Resolution 6 : Strengthening legal frameworks for disaster response, risk reduction and first aid | Power of humanity: Red Cross Red Crescent

National Society

Name, position and email of the focal person

Gabriela Poller-Hartig, Head of International Relations, gabriela.poller-hartig@roteskreuz.at

1. What measures has your National Society taken to support your public authorities to make use of the IDRL Guidelines?
Technical assistance, Peer to peer exchange (e.g. with other governments and / or National Society)

Comments

2. Has your National Society supported public authorities to use the Checklist on Law and Disaster Risk Reduction to review and strengthen their domestic legal frameworks for disaster risk reduction at the national, provincial and / or local levels?
Technical assistance (e.g. provides input into a draft law or policy related to DRR, supports implementation of relevant laws and procedures, etc.)

Comments

The ARC has been actively supporting the IFRC’s efforts to establish international uniform rules/guidelines for disaster management and disaster mitigation for many years. ARC has also been trying over many years to motivate the Austrian authorities, specifically the disaster management authorities of the Austrian regions (which are responsible for disaster management and risk reduction under the Austrian constitution), to implement the existing guidelines on the national level. Unfortunately Austria has been unwilling to do this so far.

The main reasons are a firm belief that Austria is and will in the foreseeable future be able to deal with any disaster situations without the need for outside assistance and the complicated federal system of legislation which would actually make it necessary to adapt and change 9 regional disaster management laws. Especially the latter has not been a political priority over the last several years.

3. What activities has your National Society undertaken in cooperation with your government towards achieving the goals related to DRR, community resilience and climate change adaptation as set out in the Sendai Framework for DRR, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (‘Paris Agreement’)?
Engagement and contribution in national/local DRR platforms / Participation et contribution aux plateformes nationales/locales de réduction des risques de catastrophe / Participación y contribución en plataformas nacionales y locales para la reducción del riesgo de desastre, Support the development and/or Implementation of national DRR plan/strategy, Public awareness and public education , Assessment of risk and vulnerability, NS response and preparedness (contingency plans, standard operating procedures, pre-disaster meetings, disaster preparedness stocks), Support the development and implementation of the National Adaptation Plan, Advocacy, Disaster preparedness and contingency policies, plans and programmes, Community early warning systems, Preposition disaster preparedness stocks, Training & simulation drills, Psychosocial support and mental health services

Please provide more details your activities below:

ARC is part of the national crises and disaster management board and member of the national UNISDR platform.

4. Number of people reached through DRR programmes/projects

* In case the above data is not available, I agree to let the IFRC use the data from its annual DRR mapping conducted with inputs from National Societies.
yes

5. What steps has your National Society taken to support your public authorities in assessing their existing legal frameworks related to first aid?

ARC is monitoring law amendments on a regular basis and gives recommendations to strengthen the public first aid system in Austria.

6. What steps has your National Society taken to support your public authorities in strengthening their existing legal frameworks related to first aid?

Recommendations out of state-of-the-art first aid curricula.

Attached files