In February of this year, the Arab Supreme Relief Committee, a body of the League of Arab States focused on disaster cooperation, met in Cairo, where it discussed the IDRL Guidelines. Dr. Abdullah Al-Hazaa, Secretary General of the Secretariat of the Organization of Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies (“Arab Secretariat”), was present at the meeting and reported that the IDRL Guidelines were warmly received.
“There was discussion about how to use them to modify their own procedures under the Arab Cooperation Agreement.” Al-Hazaa said. “The adoption of the Guidelines at the global level has helped the committee to realize the importance of its own agreement and the need to become more serious in its implementation.”
The “Arab Cooperation Agreement Regulating and Facilitating Disaster Operations” was adopted by League members in 1987. It calls for disaster affected states to legally facilitate the entry of disaster relief by member states and humanitarian organizations, though special rules on customs, visas, transport, and communications services, among others.
The Agreement also established the Arab Supreme Relief Committee to develop regional response plans and foster coordination in relief operations. National Societies in the region are represented on the Committee by the Arab Secretariat.
To date, 12 of the 22 members of the League have ratified the Arab Agreement, and it is therefore legally in force between them. However, according to al-Hazaa, implementation has been lagging pending efforts to increase ratifications.