In the context of this project, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Integration hosted a national workshop in May. Participants from governmental entities active in international disaster response along with representatives from international organizations were called to share their experiences and make recommendations to improve laws, regulations and protocols in the country in order to enhance the management of international disaster assistance.
Mr Felipe Bazán, Response Sub-Secretary for the Risk Management National Secretary and President of the project working group commented, “this IDRL study is of great importance for our country as it will help us identify areas within our legal framework that need improvement in order to facilitate international disaster relief. The findings of the study will be taken into consideration in the forthcoming development Ecuador’s legal risk management.”
IDRL is also drawing attention in academic circles in Ecuador. Courses on “international organizations” as part of the masters degree on international affairs at the Latin-American Faculty of Social Science and a course on “human rights and international cooperation” at the San Francisco de Quito University are just two examples of courses that now include the IDRL Guidelines and legal issues in international disaster response.
“Teaching IDRL in academic spaces ensures the topic is kept in permanent discussion and also raises awareness of this emerging branch of law among our future leaders,” commented Hugo Cahueñas, Professor and a consultant for the project.