Partnerships for disaster reduction, prevention and risk reduction in long term development strategies
Statement delivered by Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Hassan, Governing Board Member, International Federation, to the United Nations Environment Program twenty-second session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Nairobi

03 February 2003



Mr. Chair,

Thank you for this opportunity to take the floor and address, for the first time on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Governing Council of the United Nations Environmental Programme.

The International Federation is a world-wide network of individual national Red Cross and Red Crescent organisations, based on mutual support and solidarity amongst its nearly 180 member societies, and backed up by a Geneva based Secretariat and delegations of this in more than 60 countries and regions. Increasingly, the International Federation is also building its capacity to deal with sectoral issues through new approaches, such as that represented by the Climate Centre established by the Netherlands Red Cross.

National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, auxiliaries to the public authorities in their respective countries, work with vulnerable people and communities to improve their ability to help themselves, articulate their concerns and provide services and assistance in situations where, as a result of natural disaster or difficult socio-economic conditions, these are required.

Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, across the world, approach these tasks based on the presence of volunteers in communities, supported by professional structures. In this manner, the organisation is able to listen actively and closely to what is expressed at the grass roots level, and to convey this to the national and international levels, as I am doing here, today.

The priority areas for action by the International Federation have been identified as Principles& Values; Health and Care; Disaster Response, and Disaster Preparedness. It is, in particular, the last one of these, which has led the International Federation to be here, today. As some of you may be aware, the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Federation signed a Memorandum of Understanding just a couple of months ago, which organises co-operation between the two institutions in the field of preparedness for environment related disasters. This MoU is global in scope, and creates the space for co-operation between individual National Societies and UNEP to co-operate at the country level.
Already specific projects, initially all in Africa, have been initiated. I should like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of the International Federation of the openness of UNEP and its Director General to enter into this arrangement and assure you that we in the Red Cross and Red Crescent will do our utmost to make our co-operation a success.

Mr. Chair,

The co-operation I just mentioned, we believe, is entirely in the spirit of the emphasis on partnership that was so prominent in the preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and in Johannesburg during the event itself. The International Federation participated actively in this meeting, and promoted the view that the intimate relationship between development – or lack of such – and disasters must be taken into account in order to achieve sustainable development. Disasters and their consequences seek out the poor, and ensure that they stay poor. This means that there is a need to integrate the objectives of disaster reduction, prevention and risk reduction into longer-term development strategies, and we believe our partnership with UNEP is a step in that direction.

Mr. Chair,

In a similar vein, I should like to highlight the interest of the International Federation in the International Year of Freshwater. My own country, Somalia, is one that is severely affected by scarcity of freshwater, and the Somali Red Crescent deals, on a daily basis, with the severe effects of this through our health programmes across the country.

One of the most significant events during the Year of Freshwater is the Third World Water Forum that will take place in Japan next month. This meeting will deal with a wide range of issues relating to water, including such water related disasters as floods and drought. The International Federation welcomes this, and will participate actively in the debate. In that debate we shall also focus on the role of water in other situations.

Water and sanitation are crucial elements of disaster management in the broadest sense, determining the health and well being of large numbers of individuals who are victims of or vulnerable to natural disasters, population movements or conflict situations. This is an important issue in all emergencies, and of particular significance in many situations that do not necessarily reach the front pages, such as the many situations faced by Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Small Island Developing States. We look to governments, collectively, to support and enable international and national organisations engaged in life saving activities and service delivery to such populations.

Mr Chair,

Many of the issues related to disaster management, risk reduction and disaster preparedness will be discussed later this year when the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent is convened in Geneva. This Conference, which every four years brings together the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Federation and the International Committee of the Red Cross together with States Parties to the Geneva Conventions, is an important forum for dialogue between governments and the Red Cross and Red Crescent. This will also be an opportunity to review the progress of implementation of the Plan of Action adopted at the 27th International Conference in 1999, which included a reference to the intimate links between climate and natural disasters. Naturally, UNEP will be invited to the forthcoming Conference.

A specific issue that will be reported to the International Conference, and which in many respects may be of relevance to the work done by UNEP in the field of Environmental Law, the International Federation’s project on International Disaster Response Law.

As many here in the room are aware, human rights, international humanitarian law (IHL), refugee law and environmental law have been an important part of the international agenda for many years. Until recently however, there has been very little awareness or discussion of the law that applies during times of disaster other than conflict.

The International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) Project was initiated by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in response to the growing concern within the international community as to the adequacy of existing legal mechanisms to facilitate humanitarian activities in response to natural and technological disasters.

The IDRL Project aims to reduce the vulnerability and suffering of people affected by disasters though the promotion and development of international disaster response law mechanisms to better facilitate the provision of expedient and effective international humanitarian assistance.

Mr. Chair,

Let me conclude by, once again, reiterating my appreciation at being able to address this forum as a representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and express my hope and determination to work with you to achieve the environmental and humanitarian aims we all labour towards.

Thank you for your attention.