Strengthening coordinated action in Latin America and the Caribbean and contributing to resilience in the face of emergencies and disasters are two main challenges that countries face in mitigating an almost "critical" situation due to climate change.
Is the second most disaster-prone region in the world, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Between 2000 and 2019, there were 1205 events which affected 152 million people. Most of them were due to meteorological, climatological or hydrological causes. Examples of this are the effects of hurricanes Iota and Eta in 2020, which affected Central America and the Caribbean. At the other extreme are water shortages due to the decline of glaciers and droughts, where Chile is at the forefront. And health crises (Covid-19) also add to the impact on the well-being of the population.
Is Latin America ready?
This context has highlighted the opportunity and urgency of acting so that countries have contingency plans that allow them to respond quickly and correctly to unfortunate events. For this reason, the IDB points out that it has prepared a “Toolkit for coordinated border management during natural disasters and emergencies.”
“The document is Addressed to customs and border control entities as an instrument to facilitate the entry and exit of critical goods during emergency situations, following the best international practices in this area," he noted.
According to information provided by the IDB, in many countries the legal framework does not include relevant provisions or is outdated. The lack of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) under the framework of a coordinated border management framework is an impediment to responding quickly and efficiently. There is a lack of communication protocols, as well as weaknesses and vulnerabilities in infrastructure and equipment.
control at entry and exit points that affect emergency response.
With this in mind, the document is intended to address emergencies, ensuring harmonized levels and regional uniformity of adopted processes and protocols. Digitalization and capacity building for customs staff and stakeholders are mentioned as key to improving relief shipments.
Thus, the publication has been structured in six modules detailed. Module A: Legal framework, Module B: Standard operating procedures, Module C: Digitalization, Module D: Information and transparency, Module E: Capacity development, Module F: Post-operational evaluation and lessons learned.
The initiative was developed with the cooperation of the region's customs authorities, as well as support from the World Customs Organization and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
In short, the IDB document is an important step towards “safeguarding the well-being of citizens and helping to ensure that development does not stop.”
Let us help with strong public institutions to limit the negative effects of emergencies.Document in Spanish “Toolkit for coordinated border management during natural disasters and emergencies”)
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
