Experience has shown that even the best-prepared governments may need international assistance when a major disaster strikes. However, few governments are legally prepared to receive a sudden influx of international assistance. A lack of legal preparedness can delay lifesaving assistance, while also creating quality control and coordination problems.
International disaster response law (IDRL) is the area of disaster law which deals with the facilitation of international disaster assistance. IFRC Disaster Law is globally recognised as a leader in IDRL, having developed the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (the IDRL Guidelines), which have been successfully used around the world.
The IDRL Guidelines are a set of recommendations to governments about how to prepare their disaster laws and plans to mitigate the common regulatory problems that arise in international disaster response operations. IFRC Disaster Law has also developed an IDRL Model Act, IDRL Model Emergency Decree and IDRL Checklist.
You can learn about IDRL by taking our introductory online training.
