Despite experiencing significant disaster risk levels, North American countries have generally had sufficient resources to respond to major disasters occurring within their territory. The magnitude of disasters occurring in recent years has, however, demonstrated that North American countries do sometimes need to rely on international assistance to respond to events that overwhelm their domestic capacity.
In recognition of this reality, the American Red Cross launched the North American Humanitarian Response Summit Project (the “NAHRS Project”) in September 2017 to improve the effectiveness of cross-border response to a potential catastrophic disaster in North America. In preparation for the NAHRS Project, the American Red Cross commissioned a Multinational Legal and Policy Preparedness Scan. This study analysed legal and policy preparedness for mutual assistance between the American Red Cross, Mexican Red Cross and Canadian Red Cross and their respective governments, using the International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) Guidelines as a benchmark.
The Summit took place in Washington D.C. in March 2018, and the American Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross and Mexican Red Cross engaged in a series of preparatory meetings with their respective governments with the aim of increasing efficiencies, better aligning operational procedures in cross-border disaster response, and improving relevant policy and diplomatic relations.
