This year, the Promoting Safer Building project was adopted by the Global Shelter Cluster.
The Global Shelter Cluster
The Global Shelter Cluster (GSC) is an Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) coordination mechanism that supports people affected by natural disasters and internally displaced people affected by conflict with the means to live in safe, dignified and appropriate shelter. The GSC enables better coordination among all shelter actors, including local and national governments, so that people who need shelter assistance get help faster and receive the right kind of support.
The GSC is is a public platform co-chaired by IFRC and UNHCR at the global level, it has 43 partners who participate on a regular basis. IFRC is convener of the Shelter Cluster in natural disasters while UNHCR leads the Shelter Cluster in conflict situations.
Read more about the GSC here.
The Working Group
“Working Groups are task-oriented and time-bound structures with clear executable deliverables that are established by the SAG to address particular identified needs.” – Shelter Cluster
Next week, the Promoting Safer Building Working Group will be meeting for the second time.
So far, the working group aims to:
- Review of library of existing technical and IEC materials, guidelines and manuals; referenced by country, hazard, building typology, context, climate etc. (Note that work is already underway on compiling this library, so the Working Group will have limited input on this, but it is hoped that the Working Group will review it and it will be of use to the shelter cluster).
- Develop a cluster protocol for appropriately rigorous and evidence-based identification, review and selection of key build-back-safer messages for endorsement by national clusters; to be integrated with national cluster technical working groups.
- Produce a Global Shelter Cluster report highlighting key technical areas where there is uncertainty or lack of knowledge, or a lack of effective intervention, to help guide (the resourcing of) future research and development.
- Disseminate findings through the workshops and events of the Promoting Safer Building project and future Global Shelter Cluster meeting(s).
This group is managed by CARE International UK shelter team. The partnership also includes the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), University College London (UCL) and British Geological Survey (BGS).
You can keep up to date with its activities following the working group page.