A FIJI cluster system could soon be implemented for all humanitarian organisations for better coordination and collaboration after a disaster.
This is proposed in the draft National Disaster Risk Management Bill that was tabled in Parliament yesterday by the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights. Committee chairperson Ratu Rakuita Vakalalabure said the system would bring together all humanitarian actors in the country.
“The Bill also formalises and legislates the Fiji cluster system for the better coordination of humanitarian actors in the country,” Ratu Rakuita said.
“The Fiji cluster system will foster collaboration and partnership across mechanisms and institutions for the implementation of instruments relevant to disaster risk.”
He said sub-national disaster risk management offices would also be established in all four divisions.
“It also provides for the establishment of the sub-national office of the NDMO to be headed by the divisional disaster risk management offices, which will ensure the mainstreaming and the coordination of activities and provision of advice to divisional commissioners on sub-national activities related to disaster risk management, disaster risk reduction and disaster management.”
Ratu Rakuita said the proposed legislation placed importance on disaster risk reduction and its practical application in the form of disaster risk management measures due to the growing recognition of the role that early mitigation and prevention of risk played in the alleviation and avoidance of disasters.
“In that regard, the Bill now known as the National Disaster Risk Management as opposed to its former title of Natural National Disaster Management Act, reflecting its expanded scope on all hazards, rather than just natural phenomena, and its focus on disaster risk management.
“In the same vein, the Act amalgamates the functions of the current preparedness and mitigation subcommittees to form the disaster risk reduction subcommittee, which will now be responsible for all disaster risk management activities except those for disaster and emergency response, which remains the mandate of the emergency subcommittee.”
Meanwhile, Fiji Council of Social Services coordinator Vani Catanasiga has welcomed the proposed Bill.
“It’s refreshing to note that the committee deliberated and went to great lengths to verify and triangulate aspects of the proposed Bill that were unclear and could impact on the interoperability of the proposed reformed disaster coordination system,” Ms Catanasiga said.
“FCOSS had begun its inputs into the review of the NDM Act in 2018 up to 2022. We thank the NDMO for creating spaces for FCOSS and other CSOs to input meaningfully in the Bill. We’ve done our best to ensure that civil society and community first responders are duly recognised in the proposed new structure.”