It is a special honour for me to share this platform today with
my friend Jan Egeland, the UN's Emergency Relief Coordinator.
We have worked together a great deal over the years, but never
more actively and effectively than in the last weeks.
The earthquake and tsunamis which shattered so many lives in
South and South East Asia have created a clearer understanding
than ever before of the complementary nature of the work of
the United Nations family and the family of the Red Cross and
Red Crescent Movement.
In that respect, it is highly appropriate that the theme for
today's discussion should be one which relates so exactly to
what we are working on today in the region and especially in
Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
There are several levels within the topic of the disaster reduction
capability of communities. I shall concentrate now on some points
of particular importance to the International Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, for they are also relevant
to other discussions we are having with governments, international
organisations, civil society and the corporate sector.
1. Communities
Whenever disasters strike the media is not far behind. Every
picture, every story, and every film is of people and their
suffering. Every image is of communities.
This is entirely proper, for it is people themselves who suffer.
For us in the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies it is a constant statement of our proper
place in the international community. We are the only member
of that international community which is truly based on local
communities. Our member National RCRC Societies are all required
constitutionally to be community-based, and to have a diverse
membership which respects and protects the most vulnerable without
any form of discrimination.
That is why we are so determined to underline, at every opportunity,
our belief that effective programs aimed at preparing for and
responding to disasters must be designed, implemented and monitored
by the communities themselves.
This is a message now much better understood, and the risk reduction
theme of this panel shows how it has been accepted as a practical
issue at all levels. The Asian Disaster Reduction Center, as
a principal organiser of this event, has also been clearly on
record as a supporter of the concept.
It also fits neatly with the development objectives set by the
United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, and with
the Millennium Development Goals which frame the world's development
activity now.
We in the International Federation have linked those Goals,
and particularly Goal 1 on Poverty Reduction, to the importance
of disaster risk reduction programs which are effective at the
community level. We state that the disaster/poverty cycle cannot
be broken without strong investment in community capability,
and we see this important International Symposium as capable
of building that understanding.
2. National
Disasters, perhaps especially weather-related disasters, are
seen for their immediate impact because of their effect on people
and their lives. Soon after that, however, the image starts
to transform into an understanding of the impact on economies
and national well-being.
At this point the issue of livelihoods of affected communities
takes on a broader context. It is a point which was of special
importance to the International Federation at the meeting last
week in Mauritius of Small Island Developing States, for many
of those states have economies which are dependent on a narrow
economic base.
The Maldive Islands is a case in point. The lifestyle of many
of the people of the country is based on fishing, but the economy
now draws most of its foreign exchange from tourism. The impact
of the recent tsunami on the Maldives could, it is feared, do
serious damage to those two industries and make it all the more
difficult for the local communities in the country to regain
their dignity and prosperity.
The same is true of most Small Island States, but the Maldives
and some of its counterparts in the Pacific Ocean are also gravely
concerned with the prospect that climate change will do even
more damage to their prospects for survival.
The International Federation uses its capacity as an international
organisation with full access to the United Nations system to
advocate for effective community-based programs which will both
help the communities in the countries themselves and take relevant
messages concerning their vulnerability to the outside world.
The International Federation also uses its character as a membership
organisation with member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
in almost every country in the world to lobby for government
support for actions at the national and international levels.
One point we push hard is that governments should implement
the obligations they have accepted. One, very important to community
preparedness and effective response, is that governments should
develop national disaster management planning and include their
national Red Cross or Red Crescent Society on the national council
set up to administer the plan.
In Japan, the Japanese Red Cross Society is a member of the
Central Disaster Prevention Council, headed by the Prime Minister
in accordance with the country's national law. This provides
an essential safeguard for communities, and is a good example
of the role which National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
should be recognised as discharging for their communities in
every country.
3. International
Disasters, as everyone knows well, do not respect national or
political boundaries. When disasters strike the world binds
together to support those in need.
This takes many forms. One of the most spectacular is the public
response worldwide to the tsunami disaster. Not only was there
an immense worldwide outpouring of sympathy for the peoples
of the countries affected, but there was the clearest evidence
in history of the strength of human compassion and willingness
to help.
The members and volunteers of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement went into action immediately and worldwide after the
disaster struck. In the affected countries that action was support
to the vulnerable and the people whose lives had been wrecked.
In many other countries it was support for those who had lost
family members.
But in all countries Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies began
mobilising the resources which were needed immediately to bring
support and assistance to the people of the affected countries.
This took place alongside the work done by other organisations
with similar commitments, and alongside that of governments
which quickly put their own assistance programs into action.
I am deeply proud to be able to say here that the Red Cross
Red Crescent Movement - that is the International Federation,
its member National Societies, and the International Committee
of the Red Cross have mobilised a total well in excess of one
billion dollars in support of the vulnerable in the tsunami-affected
region.
There has never before been a mobilisation of this size, and
its stands alongside an equally spectacular response by governments
and others to the Appeal launched by the United Nations in Geneva
on 11 January, by Mr Egeland himself.
It is our intention to work closely together to ensure that
the resources benefit the communities for which they were intended,
and to ensure that to the greatest extent possible the risk
of future disasters is minimised.
We do this, as I said before, at all levels, and we have the
unique opportunity in our International Federation to work with
communities and the top of governments and the international
community on the same subjects, at the same time, and with the
same objectives.
4. International and National and Local
Our work at the field level, preparing for and responding to
disasters in all parts of the world, has taught us many important
lessons. One of them, very relevant now while the world is supporting
response to a disaster which has left people stricken in many
different countries around the Indian Ocean, that there is a
need for a clear understanding of what law and rules apply,
both nationally and internationally, to disaster response.
This finding, which we first brought to the United Nations in
late 2001, developed as a project known then as the "International
Disaster Response Law Project", or IDRL. Its basic intention
has been to produce an inventory of existing laws, rules and
principles and test the way they work in real-life disaster
situations.
We do not have in mind suggesting a new treaty to resolve any
problems, for we understand that in most cases problems can
be resolved through clarifying issues at the national level,
producing consistent handbooks and other guidance and agreeing
on principles to guide action at the local level when (as is
common) disasters cut communication lines to the capital.
These elements of IDRL were drawn together for the International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in December 2003
and we are now looking to the production of practical tools,
such as a description of guiding principles and practice to
facilitate the work of all governments, communities and others
concerned with bringing effective relief into action as soon
as the need arises.
IDRL is an important illustration of the way the International
Federation works at all levels. It also shows, even more importantly,
the way our work is driven by the need to ensure that the lives
and livelihoods of people at the local level are protected in
the most adverse of circumstances. This is our task as a Movement,
and the task of our RCRC Societies Federation is to unite this
work with the work of all others so that we can bring our action
to wherever it is needed, for as long as is necessary.
But the fact remains, and Japan proves it, that well-prepared
communities have the resilience to carry themselves through
and recover quickly from even the worst of disaster situations.
Even though the number of natural disasters is increasing year
by year, the number of people who lose their lives has been
declining.
This is due, in large part, to the success of work on building
community capacity. This is one of our central planks, and we
will continue to build our partnerships with others who share
this objective.
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