International Operational Law for Crisis and Disaster Management

The overall aim of the course is to give the student in-depth knowledge of international law applicable in the management of crises and disasters, referred to as International Disaster Law or International Disaster Response Law. This field of law focuses on crises and disasters, e.g. earthquakes, floods, pandemics or nuclear accidents, that have either natural or antagonistic causes.

The regulations in this field are found both in international law at the global and regional level and in various bilateral agreements between countries. The regulations are thus spread over a large number of different instruments and agreements. The course provides both an overview of the fragmented subject area and an opportunity to work with methods for applying international instruments to different types of crises and disasters.

The course is based on the International Law Commissions Draft Articles on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters and the regulations developed through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The course touches on legal definitions in the field, division of responsibilities between states and international organisations such as the IFRC, operational law issues on e.g. the status of personnel and logistics as well as support between countries before and after a crisis or disaster (referred to as host-nation support).

The course is divided into three parts:

1. Introduction. Terminology and regulations at the global and regional level.

2. Crisis and disaster response in practice. Regulations concerning the status of crisis management personnel, logistics and border management, aid to those displaced, and the relationship between the management of crises, disasters and armed conflicts.

3. Before and after crises and disasters. Different countries’ regulations for preparing and receiving support from other countries in the event of a crisis or disaster.

The course begins with lectures interspersed with self-study. The course then alternates between self-studies, seminars and role-plays. Altogether, the lectures, seminars and roll-plays give the students the foundation for the course’s final written take-home examination.