In recent years, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), an international association of 140 national parliaments, has been active in its support for better legal preparedness for international humanitarian assistance. In 2003, it called on member parliaments to make use of the Federation’s research on IDRL and more recent resolutions have called for better donor coordination and improved facilitation of the entry of emergency food aid.
On the occasion of the IPU’s 118th Assembly in Cape Town on April 13-18, South Africa Red Cross Society Secretary-General Mandisa Kalako-Williams delivered an address on behalf of the Federation noting the developments at the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent with regard to the IDRL Guidelines. She encouraged the IPU to continue to devote its attention to the issue.
“A legally prepared environment is crucial for swift and effective relief and for breaking the vicious circle of poverty relating to disasters,” Kalako-Williams noted, “In the light of recent developments, we think it would be very useful for this body to once again place law and disasters on its agenda for discussion at the next IPU Assembly session.”