Building the resilience of econocmies and communities

1. Building safer and more resilient communities Building the resilience of econocmies and communities Presentation to the Chief Executive Seminar – CEO TFEP - APEC Lima, August 14, 2008 Dr. Juan Cueva, Member of the Governing Board, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Mr. Giorgio Ferrario, Regional Representative for South America, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

2. Who we are • The International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent is the largest humanitarian organization and a global humanitarian network: • 97 millions volunteers • 186 Red Cross / Red Crescent National Societies • Thousands and thousands of local RC/RC branches • The Federation Secretariat to support its membership: • HQ in Geneva • 7 Zone Offices (1 America, 3 Africa, 1 Europe, 1 Asia, 1 Middle East /Nort Africa) • Regional Representation Offices • Country Offices • 3 DM Units (Panama, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai).

3. Our strategic framework Our mission: To improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity Our vision: We strive, through voluntary action, for a world of empowered communities, better able to address human suffering and crises with hope, respect for dignity and a concern for equity

4. Our strategic framework Aglobalagenda • Reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters. • Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies. • Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability. • Promote respect for diversity and human dignity, and reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion. Cross-cutting Risk reduction perspective

5. The Federation DM system NS Global Network Federation Secretariat FACT ERUDMIS DREF • Intervention mechanisms and tools: DM Units, FACT, RDRT, NIT, CBDRT, DREF, ERU • CBDRR Program: Safer and more resilient communities and Better be Ready • CBDRR Tools: DPP/DRR indicators, DPP/DRR Toolkit, DesAprender Platform and Regional Reference Centers • Regional • Zone Offices • Regional Representations • Country Representations • DM Units • RDRTs (Regional Disaster Response Teams) National • Safer and better prepared Communities • DM Offices • NIT National Intervention Teams • CBDRT (Community based Disaster Reduction Teams)

6. Focus on communities Local communities are the most affected and the first line of response. The Red Cross / Red Crescent contribution to disaster risk reduction activities starts with participatory planning and builds on community engagement and commitment to build safer and more resilient communities. Understanding how communities work is key to enhance resilience and precondition for strengthening people’s capacities to cope with and recover from disasters.

7. Focus on communities Risk Reduction Disaster Preparedness DisasterResponse DisasterMitigation Disaster Recovery DisasterPrevention / Prediction Development Empowering the community applying an integrated approach • Participatory methodologies • and needs assessment • No syluses !!! Integrate: • Public Health issues • Water and Sanitation • Community infrastructure • Education, public • awareness & social • development • Livelihoods

8. Trends • Over 300 million people (5% of the world’s) affected by disasters in the world every year and the number is likely to increase due to climate change. • Today eight out of the world’s ten most populous cities are prone to earthquakes • Being better prepared minimizes effects & is less costly than “waiting” for the response ($1invested today in disaster risk reduction saves four to seven dollars in future cost of relief and rehabilitation) • Disaster Risk increasingly and directly affects both Governmental development perspectives, private business growth and global supply chains as well as civil society’s influence on sustainable development choices

9. Trends • Both the WB and the UN system agree that inequity is the main obstacle to sustainable development in Latin America, and a major one for Asia • In a globalized world, inequities (within countries, among countries) represent a key variable in the sustainable development equation • Disaster Risk as socially constructed needs to take into account the multiple dimensions of inequity

10. Emergency Response Red Cross/Red Crescent emergency responses in 2007 by region Red Cross/Red Crescent emergency responses in 2007 by type of disaster Source: IFRC Operations Support Department, 2007

11. DRR ‘tensions’ • Disaster Response • Disaster Preparedness & response • Disaster Prevention, Preparedness & response • Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, Preparedness & response • RC/RC’s Vulnerability & Capacity Analysis (VCA) • Disaster Risk Reduction • Community Risk Reduction • Hyogo, Disaster Risk Reduction as a humanitarian and development issue in the context of sustainable development • Corrective and Prospective Disaster Risk management • Integrated DRM systems awareness Conceptual development in time From “relief / response” oriented to “development” oriented

