International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
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International Disaster Response Laws, Rules and Principles programme (IDRL)
Resources and tools: about the IDRL legal database


The IDRL legal database is a collection of international and national legal documents (such as treaties, resolutions, laws and regulations) relevant to international disaster response operations.

It is the largest such collection of which we are aware.

Its aim is to improve the awareness of existing rules and standards by disaster response actors and governments as well as assist in the development of new regulation and policy, where needed.

If national legislation or policies from your country are lacking, please help to ensure their inclusion by contributing to the IDRL Database.

Please email us any appropriate national legislation or policies with our feedback form by selecting "Database enquiry".

What can I find in this database?


This database compiles both international and national legal documents. These include:

At the international level:

  • Treaties
  • Resolutions and declarations of intergovernmental organizations
  • Exchanges of notes and letters
  • Memoranda of understanding
  • Guidelines, model agreements, and other ‘soft’ standards

At the national level*:

  • National disaster response laws, regulations and policies
  • Relevant portions of national laws concerning visas, customs, NGO registration and other related matters
  • National administrative regulations

*Please note that our collection of national law must be seen as a starting point for research. Our limited resources do not permit a comprehensive and completely up-to-date collection for each country.

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