The efficient and effective facilitation of international disaster relief is therefore a critical concern. In order to gain a better understanding of possible risks and to be well prepared for future disasters, the Tongan Cabinet recently endorsed and pledged its support for a study on international disaster response law (IDRL). The IDRL study will be carried out by the Tonga Red Cross Society and the IFRC.
The Cabinet’s endorsement followed a recent high-level discussion on Tonga’s vulnerability, organized by the Tonga Red Cross for parliamentarians and senior government officials, the IFRC and ICRC. In his opening remarks there, the Honourable Mr Samui Vaipulu, Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga, acknowledged the exemplary work of the Tonga Red Cross and welcomed the opportunity to continue working together as partners in areas of mutual interest.
In a presentation on IDRL, the IFRC Pacific Regional Office outlined the benefits that an IDRL study would bring to the island state given its vulnerability to natural disasters. The IFRC also highlighted the recent progress in the region, most notably the completion of the Cook Islands IDRL report and the call by Pacific Islands Leaders at the 2012 Pacific Islands Forum to utilize the IDRL Guidelines to strengthen their national frameworks for international disaster assistance.
IFRC and Tonga Red Cross are now in the process of finalising plans for the Tonga IDRL study, which is expected to commence in the coming weeks.