www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Disaster Laws

Regional arrangements for disaster cooperation in other parts of the world

David Fisher, Coordinator IFRC Disaster Law Programme

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Main functions of existing regional arrangements

Political dialogue

Info sharing

Rule making

Collective preparedness

Funds

Offer/request

Coord

Ops

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Relationship with international systems

* Own world* Replacement * Gateway

* Integration

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Pluses and minuses

Rhetoric > realityNon-govt’l actors absent

Less political Closer to responsible ministries

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Disaster Laws

Americas – region-wide

Organization of American States Inter-American Convention (1991)

Never used, but new states starting to ratify

Reference to NGOs – but weak

Annual conferences on “Enhancing International Humanitarian Partnerships” since 2008 Regional legal compendium

New CELAC

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Disaster Laws

Americas – subregional powers

CDEMA - Caribbean Detailed provisions for regional

operations New DRR focus

CEPREDENAC – Central America Foreign Ministries Manual Humanitarian coordination centres

concept

CAPRADE – Andean countries No permanent secretariat Foreign Ministries Manual

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Disaster Laws

Asia-Pacific – subregional only

ASEAN – Southeast Asia Disaster treaty adopted in 2005

Use in Cyclone Nargis Applies to NGOs and RC too! Committee for relations with civil society

Food Security Reserve, 1979 - Never used

SAARC – South Asia New disaster treaty adopted in 2011 Food Bank Agreement (1987, 2007)

Never used

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Disaster Laws

Central Asia

Overlaps between regional blocs (Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Commonwealth of Independent States)

Over a dozen regional treaties! Many overlaps – some

discrepencies Still many gaps in practice

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Overlaps into the Horn

Organization of Islamic Cooperation Humanitarian department in 2008

The Commonwealth Law Ministers meetings in 2010 3 IHL conferences with the RC/RC

Have also addressed disaster law

www.ifrc.orgSaving lives, changing minds.

Disaster Laws

Europe

Lisbon Treaty Responsibility of mutual assistance

EC Civil Protection Mechanism Operational coordination inside and

outside Europe Training and “Modules” EU Guidelines on “Host Nation

Support” NATO

MOU on Civilian assistance