12. Enabling facilitator There is a growing need to link authorities, private sector, civil society around a vision of community empowerment. The Red Cross / Red Crescent can play this enabling role. Red Cross NS Civil society Governments and local authorities Community Academic & research Private sector

13. Contributions to APEC strategy • The International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Societies has distinctive comparative advantages: • Being a major actor at grassroot level and at local, national, regional and global ones (e.g. permanent observers at the UN; convenors of shelter cluster within the UN reform system; promoters of the Hyogo framework) • Our unique auxiliary role to the Governments, while maintaining our full independence (e.g. 4-ys International Conference of the RC/RC) • Our presence in all the 21 economies of APEC • Our renown emblem and international credibility • A common strategic framework coupled with local needs-based action • An extensive network of volunteers • Cutting-edge know-how on disaster management, leading the humanitarian agenda (e.g. Code of Conduct for RCRC and NGos; World Disaster Report) offer a unique opportunity for enhancing joint global action and global advocacy.

14. Contributions to APEC strategy • FIRST STRATEGIC LINE – Develop Joint Disaster Preparedness actions • Our International Federation can contribute in the following way: • The National Red Cross / Red Crescent Society is / can be integrated into the National System • Disaster management and contingency planning processes and expertise • Extensive experience and expertise/methodologies, and ongoing programmes, of strengthening local communities resilience capacities • Annual analysis of trends and data in Disasters (World Disaster Report) • Promotion of the International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) framework to reduce barriers to international assistance in case of disasters • 3 Global Disaster Management centres, 2 of which in Asia/pacific (Panama and Kuala Lumpur) • A set of validated indicators for Disaster Preparedness at community level (filling a gap) • Capacities for learning capturing and knowledge management (DESaprender learning platform) • Extensive training capacities • Contingency plans on Avian Flu pandemic

15. Contributions to APEC strategy • SECOND STRATEGIC LINE – Support to Recovery Processes in Disaster Affected Economies through Long-term Development Approach • Our International Federation can contribute in the following way: • Catalyzer / enabler of the relationship between small and medium businesses and the local communities. • Support in the identification of early recovery measures and appropriate methodologies (e.g. cash vouchers) in line with business continuity • The AVC methodology to assess vulnerabilities and capacities could well be adapted and suit small and medium businesses in their risk analysis • Support in the economic evaluation of the social factors in post-disasters • Support in the development of indicators for the inclusion of the marginalized and the discriminated (e.g. elderly, disabled, etc) • Support in the use of local knowledge / local appropriate technology in recovery processes

16. Contributions to APEC strategy • THIRD STRATEGIC LINE – Prospective Risk Management • Our International Federation can contribute in the following way: • Support the Governments in the establishment / revision of appropriate sectorial policies to include disaster risk reduction • Facilitate the use of the Community DP indicators for Small and medium businesses and their relationship with communities • Promotion of the IDRL

17. Risk Reduction Disaster Preparedness DisasterResponse DisasterMitigation Disaster Recovery DisasterPrevention / Prediction Development • What’s next ? • Internal: report to federation Governing Board (leaders), recommendation to link 21 RC/RC NSs of the economies to the process • Suggestions to APEC economies: • Continue using the approach developed (inter-sectorial, involvement of different actors, use of expertise and existing knowledge) • The learning platform DESaprender and its forums are available if required to support ongoing coordination / debate and to capture the learning generated • Once approved, the strategy needs to be transformed into a series of plans and actions (both national / regional) that articulate with existing plans and initiatives, complementing and enhancing them • Our International Federation is available to continue supporting the process and to promote advocacy initiatives.

18. Thank you –Gracias Dr. Juan Cueva, Member of the Governing Board, IFRC presidencia@cruzroja.org.ec Mr. Giorgio Ferrario, Regional Representative for South America, IFRC giorgio.ferrario@ifrc.org