Partnership for an improved disaster preparation and response based on voluntary engagement

A) Objectifs de l’engagement

The Belgian authorities and the Belgian Red Cross pledge to strengthen their cooperation in disaster preparedness and response built on voluntary engagement and based on a clear National Society’s mandate before, during, and after disasters. More specifically, they will clarify their respective responsibilities by taking into consideration the auxiliary role of the National Society in the preparedness and organisation of emergency relief operations and other services to assist the victims of disasters and other emergencies for whom help is needed. They will also reinforce their permanent dialogue in the relevant consultation and coordination mechanisms. They will also agree on administrative, legislative and operational measures to enable the National Society to conduct its humanitarian activities effectively, including through the deployment of its volunteers as an essential element of emergency planning, and in line with the Fundamental Principles.

In the framework of the resolution of the 34^th International of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (2024) ‘Enabling local leadership, capacity and delivery in principled humanitarian action and strengthening resilience’, these commitments will contribute to enhance and enable strong relations at the local and national level between the authorities and the National Society according to its special status, through an increased support for local and national responders and the creation of an enabling environment for locally led action in situations of disaster. They will also better showcase the Belgian Red Cross network of volunteers who are the first responders in situations of disaster or other situations of emergency, understand the needs of the population, and are therefore able to carry out effective and accountable humanitarian action.

B) Plan d’action

The following steps need to be performed to facilitate an agile, effective and flexible collaboration between the Belgian Government and the Belgian Red Cross in case of disaster or catastrophic event. These steps should be considered for the different stages of the disaster preparation and response.

1. Clarification of the Belgian Red Cross’s role and responsibilities, regarding expected collaboration and coordination with other disaster management stakeholders in pursuance of its statutory mission as guided by its Fundamental Principles

2. Regular, formal, and structured consultation meetings between the Belgian Red Cross and the relevant authorities to strengthen the preparatory phase, pool resources, and work on synergies.

3. An adapted administrative, legislative, and operational framework enabling smoother and more efficient collaboration. This framework should also facilitate experimentation and proactivity, allowing for innovative approaches and pre-emptive measures in disaster management and should take the capacity of the Belgian Red Cross into account.

4. Deployment of volunteers as an essential element of emergency planning to enable rapid and effective scaling. Ensuring a policy framework for volunteer organisations, to continue organising and guaranteeing this in a coordinated, sustainable and high-quality manner. As an organisation that is built on the engagement and dynamism of its more than 25000 volunteers, the Belgian Red Cross can make use of the extensive and varied expertise and knowledge that is available in-house and that can be deployed rapidly anywhere on the territory – in large numbers if need be.

C) Indicateurs permettant de mesurer les avancées:

1. Law and/or Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that clearly define the Belgian Red Cross’s roles and responsibilities in disaster management signed at the federal level

2. Number of formal bilateral consultation meetings held annually between the Belgian Red Cross and relevant authorities

3. Adapted framework: Number of administrative bottlenecks reported by the Belgian Red Cross and resolved

4. Volunteers as an essential element of emergency planning:
   1. Improved policy framework for voluntary contribution avoiding monetary competition between sectors.
   2. Number of volunteers recruited and trained by the Belgian Red Cross in disaster response and their effective distribution across the territory
   3. Number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the Belgian Red Cross and other disaster response volunteer organizations

D) Ressources nécessaires:

To be agreed based on the roles and responsibilities of the Belgian Red Cross that will be clarified.