Procedures for the Receipt and Provision of Humanitarian Aid

Issued pursuant to
Section 24, Paragraph four of the Civil Protection
and Disaster Management Law

I. General Provisions

1. This Regulation prescribes the procedures for the receipt and provision of humanitarian aid.

2. In the event of a disaster, threat thereof or in a crisis situation, humanitarian aid shall be provided in the form of material, financial or logistic assistance (including by attracting experts).

3. The decision on the receipt, request and provision of humanitarian aid shall be taken by the Cabinet upon a proposal of the Crisis Management Council and based on the information provided by the responsible ministry.

4. Within the meaning of this Regulation, the responsible ministry is a disaster management subject, who shall co-ordinate the management of a disaster in accordance with the Civil Protection and Disaster Management Law based on the type of the specific disaster.

II. Receipt of Humanitarian Aid

5. In the event of a disaster, threat thereof or a crisis situation, the responsible ministry shall prepare information for the Crisis Management Council regarding the required humanitarian aid, indicating the type, amount and provisional costs of humanitarian aid, as well as the responsible ministry and co-responsible authorities.

6. The Cabinet shall indicate in the decision on the request for humanitarian aid the type, amount and provisional costs of humanitarian aid, as well as the responsible ministry and co-authorities and their tasks.

7. The responsible ministry shall manage and co-ordinate the implementation of measures related to the receipt of humanitarian aid.

8. The responsible ministry shall arrange the customs formalities of humanitarian aid consignment, as well as ensure the submission of the necessary documents to the customs authority of the State Revenue Service.

9. The customs authority of the State Revenue Service shall provide the extraordinary customs control for humanitarian aid consignments.

10. The State Revenue Service shall exempt humanitarian aid consignments from the import duty in accordance with the directly applicable laws and regulations of the European Union which provide for the exemption from the customs duty.

11. The national contact point for civil protection shall ensure the exchange of information related to the receipt of humanitarian aid between the European Union Emergency Response and Coordination Centre and the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, as well as other international organisations and foreign countries in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the field of civil protection and disaster management.

12. If necessary, the Cabinet shall order the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the sending of the request for humanitarian aid through diplomatic channels to potential humanitarian aid providers.

13. Where humanitarian aid is received on the basis of transnational bilateral or multilateral agreements, the competent authority indicated in the relevant transnational agreement shall ensure the exchange of information with the national contact point for civil protection.

14. If the responsible ministry receives financial assistance within the framework of humanitarian aid, it shall open an account in the Treasury and act in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the procedures by which the Treasury shall ensure the provision of payment services.

15. The responsible ministry shall prepare and submit proposals to the Cabinet regarding the use of the financial assistance received within the framework of humanitarian aid. The use of financial assistance shall be decided by the Cabinet.

16. The responsible ministry in co-operation with the co-authorities shall prepare and, not later than 30 days after the end of the receipt of humanitarian aid, submit to the Crisis Management Council information regarding the progress of the receipt of humanitarian aid, including conclusions and proposals for further actions.

III. Provision of Humanitarian Aid

17. Upon receipt of a request from any State or international organisation for the needed humanitarian aid in relation to a disaster, threats thereof or crisis situation, the national contact point for civil protection shall immediately inform the responsible ministry thereof.

18. After initial evaluation of the request referred to in Paragraph 17 of this Regulation, the responsible ministry shall prepare information for the Crisis Management Council regarding the need to provide humanitarian aid, its type and amount, the necessary government funding and source thereof, as well as the co-authorities for the provision of humanitarian aid.

19. In the decision on the provision of humanitarian aid, the Cabinet shall indicate the need for the provision of humanitarian aid, tasks of the responsible ministries and co-authorities, recipient State or international organisation, type of humanitarian aid, amount, necessary government funding and its source, as well as the amount of funding to be granted to one or several ministries.

20. If the Cabinet decides to provide financial assistance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall perform one of the following activities:

20.1. in accordance with the Law on International Assistance and the budget resources granted to the respective ministry under the law on the State budget, make a voluntary payment to an international organisations or foundation, which use the respective financial resources for the provision of humanitarian aid, if the development co-operation policy plan for the relevant year provides for the provision of humanitarian aid;

20.2. prepare and submit a draft order to the Cabinet on the provision of financial assistance from the State budget resources.

21. The responsible ministry specified in the Cabinet decision shall manage and coordinate the implementation of measures related to the provision of humanitarian aid, and shall also take the following actions in co-operation with the co-authorities involved in the provision of humanitarian aid:

21.1. evaluate the preparation of resources in the State material reserves for the provision of humanitarian aid on the basis of the information provided by the State authorities involved in the provision of humanitarian aid;

21.2. if the State material reserves are used for the provision of humanitarian aid, prepare and submit to the Cabinet a draft order on the updating of the State material reserves, the amount of funds necessary for updating the material reserves and the source of financing;

21.3. arrange the customs formalities related to humanitarian aid consignments, as well as ensure the submission of the necessary documents to the customs authority of the State Revenue Service.

22. The Ministry of Transport shall provide information regarding the available vehicles, costs of their use, as well as the estimated time that is needed for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the international organisation or the country affected by a disaster, threats thereof or in a crisis situation.

23. The Ministry of Economics and the Ministry of Agriculture shall, if necessary, identify merchants whose goods and services could form humanitarian aid, as well as theirs costs and availability.

24. The customs authority of the State Revenue Service shall provide the extraordinary customs control for humanitarian aid consignments.

25. The national contact point for civil protection shall ensure the exchange of information related to the provision of humanitarian aid between the European Union Emergency Response and Coordination Centre and the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, as well as the relevant international organisation or country affected by a disaster or a state in crisis in accordance with the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations governing the field of civil protection and disaster management.

26. If necessary, the Cabinet may instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through diplomatic channels, to send information to the relevant international organisation or country with an offer to provide humanitarian aid.

27. Where humanitarian aid is provided on the basis of transnational bilateral or multilateral agreements, the competent authority indicated in the relevant transnational agreement shall ensure the exchange of information with the national contact point for civil protection.

28. Upon a request of the Crisis Management Council, the responsible ministry, in cooperation with the co-authorities, shall prepare and submit to the Crisis Management Council information regarding the progress of the provision of humanitarian aid, including conclusions and proposals for further actions.

IV. Closing Provision

29. Cabinet Regulation No. 659 of 30 June 2009, Procedures for the Receipt and Provision of Humanitarian Aid (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2009, No. 103), is repealed.

Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis

Minister for the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis

Translation © 2019 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)