The new case studies on Fiji, Nepal and Indonesia are the result of collaboration with local legal experts, desk research, in-country visits and a series of workshops with government and non-governmental relief agencies and international organizations in each country. One of the key findings from these studies (as has been the case in a number of the IDRL programme’s previous case studies) is that the implementation of suitable legislation and policies for international disaster response is not being systematically addressed. In fact, the concept of 'legal preparedness' has not been systematically included in the regular disaster management activities of governments and foreign disaster relief organizations. Thus, in times of major disaster, legal systems operate on a largely ad hoc basis and can therefore cause serious blockages to the rapid provision of international assistance. Also, the absence of proper procedures can also result in a lack of appropriate quality and accountability standards, with the possibility of unwanted or unsuitable activities taking place which damage the overall relief effort.
The studies also identify issues in each country that have been dealt with successfully or that are showing signs of significant improvement. In this context, it underlines regional initiatives, which are being undertaken to better facilitate cross-border assistance and which could ultimately result in improvements in legal frameworks at the national level. In this regard, it is hoped that the findings from these studies will be useful for legislators, policymakers and relief providers in resolving legal issues in advance of disaster, to ensure that affected people and communities receive the support and assistance they need in the shortest possible time.