On the occasion of the 18th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the IFRC signed a new agreement to cooperate in a number of matters of mutual interest, including the promotin of effective disaster laws.
The two organizaions will collaborate to improve the legal preparedness of IGAD Member States for international humanitarian assistance, both from within as well as from outside the region. This collaboration will promote the establishment of domestic legislation for regulating national disaster management structures as recommended by the IDRL Guidelines, as well as laws that promote DRR activities and engagement at the community level in IGAD’s Member States. In addition, IGAD and IFRC will endeavour to stimulate use of the Model Act on the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Recovery Assistance. The Agreement also provides for the promotion of regional and bilateral agreements facilitating border crossing assistance amongst IGAD’s membership.
Considering its origins and current role in the region, IGAD is an important partner for IFRC when it comes to the development of legal preparedness. The agreement is another step to making emergency assistance in the region more efficient and more cost-effective.