In Jamaica, IFRC Disaster Law, Jamaica Red Cross and The Nature Conservancy have begun a legal and policy advocacy initiative focusing on disaster risk reduction and climate change, including ecosystem-based adaptation.
A meeting in 2020 brought together representatives of government agencies, environmental advocacy groups and academic experts, including the National Environment and Planning Agency, the Planning Institute of Jamaica and the Ministerial department responsible for climate change. The level of interest shown in advancing the policy and legislative agenda for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation signalled a receptive environment for ongoing advocacy by Jamaica Red Cross and IFRC Disaster Law.
In 2024, the Disaster Law team continued to support the Jamaica Red Cross Society to develop a new Red Cross law. A policy brief with recommendations for a new and modern Red Cross law was presented to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This policy brief was based on the recommendations of IFRC’s Guide to Strengthening the Auxiliary Role through Law and Policy and aims to address the existing gaps in the current Jamaica Red Cross Act, 1964 as well as address specific issues being faced by the Jamaica Red Cross to access legal facilities such as tax exemptions, and recognition of the auxiliary role. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed to support the Jamaica Red Cross to champion their new Red Cross law to Cabinet.
Discussions to progress this initiative have continued following Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm that made landfall in Jamaica in 2025 as the strongest storm on record to hit the island country. With the support of the Jamaica Red Cross Society, the IFRC launched an Emergency Appeal. To facilitate these efforts, the IFRC has helped the National Society to advocate for the provision of legal facilities to facilitate the movement of goods, equipment and people to address humanitarian needs; and strengthened auxiliary role recognition in law and policy for the National Society, including the development of a revised Jamaica Red Cross Society Act. The IFRC Disaster Law team also developed IDRL Factsheets for Jamaica which were instrumental in supporting discussions with public authorities as well as informing the humanitarian personnel on the ground of the existing and evolving legal and policy framework.
IFRC Disaster Law has renewed its commitment with the University of the West Indies (UWI) to jointly develop and deliver an online short course on disaster law. The first phase of the course development was completed in 2025, with a commitment to complete phase two of the project, which would include the University’s course accreditation process. This partnership will capitalize on IFRC’s expertise in Disaster Law and UWI’s expertise and accreditation in tertiary and professional education to deliver an internationally accredited disaster law course that is targeted to DRM professionals and stakeholders in the Caribbean, including National Societies.
