With the close of its 2008 humanitarian affairs segment, the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), made up of 54 member states, adopted its annual resolution on the strengthening of the humanitarian coordination of the United Nations.
Negotiations on the resolution were unusually heated this year, due to a dispute over the emphasis to place on the access of humanitarian personnel, leading to a vote on what has traditionally been a resolution adopted by consensus.
One aspect that was not in contention was language concerning the IDRL Guidelines. The adopted resolution “[e]ncourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to strengthen operational and legal frameworks for international disaster relief taking into account, as appropriate, the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, adopted at the 30th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in November 2007.”
This result was supported by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, whose 2008 reports on strengthening humanitarian coordination and natural disaster response highlighted the adoption of the Guidelines at the International Conference and recommended that states make use of them.