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From Theory to Practice: The Role of Disaster Response Missions

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International Disaster Response Law

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Abstract

This chapter will be devoted to the analysis of the normative and institutional frameworks in the relevant sources of the law (at global, regional/sub-regional or domestic level) on how emergency operations should unfold on the field and which are the main issues in regard to their effective deployment. After a brief introduction, it will start with an analysis of the prescribed procedures for specific requests for assistance (Sect. 19.2). Section 19.3 will then focus on the ‘command and control’ paradigm in disaster response operations. In particular, we will analyse the existing tools and procedures addressing the modalities of disaster response operations through regional and sub-regional agreements, or through bilateral assistance. Finally, in Sect. 19.4 we will concentrate on the legal recognition of disaster response missions, as a necessary precursor to many of the activities that are part of a relief effort, and Sect. 19.5 will shift the focus on the prescribed procedures on termination of international assistance.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See Chap. 10 by Costas Trascasas in this volume.

  2. 2.

    Bhattacharjee and Lossio (2011), 9. For more on coordination, please see Chap. 20 by De Siervo in this volume.

  3. 3.

    Fischer 2007, 89.

  4. 4.

    1999 Agreement among the Governments of the Participating States of the BSEC on Collaboration in Emergency Assistance and Emergency Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters, Article 4.

  5. 5.

    See 2011 Guidelines on the Role of the International Organizations and Foreign NonGovernment Organisations during Emergency Response, Chapter 2(A)(2)(c). Informal translation available at: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/idrl/877EN.pdf. Accessed 22 February 2012.

  6. 6.

    See Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (Pilot Version November 2011), 54.

  7. 7.

    IFRC 2006c, 8.

  8. 8.

    IFRC 2003, 10.

  9. 9.

    Fischer 2007, 91.

  10. 10.

    See IFRC 2006b, 10, citing Welikala (2005).

  11. 11.

    See 2000 Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance, Article 3(a); and 2006 Oslo Guidelines on The Use of Foreign Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief (Revision 1.1 November 2007), para 58. See also 1996 Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, Article 1(1); 1998 Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, Article 4.

  12. 12.

    Model Act, above n. 6, Article 6.

  13. 13.

    GA Res. 46/182 Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian emergency assistance of the United Nations, 19 December 1991, Annex, para 35(a).

  14. 14.

    Fischer 2007, 91. For more on UNDAC and INSARAG teams, please see Chap. 20 by De Siervo in this volume.

  15. 15.

    Fischer 2007, 91.

  16. 16.

    Based in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the AHA Centre was formally launched on 27 January 2011, and will serve as the centre point for mobilisation of resources to disaster-affected areas, as well to act as the coordination engine to ensure ASEAN’s fast and collective response to disasters within the ASEAN region. See ASEAN Secretariat News, Jakarta Ready to Host ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Centre, January 28, 2011, at: http://www.asean.org/25743.htm#. Accessed 22 February 2012.

  17. 17.

    See Standard Operating Procedure for Regional Standby Arrangements and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operation (SASOP), ASEAN Secretariat, November 2009, section V.

  18. 18.

    Fischer 2007, 91, referring to the 2005 ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), Article 11(2); and the 1991 Inter-American Convention to Facilitate Disaster Assistance, Articles 1 and 2.

  19. 19.

    See 2001 Agreement between the Swiss Federal Council and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines on Cooperation in the Event of Natural Disaster of Major Emergencies, Article 4(2); and also 2001 Convenio entre al Reino de Espana y la Republica Francesa en Materia de Protection y de Seguridad Civil, Article 6.

  20. 20.

    See 2004 Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on Mutual Assistance in the Case of Disasters or Serious Accidents, Article 3(1).

  21. 21.

    See 1985 Agreement on Mutual Assistance in the Event of Disasters of Serious Accidents (with exchange of notes) between Denmark and the Federal Republic of Germany, Article 3(2); and 1981 Agreement between the Government of the French Republic and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium on Mutual Assistance in the Event of Disasters or Serious Accidents, Article 3(2).

  22. 22.

    See Austria–Jordan Agreement, above n. 20, Article 4(2). The requesting authority, in making the request, will preferably use the language of the requested party or English language.

  23. 23.

    See Chap. 1 by de Guttry in this volume, citing the 2007 Italy–France Administrative Memorandum of Understaing (MoU) on cross-border cooperation in emergency situations in mountainous areas, Article 4.

  24. 24.

    See 2000 International Emergency Management Assistance MoU, Article 3(2).

  25. 25.

    2000 Agreement between the Government of the Hellenic Republic and the Government of the Russian Federation on co-operation in the field of prevention and response to natural and man-made disasters, Article 7.

  26. 26.

    See Swiss Federal Council–Philippines Agreement, above n. 19, Article 9(1); and 1977 Convention between the French Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany on Mutual Assistance in the Event of Disasters or Serious Accidents, Article 7(2).

  27. 27.

    See Canada–United States MoU, above n. 24, Article 3(2)(b)(C).

  28. 28.

    See Macalister-Smith 1986, 370.

