A "Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Assistance" is in development to assist states to integrate the recommendations of the Guidelines for the domestic facilitation and regulation of international disaster relief and initial recovery assistance (IDRL Guidelines) into their national laws.
Bearing in mind that legal systems and disaster response systems vary significantly from country to country, the Model Act is intended to serve as a reference tool and example to law-makers as they develop legislation appropriate to their national circumstances. The Model could serve as the basis of a stand-alone act or as the basis for amendments and additions to existing laws addressing the various regulatory questions at issue in international operations.
The Model Act is being developed in cooperation with UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and with support from the World Customs Organization, the charity A4ID, the law offices of Allen & Overy LLP, CMS Cameron McKenna LLP, Baker & McKenzie and the legal department of Microsoft Corporation, the IFRC.
This complementary tool to the IDRL Guidelines was made available in its current pilot version to states and National Societies at the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in November 2011. An expert meeting on the Model Act will be held in Geneva 10, 11 December 2012, gathering experts from governments, national societies, humanitarian organisations and academia. Following this meeting, a revised version of the Model Act will be published.
Comments on the current pilot version of the Model Act are very welcome. Please send any suggestions to disaster.law@ifrc.org.