Mr. David Fisher, J.D., LL.M, is an attorney specializing in law and humanitarian affairs. He currently serves as the coordinator of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' (IFRC) Disaster Law Programme, based in Geneva. In this role, he contributed to the negotiation of a new international “soft law” instrument on the legal regulation of disaster relief (the "Guidelines for the domestic facilitation and regulation of international disaster relief and initial recovery assistance"), which were adopted by the state parties to the Geneva Conventions in 2007. Since then, the Disaster Law Programme has cooperated with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide technical support to 29 governments concerning rules and procedures for international relief, leading to the adoption of new legislation in 12 countries so far. The IFRC is currently collaborating with UNDP in the largest comparative study of legislation on disaster risk reduction undertaken to date. With partners in the Shelter Cluster, the IFRC is also researching solutions to common regulatory issues in post-disaster shelter. For more information on the programme, please see www.ifrc.org/dl.
Prior to joining the IFRC in 2005, Fisher held posts in legal research at the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Brookings Institution Project on Internal Displacement, and the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University. He also practiced civil and criminal law in Honolulu and served in social work programmes for the homeless in San Francisco.