While the capacity of states to respond to disasters continues to grow, the reality is that in times of large-scale emergencies, international and regional disaster assistance may still be required.
Recognizing the significant risk of disasters in Kyrgyzstan and the need to be fully prepared, the Government of Kyrgyzstan recently adopted a new law on the facilitation and regulation of international disaster assistance.
The new law, adopted in May 2017, is the product of several years of discussion and analysis amongst national and international actors, including the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent Society, to produce a document that will allow for the swift and effective facilitation of international assistance - if and when required.
The new ‘IDRL’ law in Kyrgyzstan is also based heavily on the Model Act for International Disaster Assistance adopted by the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2014. The CIS Model Act is based on a model law developed by the IFRC together with UN OCHA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 2013.
Kyrgyzstan is the first of the five Central Asia Republics and of all the CIS member states to implement the model act into domestic legislation. The adoption of the law also follows discussions held in January 2017 at the ‘Almaty Consultative Conference on Legal Aspects of Disaster Risk Reduction’, convened by the IFRC and Centre for Emergency Services and Disaster Risk Reduction (CESDRR) in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In addition, it signifies the first step towards effective implementation of the ‘Almaty Declaration on Disaster Law’ that was adopted at the conference.
The adoption of the new law signals great progress in the region, and at the national level for Kyrgyzstan. It has also demonstrated the strong collaboration between partners to ensure that effective procedures are put in place. “We are very proud to have a law like this among the former Soviet Republics”, exclaimed Mr. Baylar Talibov, Head of the IFRC Country Cluster Support Team for Central Asia. “The National Society has been working closely with the IFRC and partners like UN OCHA to support the development of this important law. We have been promoting disaster law as a joint effort and we are so pleased with the outcome of this process”.