European Centre for Disaster Awareness -  BeSafeNet

 

P. O. Box 23830
1686 Nicosia
Cyprus

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.besafenet.net 

Director: Mr Demetris Christou

 

Foundation/Legal status

BeSafeNet operates under the umbrella of the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR‑OPA) of the Council of Europe, an intergovernmental treaty active since 1987. It is coordinated and legally overseen by the Cyprus Civil Defence as the host organization.

Centre’s host organisation: Day-to-day management, website operation and editorial responsibility fall under the European Centre for Disaster Awareness, integrated within the Cyprus Civil Defence - currently the platform’s coordinating authority

 

Structure

  • Governing Agreement: EUR‑OPA network, covering 22 European and Mediterranean states
  • Coordinating Body: Cyprus Civil Defence
  • International Editorial Board: expert panel ensuring content accuracy
  • Content Network: draws on expertise from specialised disaster management centres across the member states

 

Objectives

  1. Deliver authoritative, multilingual information on natural and technological hazards
     
  2. Promote safety culture and preparedness, especially among youth and educators
     
  3. Offer interactive, accessible tools (quizzes, competitions, downloadable materials) in six languages (EN, FR, GR, IT, RU, DE)
     
  4. Encourage active contributions and feedback to enrich the platform and maintain interactivity

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Main activities and latest achievements
 

  BeSafeNet Olympiad

An annual online quiz for secondary schools across EUR OPA countries. Each edition involves 50 multiple-choice questions on five hazard themes.

  • 2023 (10 March): ~356 teams, 174 schools from 10 countries 
  • 2024 (23 February): 293 teams, 137 schools from 10 countries
  • 2025 (12 March): 683 teams, over 2,700 students, more than 350 schools from 11 countries 

Outputs: Public results, photo galleries, downloadable fact sheets on the official BeSafeNet and Council of Europe websites.

 

Awareness and events
 

  • Editorial Board Meeting (Malta, 25-26 September, 2024): Stakeholders convened to coordinate content and strategy.
  • Regional Platform Event (Budva, 6-8 November 2024): Ceremony within the Europe & Central Asia DRR platform, including the BeSafeNet Olympiad awards.
  • Editorial Board Meeting (Athens, 4-5 October 2023): Stakeholders convened to coordinate content and strategy.
  • 2024 Olympiad Awards Ceremony (Strasbourg, 1 December 2023): Hosted within the Council of Europe framework.

Outputs: Event coverage, photos, ceremonial reports.

 

Publications

  • BeSafeNet booklet (October 2023): Bilingual (EN and FR) resource freely downloadable from the Gallery 
  • BeSafeNet leaflet "Ant Netty" visual brochures in three languages (EN, FR & RU) used in schools