  29. 29.

    Fischer 2007, 27.

  30. 30.

    IFRC 2007, 17.

  31. 31.

    Fischer 2007, 94.

  32. 32.

    See United Nations 2005, 20. As examples, see the Emergency Field Handbook, A Guide for UNICEF Staff, New York, 2005, at: http://www.unicef.org/publications/files/UNICEF_EFH_2005.pdf (accessed 22 February 2012); and International Civil Defence Organization, Disaster Management Guide, Geneva, 1998.

  33. 33.

    Arkedis and Derham 2010, 2.

  34. 34.

    GA Res. 46/182 above n. 13, para 34. In particular, the ERC has been entrusted with the mandate, inter alia, to process requests from affected member States for emergency assistance requiring a co-ordinated response, as well as to act as the central focal point for governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental relief activities. It has further to chair the IASC (i.e., the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance involving key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners) and head the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

  35. 35.

    Nuclear Assistance Convention, above footnote 11, Article 3; 1992 Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, Annex X, Article 1.

  36. 36.

    See Margesson 2005, 23 and IFRC 2006a, 8.

  37. 37.

    Framework Convention, above n. 11, Article 4(4).

  38. 38.

    See UN Guidelines on the Use of Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief, Project DPR 213/3 MCDA, May 1994, para 90.

  39. 39.

    See OSOCC Guidelines, 2nd edition, 2009, section 2.

  40. 40.

    IFRC 2007, 22. The ‘Dialogue Group’ has existed since 2004 and includes 13 countries and all the international development agencies, thus representing the international community in Guatemala.

  41. 41.

    See 2008 Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, Article 26.

  42. 42.

    Ibid.

  43. 43.

    Ibid., Article 21(2).

  44. 44.

    See Standard Operating Procedure (SASOP), above n. 17, section V.

  45. 45.

    Fischer 2007, 24.

  46. 46.

    Fischer 2007, 80.

  47. 47.

    See Convenio entre al Reino de Espana y la Republica Francesa, above n. 19, Article 8(1).

  48. 48.

    Ibid., Article 8(2); and 1998 Agreement on Cooperation on Disaster Prevention and Management and Civil Protection, France—Malaysia, Article 8(2).

  49. 49.

    See 1995 Agreement between the Republic of Finland and the Republic of Estonia on co-operation and mutual assistance in cases of accidents, Article 8.

  50. 50.

    Swiss Federal Council–Philippines Agreement, above n. 19, Article 5(1); 1988 Agreement on co-operation between the Kingdom of Spain and the Argentine Republic disaster preparedness and prevention, and mutual assistance in the event of disasters, Article 9.

  51. 51.

    For more on this see Chap. 23 by Silingardi in this volume.

  52. 52.

    See IFRC, Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, Article 20.

  53. 53.

    1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations; 1947 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Specialised Agencies; 1959 Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the International Atomic Energy Agency. For more on privileges and immunities of UN and its specialised agencies, see Zwitter 2011, 61.

  54. 54.

    Un Doc. E/4994, Legal Status of Disaster Relief Units Made Available Through the United Nations, 13 May 1971, reproduced in United Nations Juridical Yearbook (1971), 191, para 17 (a). Available at: http://untreaty.un.org/cod/UNJuridicalYearbook/pdfs/english/ByVolume/1971/chpVI.pdf. Accessed 22 February 2012.

  55. 55.

    Ibid., para 17 (b). The following para 17 (d), states that: ‘Similar facilities to those specified in Section 25 shall be accorded to experts and other persons who, though not the holders of United Nations laissez-passer, have a certificate that they are traveling on the business of the United Nations’. Article 6 further provides a number of immunities directly applicable to those persons serving with the unit who could be regarded as experts on missions for the UN.

  56. 56.

    Ibid., para 19. On this issue, see also Beigbeder 1991, 334 and S/2009/277, above n. 2, 92, citing as example the Swedish Technical Cadre Unit, serving in Peru, which was granted such privileges and immunities by the Government of Peru. See 1970 Agreement between the United Nations, the Government of Peru and the Government of Sweden for the Provision of the Technical Cadre Unit of the Swedish Stand-By-Force for United Nations Service to Assist in Reconstruction of Areas in Peru Devastated as a Result of the Earthquake which Occurred on 31 May 1970, Article 4.

  57. 57.

    See, for example, the 1927 Convention establishing an International Relief Union, Article 10 requiring the contracting parties ‘to accord … insofar as possible under the local laws, the most extensive immunities, facilities and exemptions for the purpose of the operation of the IRU’.

  58. 58.

    1997 Agreement between the Government of Barbados and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency for the Provision of Headquarters for CDERA, Articles 2–8.

  59. 59.

    This is the case, for example, of the Tampere Convention (Article 5), the AADMER (Article 14), and the Inter-American Convention to Facilitate Disaster Assistance (Article 16).

  60. 60.

    See CDEMA, above n. 41, Article 30.

  61. 61.

