On 26 June 2012, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Government of Mexico convened an expert meeting in Panama City to review the “Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Assistance," which was released in pilot form last year by IFRC, OCHA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The meeting gathered 56 experts from the Americas region, including parliamentarians, civil protection officers, foreign affairs representatives, representatives of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, NGOs, regional organizations, and academics and invited them to make suggestions for improvement of the text.
In her opening address, Mexican Ambassador to Panama Alejandra Bologna Zubikarai, underlined Mexico’s strong support for the Model Act project, observing that, “in our region today, it is common to hear discussion about the legal facilities needed for the sending and receipt of humanitarian aid. This was not the case just five years ago and its importance should not be underestimated. Our region is the second most affected by disasters, after Asia.”
Xavier Castellanos, IFRC Americas Zone Office Director, agreed: “In order to guarantee the effectiveness of international operations, the state should have in place a strong policy that establishes procedures and legal facilities for international actors.”
A chapter-by-chapter discussion on the draft Model Act by the participants led to many suggestions on the context and format of the text as well as strategic discussions about how best to overcome the significant challenges to modifying national legislation and regulations in this area. With regard to these challenges, some participants asserted that an international convention would be an important impetus. It was also suggested that countries consider simulation exercises focused on the legal issues addressed by the Model Act to make existing gaps and weaknesses clear to a wider audience.
A number of participants signaled their intention to bring these discussions back to the national level in their home countries, including though national workshops and projects. Moreover, representatives of the Central American Coordination Centre for the Prevention of Natural Disasters (CEPREDENAC) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) noted a number of regional opportunities to discuss and disseminate the Model Act.
Suggestions from this meeting and others like it in other regions will be to refine and finalize the Model Act, whose consolidated version is expected by the end of 2012.