Asia Pacific Red Cross Red Crescent Conference adopts action plan that fights for rights
28 November 2002

A commitment to give greater protection to disaster victims through international law, to fight for the basic rights of all displaced people and to step up HIV/AIDS programmes, form the backbone of a four-year action plan adopted at the 6th Asia and Pacific Regional Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Manila today.

The Manila Action Plan commits the 49 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Asia, the Pacific and the Middle East, to a series of activities that aim to improve the lives of disaster victims and displaced people and to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region.

Public health emergencies, including HIV/AIDS, population movement and disaster management in the world's most disaster-prone region were the focus of the four-day conference, held every four years.

With Asia Pacific suffering from 60 per cent of the world's natural disasters which perpetuate poverty, the Manila Action Plan commits Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the region to lobby governments to promote a greater understanding, coherence and consistency of international disaster response law. It would ensure that disaster victims are assisted faster, better and would secure their right to assistance.

"Victims of armed conflict are afforded protection and rights through international humanitarian law, but there is no such support for victims of disasters. A clearer understanding of existing international disaster response law would provide that and could also regulate and facilitate the response to disasters by the international community," said Dr. Mohammed Al-Hadid, president of the Jordan National Red Crescent Society and chair of the disaster management workshop at the conference.

The Asia Pacific Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have also committed to advocating for, and ensuring, that all people affected by movement and displacement have access to basic rights. In a region with the highest refugee and migrant population, the Red Cross and Red Crescent will increase its support, protection and assistance to refugees, internally displaced people and migrants. Each society will also lobby for more governments to accede to the 1990 UN Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.

The Manila Action Plan also commits the 49 societies to scaling up their efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in a region where there are more than 7.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS, with figures set to rise dramatically. Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will use their existing community-based health structures, programmes and a network of nearly 70 million volunteers, to scale up HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support and anti-stigma and discrimination work. With rates of infection among women rising significantly, particular focus will be given to promote the empowerment of women in HIV/AIDS and other health programmes.

"The Manila Action Plan sets our work for the next four years. By the time we meet again in 2006, the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Asia Pacific will have made significant progress in scaling up its HIV/AIDS programmes, in reaching out to the displaced and in providing greater, more effective assistance to disaster victims," said Mario Nery, chair of the conference planning committee.

Related links:
25/11/02 - Red Cross Red Crescent calls for greater ratification of migrant and refugee conventions
22/11/02 - Red Cross Red Crescent conference to address Asia Pacific's major challenges

For further information, or to set up interviews, please contact:

In Manila:
Tessie Usapdin, Philippine National Red Cross Tel: + 63 25 278 38 84
Jemini Pandya, Press Officer Tel: + 41 79 217 33 74
Omar Valdimarsson, Regional Information Delegate Tel: + 66 1 823 92 18

In Geneva:
Media Service duty phone Tel: + 41 79 416 38 81

The Geneva-based International Federation promotes the humanitarian activities of 181 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together, constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.