Strengthening building codes, updating land use plans, implementing risk management laws and developing humanitarian assistance coordination centres – these were just a few of the big challenges participants at a recent forum identified in implementing Central America’s Integral Disaster Risk Management Policy (PCIGR). Gathering in San Salvador from 18-19 June, participants at the Third Consultative Forum on the PCIGR, adopted a “Declaration of San Salvador” setting out steps to address these and many other issues.
In addition, participants discussed progress in the development of other instruments for mutual assistance in the region, including the draft Central American Protocol on the Sending, Transit and reception of Humanitarian Assistance, and the draft Central American Regulation on the Facilitation on the Sending and Transit of Relief Consignments. Participants called for these instruments to be adopted by the governments of the region. The 45th Ordinary meeting of Heads of State and Government of Central America, organized in Antigua, Guatemala on June 26, welcomed the recommendations of the Declaration of San Salvador. (Read the Declaration of Antigua in Spanish here).
Prior to the forum, the National Societies of the region met and adopted their own “Agreement of the National Red Cross Societies of Central America in Contribution to the PCIGR,” in which the presidents of the National Societies offered their support to the governments of the region in the revision of legislation related to international disaster assistance and also called upon governments to include National Societies as permanent members of their centres for humanitarian coordination. In parallel sessions during the forum, the presidents of the region’s National Societies also recognized the progress in the area of disaster law, and agreed to further promote developments with their governments, including through use of the new “Checklist on law and disaster risk reduction” developed by the IFRC and UNDP. They further agreed to appoint a focal on disaster law in each National Society. (Read the presidents’ agreement in Spanish here).