NATO helps North Macedonia and Ukraine strengthen their resilience during large-scale emergencies

On Tuesday (23 June 2026), NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska presided over the launch of the second phase of a project by the NATO Science for Peace and Security to deal with large-scale emergencies.

The Next Generation Incident Command System (NICS) is a web-based, interoperable and open-source platform that enables first responders to coordinate during large-scale emergencies. First introduced in 2016, the system has trained more than 2,000 responders across the Western Balkans. Building on this success, NICS-2 brings together the Republic of North Macedonia and Ukraine to deliver a fully operational, AI-enhanced and cyber-secure capability. It helps improve civil preparedness and the continuity of essential services, in line with NATO's seven baseline requirements for national resilience.

"I welcome Ukraine's active participation in the activities supported by our Science for Peace and Security Programme," NATO's Deputy Secretary General said, "and I thank Ukraine for helping us prepare for our upcoming Summit of Allied leaders in Ankara, including with such a tangible project that helps bring concrete benefits," she added.