Throughout 2021 the Disaster Law team around the world focused on supporting National Red Cross Societies to meet the following goals:
1. National Societies, IFRC and key partners gaining greater capacity and tools for their work in disaster law
2. Technical legal advice and tools that support the development and implementation of climate-smart disaster risk management laws, policies and/or procedures
3. Legislative advocacy that influences outcomes of inter-governmental, inter-agency and academic fora, and builds greater visibility and partnerships
4. Producing high-quality research that informs legislative advocacy.
In addition, the year was also marked by the publication of the research report, Law and Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic, as well as an accompanying Pilot Guidance on this topic. This significant piece of research examines how law and policy can support preparedness for and response to public health emergencies, and how these laws relate to wider disaster risk management. The report looks at the legal frameworks and response to COVID-19 in 32 countries and other public health emergencies such as those caused by the Ebola, Zika and SARS viruses.
2021 key achievements in numbers
- 3 new laws in Argentina, Laos and Uganda that drew on recommendations National Society and IFRC Disaster Law recommendations
- 19 legal drafting procedures, adoption of which is expected to occur in 2022-2023
- 5 National Societies with better defined auxiliary roles in draft or new national laws and policies - Eswatini, Kazakhstan, Philippines Timor Leste and Uganda
- 43 National Societies engaged in legislative advocacy activities and/or developed a legislative advocacy strategy with the support of IFRC Disaster Law
- 1900+ people from more than 30 countries trained in the auxiliary role, disaster law and legislative advocacy
- 30 inter-governmental, inter-agency and academic fora actively engaged on legislative advocacy issues with IFRC and National Societies' influence
- 4 new online training courses
- 15 country-level case studies
- 28 country-level auxiliary role mappings completed
- 5 country-level IDRL mappings were undertaken
- 8 regional organizations receiving ongoing support
- 15 humanitarian and academic conferences with disaster law discussions
- Support for COVID-19 responses in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas regions.