Together with Botswana Red Cross, IFRC Disaster Law organised a three-day workshop in Gaborone from 23-25 October 2021. The workshop aimed at enhancing the capacity of the National Society on Disaster Law and legislative advocacy and was held as part of an ongoing project in support of strengthening the disaster risk management legal framework in the country and the review of the Botswana Red Cross Society Act (BRCS Act).
The first two days of the workshop were attended by key staff from the National Society. The IFRC Disaster Law Africa Team and National Society Development colleagues facilitated sessions on the auxiliary role, disaster law thematic areas including the role of law in disaster risk reduction, domestic preparedness and response and international disaster response, as well as legislative advocacy. During these interactive sessions, participants were introduced to key tools developed by IFRC Disaster Law such as the Checklist on the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, the Checklist on Law and Disaster Risk Reduction, the Checklist on Law and Disaster Preparedness and Response, and the Legislative Advocacy Toolkit.
The third day of the workshop was attended by both National Society staff as well as representatives from government, including representatives from the National Disaster Management Office, the Ministry of Employment, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation. The auxiliary role of the National Society has been recognized during the COVID-19 pandemic through its inclusion in the National Emergency Operations Centre, and this workshop provided an opportunity for the National Society to further engage with public authorities on the enhancement of the auxiliary role. The third day provided an opportunity for the National Society to highlight the meaning of the auxiliary role and the work of the National Society in the humanitarian space, and for IFRC Disaster Law to showcase its work in the region and the tools which have been developed to support the development of comprehensive, climate-smart disaster risk management laws which leave no one behind. The third day also offered a platform for discussion on the ongoing review of the BRCS Act and the development of the DRM Policy; which represent an important opportunity to strengthen the auxiliary role of the National Society to better facilitate its work in the country. In a plenary discussion, participants were invited to share their views on the meaning of the auxiliary role of BRCS, and to reflect on their current and future engagements with the National Society, as well as how the auxiliary role of the National Society could be strengthened.
Importantly, in his opening remarks made on the third day of the workshop, the Director of the National Disaster Management Office recognised the important role of the National Society in emergencies, including in the frontline of the COVID-19 response and its socio-economic impacts. The Director also confirmed that the recently revised DRM Policy, to which the National Society had provided comments, had recently been approved by Cabinet, and it has instructed that the development of the DRM Bill be expedited. The Director further confirmed that the Botswana Red Cross Society will be a stakeholder in the development of the DRM Bill.
The workshop report is available here.