When preparedness becomes a responsibility, not an afterthought - with Armen Grigoryan

Armen Grigoryan – When preparedness becomes a responsibility, not an afterthoughtArmen Grigoryan, currently UNDP Resident Representative in North Macedonia, traces his commitment to disaster preparedness back to a defining moment.As a young volunteer during the 1988 earthquake in Armenia, he witnessed something that stayed with him.International assistance arrived, but it was uneven and poorly coordinated. Local systems were overwhelmed. Even foreign aid, though well intentioned, was not organised to meet the scale of the disaster.What struck him was not only the devastation, but the lack of preparedness at every level.That experience reshaped his career. Armen went on to study disaster management and conflict resolution and spent decades working to strengthen national systems for crisis response.In this episode, he reflects on how early exposure to uncoordinated aid changed his understanding of responsibility in fragile contexts.When crisis response depends on improvisation rather than preparedness, the cost is paid by those already affected. Armen’s moment shows what happens when readiness becomes an ethical obligation rather than a technical afterthought.About the guestArmen Grigoryan has served as UNDP Resident Representative in North Macedonia since October 2021. Previously he was Regional Cluster Leader for Climate Change and Disaster Resilience and Global Energy Policy Advisor at UNDP’s Istanbul Regional Hub. Over his career he has held roles with UNDP in New York, Geneva, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, focusing on disaster risk reduction, crisis recovery and resilience. He has also worked with the World Bank, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Peace Corps.