International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) in Samoa: Strengthening Samoa’s Legal Preparedness for the Facilitation and Regulation of Foreign Disaster Response

This report was prepared to assist Samoa in its commitment to review its legal and policy framework and assess the level of preparedness to facilitate and regulate foreign disaster assistance during situations of disasters and emergencies. This report looks at existing laws in Samoa relevant to international disaster response and assistance. The Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance” (“IDRL Guidelines”), which were adopted by the State Parties to the Geneva Conventions at the 30thInternational Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2007 and the Model Act for the Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance (“Model Act”) were used as tools to measure Samoa’s legal preparedness in managing foreign disaster assistance.