International Dialogue on Strengthening Partnership in Disaster Response: Bridging national and international support: Background paper 2

This background paper is the second written in the context of the International Dialogue on Strengthening Partnership for Disaster Response. In October 2011, the Dialogue gathered representatives with authority for managing national disaster response and the entry of international assistance to their countries, as well as representatives from select NGOs, UN agencies, and regional organizations for a meeting.

This paper starts by summarizing international initiatives to support states in disaster preparedness and response. Secondly, it explores initiatives of regional organizations to support states in responding to disasters. Third, it looks at a wide panel of initiatives to improve the quality of international-level assistance. Additionally, this background paper reviews efforts to improve the coordination of international humanitarian assistance and sums up important multilateral initiatives at the large global level to conduct common needs assessments. Finally, conclusions on future possibilities for cooperation between national and international actors in disaster response are presented.