Funded by European Union Civil Protecon and Humanitarian Aid Source: FRC Source: Enhancing Regional Preparedness and Response Capacity for Major Accidents in the Baltic Sea Region (BALTPREP) Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Sea Region Legal Information Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Sea Region Issuer Deutsches Rotes Kreuz e.V. Carstennstr. 58, 12005 Berlin, Germany Text Danish Red Cross, Estonian Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, German Red Cross, Latvian Red Cross, Lithuanian Red Cross, Polish Red Cross Photo Map AdobeStock/lesniewski/editingSchaefer Set/Layout DRK-Service GmbH © 2020 Deutsches Rotes Kreuz e. V., Berlin Enhancing Regional Preparedness and Response Capacity for Major Accidents in the Baltic Sea Region (BALTPREP) Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Sea Region Table of Contents Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Sea Region ......................................................................6 Background .................................................................................................................................................7 The international Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ........................................................................8 Red Cross in the Baltic Sea Region ............................................................................................................9 Red Cross and the EU ...............................................................................................................................10 Overview of Red Cross National Societies in the Region .........................................................................10 Danish Red Cross ......................................................................................................................................12 Estonian Red Cross ...................................................................................................................................16 Finnish Red Cross .....................................................................................................................................18 German Red Cross ....................................................................................................................................22 Latvian Red Cross .....................................................................................................................................26 Lithuanian Red Cross ................................................................................................................................30 Polish Red Cross .......................................................................................................................................34 Summary of the Overview .........................................................................................................................38 Concluding Remarks .................................................................................................................................38 Source: DRK-Service GmbH Source: Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Sea Region This document provides an overview of the capaci- emergency management agencies, civil protection ties of the Red Cross National Societies of the Bal- authorities and Red Cross National Societies as auxi- tic Sea Region as they currently are. It is hoped that liaries to their governments. Furthermore, the docu- the document will provide an introduction to the Red ment aims to support dialogue with other emergency Cross in the Baltic Sea Region and its capacities and management actors. form a basis for a conversation between domestic 6 Background This overview of Red Cross capacities in the Baltic Not all Red Cross National Societies of the Baltic Sea Sea Region is developed as part of the Enhancing Region are consortium members in the BALTPREP Regional Preparedness and Response Capacity for project. Therefore, the capacities of the Russian and Major Accidents in the Baltic Sea Region (BALT- Swedish Red Cross are not included in this overview. PREP) Project. It should also be noted with regard to the German Red Cross that only the two northern Länder (fede- The BALTPREP Project is a European Union (EU) ral states) of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg- funded two-year Consortium Project. It improves Western Pomerania are considered part of the Bal- and optimises the quality and interoperability of the tic Sea Region. For this reason, this document only Red Cross regional response capacity for major ac- compiles capacities and resources of the two Red cidents and strengthens the collaboration between Cross Länder offices and German Red Cross Head- Red Cross National Societies and civil protection quarters. Civil protection is a devolved matter pur- authorities within the Baltic Sea Region. The project suant to national law. Hence, the two participating strengthens collaboration and regional preparedness Länder would also be the first to respond in the event in and between seven EU member states and their of an emergency and can be supported by all other Red Cross National Societies. The participating Red German Red Cross Länder offices if necessary. Cross National Societies are: Finnish Red Cross, Es- tonian Red Cross, Latvian Red Cross, Lithuanian Red The Overview of Red Cross Capacities in the Baltic Cross, Polish Red Cross, German Red Cross, and Sea Region will include an introduction to each Red Danish Red Cross. In addition, Swedish and Russian Cross National Society with a summary of their ca- Red Cross Societies participate in project activities pacities, their structure and the civil protection land- such as working group meetings, training and com- scape they work in. All the information is compiled munication activities. in a brief chart as an overview of capacities, with no distinction made between national and international By the end of the project, capacities and interope- capacities. The resources and capacities are also rability in disaster management and psycho-social shown in the profiles. In addition, an introduction to support (PSS) in emergencies will be increased, co- the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Move- operation between civil protection and humanitarian ment and its history is provided, in order to gain an actors enhanced and transborder and macro-regio- understanding of the uniqueness of the Red Cross. nal cooperation improved. The Red Cross in the region the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR) are The BALTPREP Project is funded by the European addressed as well. Commission Union Civil Protection Mechanism (DG ECHO / UCPM) under the 2018 Prevention and Pre- The author would like to thank all the colleagues paredness Call. from the participating Red Cross National Societies of the region who contributed to the document. The This document is one of the outputs of work package support of the donor (DG ECHO) in the BALTPREP three of the BALTPREP project. It is based on the project is also acknowledged. findings of the capacity mapping and the SWOT ana- lysis. The capacity mapping was conducted in May 2019 and included an overview of technical capaci- ties as well as capabilities and cooperation with other actors, such as civil protection authorities or NGOs working in civil protection. The SWOT analysis was completed in August 2019 and enabled the partners to see the capacities in context and provided an overview of the region. 7 The International Red Cross/ Red Crescent Movement The Red Cross was founded in 1863. It was inspired work closely with its public authorities on humanitari- by Swiss businessman Henry Dunant, who advoca- an issues while maintaining its independence. In ad- ted the provision of impartial assistance to people dition to their national role, some Red Cross National wounded on the battlefield. He had witnessed the Societies are also involved in development coopera- Battle of Solferino (1859) and the wounded and suffe- tion and humanitarian assistance abroad. ring soldiers with little medical support. He conceived and promoted the idea of a relief organisation which Apart from the National Societies, the movement would help those wounded in conflict without consi- consists of the International Committee of the Red deration of the side they were fighting on. The idea Cross (ICRC) and the International Federation of Red has since been manifested in the Geneva Conven- Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). tions and the Red Cross Red / Crescent Movement. The ICRC’s role is defined by the Geneva Conven- Today, the Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement tions of 1949 and additional protocols as a subject consists of 192 member Red Cross National Socie- of international law. Its purpose and tasks are linked ties. The Red Cross Red / Crescent is therefore pre- to the provision of various kinds of assistance during sent in 192 countries. The existence of the National situations of violence and armed conflict. As part of Societies in each country is directly linked to the sta- its function as a neutral and independent organisati- tes’ ratification of the Geneva Conventions. These on, it assists and offers protection to victims of armed recognise the National Societies as auxiliaries to their conflict. The promotion of International Humanitarian governments in the humanitarian field. Law and its integration in national law is an essential component of the work of the ICRC. Hence, each National Society has a specific and distinctive relationship with its public authorities.