In the margins of the summit, the Government of Haiti, the Government of Mexico, the ACS, and the IFRC hosted a high-level event on “Strengthening legal preparedness to international disaster assistance in Association of Caribbean States countries.”
Drawing on lessons learned in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the event highlighted both the progress made in several countries in the region but also the gaps remaining to establish a clear and effective framework for cross-border disaster assistance.
In his welcoming remarks, His Excellency Mr Pierre Richard Casimir, Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Religion, stressed the “particular importance” of this theme for his government. Noting the increasing threat of natural disasters weighing on the region, he called on states attending the summit to join efforts. Ambassador Mario Arriola Woog, Mexico’s Representative to the ACS, Ambassador Alfonso Munera, ACS Secretary General, and Mr Alexandre Claudon de Vernisy, IFRC Country Representative in Haiti, also addressed the audience, each underlining the importance of legal preparedness for effective international disaster assistance.
Dr Michaële Amédée Gédéon, President of the Haitian Red Cross (HRC) presented the recommendations of the 2011 Haiti IDRL study and noted the initiatives currently underway to improve Haiti’s legal framework in this regard. Dr Gédéon also assured the audience of HRC and IFRC’s continued support for future initiatives by the Haitian government aimed at strengthening its legal framework for international disaster assistance legal framework, including potentially the reinforcement of customs clearance, transport and immigration procedures for the disaster response context.
Ms Isabelle Granger, Disaster Law Programme Coordinator for the Americas, gave an overview of the latest developments in IDRL globally and in the region. Panellists from Dominican Republic, Mexico and Colombia also shared the experiences and best practices in their respective countries on legal preparedness for international disaster assistance.