    In particular, Article 32 further states that ‘CDEMA shall have the right to use codes and to despatch and receive correspondence by courier in sealed bags, which shall not be searched or detained unless the competent authorities have reasonable grounds to believe that the sealed bags do not only contain articles, correspondence or documents for the exclusive official use of CDEMA, in which case the bag shall be opened only in the presence of an officer of CDEMA’.

  62. 62.

    See Standard Operating Procedure (SASOP), above n. 17, section V(D).

  63. 63.

    IFRC 2007, 34.

  64. 64.

    Model Act, above n. 6, Article 23.

  65. 65.

    Ibid., Article 24.

  66. 66.

    Oslo Guidelines, above n. 11, sections 3 and 21.

  67. 67.

    Oslo Guidelines, above n. 11, Annex I, Chapter 4(12).

  68. 68.

    Ibid., Chapter 4(14)(15). Where such utilities or facilities are not provided free of charge, Section 15 states that ‘payment shall be made by the MCDA operation on terms to be agreed upon with the competent authority. The MCDA operation shall be responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of facilities so provided’. Finally, in Section 16 it is provided that ‘The MCDA operation shall be given the right, where necessary, to generate electricity for its use and to transmit and distribute such electricity’.

  69. 69.

    See, the Tampere Convention (Article 21), AADMER (Article 11), and the Inter-American Convention (Articles 2 and 16).

  70. 70.

    For more on this see Chap. 23 by Silingardi in this volume.

  71. 71.

    See Fischer 2007, 92, citing as the normative basis for providing such direct support to the National Society the 1986 Statutes of the Movement (amended in December 1995); and the 1969 Principles and Rules of Red Cross and Red Crescent Disaster Relief (revised in 1973, 1977, 1981, 1986, and 1995).

  72. 72.

    1986 European Convention on the Recognition of the Legal Personality of International Non-Governmental Organisations.

  73. 73.

    Ibid., Article 3, stating that: ‘The proof of acquisition of legal personality and capacity shall be furnished by presenting the NGO’s memorandum and articles of association or other basic constitutional instruments, Such instruments shall be accompanied by documents establishing administrative authorisation, registration or any other form of […official publication by the registering State…] which granted the legal personality and capacity. In a [State] Party which has no publicity procedure, the instrument establishing the NGO shall be duly certified by a competent authority…’.

  74. 74.

    IFRC 2006b, 12–14; IFRC 2007a, 26–30; IFRC 2007b, 12; IFRC 2009c, 93; IFRC 2011, 38–39. See also Fischer 2007, 126, arguing that ‘given the complexity of procedures, some international NGOs simply go without official registration and “hope for the best”’. One of the few exceptions is that of Nepal, whose established practice under the Social Welfare Act, No. 2049, 1992, has been to allow assisting international actors entry without registration during disaster emergency. See Model Act, above n. 6, 89.

  75. 75.

    IFRC 2005, 24; IFRC 2006b, 13.

  76. 76.

    Government Regulation of Republic of Indonesia, Number 23 of 28 February 2008 concerning Participation of International Institutions and Foreign Non-Governmental Institutions in Disaster Management, Article 12.

  77. 77.

    IFRC 2009b, 78.

  78. 78.

    Fischer 2007, 362.

  79. 79.

    Ibid., 89.

  80. 80.

    See Model Act, above n. 6, Articles 9 and 10.

  81. 81.

    Ibid., 57.

  82. 82.

    Fischer 2007, 89.

  83. 83.

    Ibid., 96; and Model Act, above n. 6, 57.

  84. 84.

    See Framework Convention on Civil Defence Assistance, above footnote 11, Article 4(6).

  85. 85.

    See Nuclear Assistance Convention, above n. 11, Article 11; Tampere Convention, above n. 15, Article 6; Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents, above n. 41, Annex X, Article 10.

  86. 86.

    Tampere Convention, above n. 11, Article 6; and IDRL Guidelines, above n. 52, Article 12.

  87. 87.

    See CDEMA Agreement, above n. 41, Article 26.

  88. 88.

    See Standard Operating Procedure (SASOP), above n. 17, Chapter V(G).

  89. 89.

    See Beigbeder 1991, 10.

  90. 90.

    See Fischer 2007, 151.

  91. 91.

    Arkedis and Derham 2010, 2.

  92. 92.

    See Beigbeder 1991, 389.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Giurisprudenza, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via San Geminiano 3, 41121, Modena, Italy

    Stefano Silingardi

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Correspondence to Stefano Silingardi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , DIRPOLIS Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, Pisa, 56127, Italy

    Andrea de Guttry

  2. , Dipartimento di Scienze Giuridiche, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, via San Geminiano 3, Modena, 41121, Italy

    Marco Gestri

  3. , Department of International Studies, University of Milan, Via Conservatorio 7, Milan, 20122, Italy

    Gabriella Venturini

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Silingardi, S. (2012). From Theory to Practice: The Role of Disaster Response Missions. In: de Guttry, A., Gestri, M., Venturini, G. (eds) International Disaster Response Law. T.M.C. Asser Press, The Hague, The Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-6704-882-8_19

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