On 22 and 23 November 2012, the Association of Caribbean States’ (ACS) Special Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction held its twentieth session in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Eighteen members, associated and observer states of the ACS participated in the event, in addition to 23 representatives of international organizations.
Among other topics, the Committee discussed the facilitation and regulation of international disaster assistance. Ms. Isabelle Granger, IFRC Disaster Law programme Coordinator for the Americas presented on the IDRL Guidelines and the Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Assistance. Dr. Barbara Carby, Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Centre of the University of the West Indies informed the committee about the IDRL project currently taking place in Jamaica.
The Committee decided to adopt promotion of IDRL and the Model Act on IDRL as ongoing activities of the ACS and recommended that the topic be included on the agenda of the 5th Summit of the Heads of States and/or Government of the ACS, which is scheduled to take place in April 2013 in Haiti. “This topic is of great importance to the ACS. In the years to come, we will develop activities to support our member states in this field and intervene in favor of stronger disaster laws,” affirmed Eduardo Gonzalez, ACT Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction Director.