d) Involve local authorities and population in the works of emergency situation prevention, reduction and elimination of emergency situation possible consequences.
e) Give tasks to regional services of Republican executive bodies of the sphere of international affairs and national security on the organization of population protection, anti-infection and quarantine activities.
f) Give tasks to regional services of Republican executive bodies on emergency situation prevention, reduction and elimination of emergency situation possible consequences and population protection.
g) Are responsible for providing population protection in the area of the region.
h) Fulfill other authorities on population protection sphere defined by the RA legislation.

Article XVI: Competence of local authorities

The local authorities

a) Organize the population protection of the community in emergency situations.
b) Implement accident and restoration activities to provide the unhampered operation of vital objects under the subordination of the community in emergency situations.
c) Organize rescue operations in the community area.
d) Implement activities on emergency situation prevention and reduction of its possible consequences in the community area.
e) Realize the community population warning in emergency situations.
f) Fulfill other authorities on population protection sphere defined by the RA legislation.

Article XVII: The competence of enterprises, institutions and organizations.

In emergency situations the enterprises, institutions and organizations

a) Provide the protection of their employees.
b) Support the implementation of rescue and urgent activities and establish necessary forces to fulfill relevant activities.

The objects of top importance provide immediate warning and protection of the population living in the zone of possible dangerous impact (29.03.2002, AL-310).

Chapter V
The obligations and rights of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia

Article XVIII: The obligations of the RA citizens

Each citizen of the RA pledges to participate in the implementation of activities of the protection of population from emergency situation consequences, defined by the order of the RA legislation.

Article XIX: The rights of the RA citizens

Each citizen of the RA, defined by the order of the RA legislation, has the right to get compensation for the losses he has suffered in the result of emergency situations as well as a true information about emergency situations, danger of their appearance and the level of the citizens protection.
The possessing of the citizens property and its temporary use for public and State needs in emergency situations can be carried out with a later equivalent compensation (only for the purposeful fulfillment of rescue activities connected with life salvation and health) defined by the RA Government order.

Chapter VI
Population training Article XX: The organization of population training

Article XX: The organization of population training

Population training on the main problems of emergency situations is organized by the defined order of the RA Government.

Chapter VII
Rescue forces

Article XXI: Rescue forces activity

Rescue forces are established to fulfill rescue operations in emergency situations and to provide the population with special assistance in everyday conditions. These forces are in permanent readiness; include State, public and departmental special rescue formations and act by centralized management principle in emergency situations, within the scope of justified risk.
Fulfilling rescue and urgent restoration activities in emergency situations the rescuers can:

a) Have a free access to the areas of enterprises, institutions and organizations, in case of need even to citizens' houses.
b) Open closed doors, windows, destroy fences, constructions if their existence hinders the fulfillment of rescue operations or may bring about serious consequences.

The rescue forces are included in the elimination activities of emergency situation consequences outside the territory of the RA in accordance with the RA Government decision.
The RA Government defines the status of rescue forces, rescuers and their families as well as the social security order of non-rescue citizens involved in rescue operations.
The RA Government defines the reimbursement order of damages caused by rescue operations.
The RA legislation defines responsibility of the rescuers for the carried out illegal operations as well as for making public the State and official or commercial secrets.

Chapter VIII
Population protection logistics and financing

Article XXII: The main sources of logistics and financing

Republican executive, regional State management and local bodies fulfill the logistics and financing for the implementation of the enterprises, institutions, organizations and population protection activities, on account of the RA State budget and community budget.

Chapter IX
Concluding statements

Article XXIII: Responsibility for the breach of the RA legislation on population protection sphere in emergency situations.

Officials and citizens are responsible for the breach of the present law conditions and for creating conditions and preconditions for emergency situation appearance defined by the order of the RA legislation.
The population protection during wartime (civil protection) is carried out by the defined order of the RA legislation.

President of the Republic of Armenia
Robert Kocharyan

December 29, 1998
AL-265