The EU & Humanitarian Action: Breaking Down Boundaries?

Dr Gerry O’Reilly

Geography Department, St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra - Dublin City University

Framework

Defining Humanitarian Action / CrisesHA Responses: Governments, agencies & citizens: EU/ECHOEU processes: Centripertal / Centrifugal - integrating humanitarian institutions, organizations & actorsCase studies: Ireland. Haiti.Geographical & map networks

What are the main categories of humanitarian disasters?

(a) Natural e.g. earthquakes (in Pacific Rim & Himalayas, Haiti), droughts (Sahel states), floods (Burma, Indonesia, Angola), tsunami (Sri Lanka). => Physical Geography

(b) Human-made e.g. political including war: inter-state & civil, & combinations thereof; corrupt regimes & human rights abuses e.g. Burma, DRC, Sudan, