On December 14-15, governmental officials and National Society representatives from the Indian Ocean states and territories gathered on the Island of Réunion, for their first regional training workshop on disaster law. Co-convened by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the Indian Ocean Platform for Regional Intervention (PIROI – a Red Cross/Red Crescent network for humanitarian assistance in the region supported by the French Red Cross), and the IFRC, the workshop introduced participants to international norms for managing humanitarian assistance and for ensuring the human rights of affected persons, and explored the regulatory frameworks within the sub-region.
Participants from several countries in the region noted that their existing laws are mainly silent on the issues raised in international instruments. However, new legislation is currently pending in the Seychelles and Mauritius which might be updated to cover these questions. IOC disaster risk reduction consultant Eric LeRoi further observed that the IOC currently lacks any regional a regulatory framework on disaster management and information about the arrangements of each of its members is currently sparse. The IOC is currently organizing a series of studies on “governance” in disaster management and on emergency response systems in its member states, which may help to more precisely lay out existing regulatory arrangements.
At the end of the session, participants discussed recommendations and plans for action. Several delegations called for consideration of the development of a regional framework within IOC to facilitate international disaster cooperation. They also expressed their intention to more thoroughly review existing domestic procedures to see where there may be gaps.