A coalition of astronauts has joined a global Red Cross campaign urging governments to adopt the world’s first comprehensive treaty to protect people before, during, and after disasters. The campaign highlights a stark irony: astronauts in distress have stronger legal protections than communities devastated by floods, wildfires, or earthquakes on Earth.
The “Earth’s Missing Treaty” campaign, launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), comes as UN Member States prepare to negotiate the Treaty on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters in 2027. The proposed agreement would establish a common legal framework for international cooperation, cutting through red tape that currently delays life-saving assistance.
“Disasters do not stop at borders, and neither should our ability to help people,” said Jagan Chapagain, IFRC Secretary General. “Every hour lost to legal and administrative barriers can cost lives. Earth has treaties for the skies, the seas, and even outer space. IFRC is calling on governments to seize this historic opportunity and create the world’s first international disaster treaty, putting people first when they need help most.”
The Cost of Delay
New IFRC analysis reveals the practical and costly barriers humanitarian organizations face when disasters strike. Legal and administrative hurdles can delay the arrival of personnel, equipment, and supplies, with potentially deadly consequences.
In 2025 alone, 358 natural hazard-related disasters affected more than 110.2 million people worldwide and caused an estimated US$169.7 billion in economic losses, according to the International Disaster Database.
Key findings from the IFRC analysis underscore the need for legal preparedness:
· Tariffs on Aid: Blankets, tents, and other essential relief items face average import tariffs of around 17 percent globally when exemptions are not in place—nearly double the average tariff applied to manufactured goods overall, according to IFRC’s analysis of World Integrated Trade Solution data.
· Slow Customs: Routine customs clearance in many disaster-prone regions takes approximately 11 days, causing critical delays.
· Unsolicited Goods: Around 60 percent of supplies arriving at large-scale disaster sites are non-priority items, overwhelming logistics systems and diverting resources from life-saving operations.
Astronauts Speak Out
The campaign is backed by leading astronauts, including Dr. Sian Proctor, Nicole Stott, Scott Kelly, Julie Payette, and Jean-François Clervoy, who are lending their voices to the call for stronger international cooperation.
“Going to space made me realize that the calling wasn’t actually space, it was our Earth calling us to actively work towards coming back into balance,” said Dr. Sian Proctor, a SpaceX astronaut. “The Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters treaty ensures that we can save lives before, during, and after a crisis.”
Julie Payette, a former Canadian Space Agency astronaut, said: “When floods, wildfires, storms, earthquakes and other natural disasters strike, it reminds us that nature knows no borders – nor should our response be limited by them. If people from all over the world can live and work in space, one of the most hostile environments there is, then surely, we should be able to help each other with the challenges we face right here on Earth.”
Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, added: “Up there, you rely on one another for your lives. We lean on each other in our work, for emotional support, and when there’s an emergency, we work together to keep each other alive. When things go wrong on Earth, we need to come together in the same way.”
A Treaty That Pays for Itself
The proposed treaty would strengthen disaster risk reduction and preparedness, improve international cooperation, and reduce unnecessary legal and administrative barriers.
Investment in disaster risk reduction can generate returns of around 15 times its cost through avoided future recovery expenditure, according to the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Just 24 hours’ warning of an impending hazardous event can reduce damage by up to 30 percent.
For more than two decades, the IFRC has worked with governments worldwide to strengthen legal preparedness for disasters. The organization has committed to providing technical expertise and practical experience throughout the negotiation process.
Malawi Perspective: A Welcome Initiative
Reacting to the proposed treaty, Malawian governance expert and Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Executive director,Macheal Kaiyatsa called the initiative “welcome and timely.”
He noted that disasters do not respect national borders and that delays caused by customs procedures, bureaucratic requirements, and lack of coordination can cost lives.
“For countries like Malawi, which are increasingly vulnerable to floods, cyclones, and other climate-related disasters, stronger international cooperation and clearer rules for humanitarian assistance could significantly improve preparedness and response,” Kaiyatsa said.
He emphasized that the treaty must go beyond establishing principles to ensure that affected countries receive timely, predictable, and well-coordinated assistance. He also stressed that disaster risk reduction and preparedness must remain central, as “the best response is one that reduces vulnerability before a disaster occurs.”
Kaiyatsa urged Malawi to actively participate in the negotiations and advocate for a treaty that is practical, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of vulnerable nations.
When contacted, Wilson Moleni, Commissioner for the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, could not immediately respond to questions about Malawi’s potential position on the treaty. Malawi is among the countries affected by disasters annually and expends significant national resources on response efforts.
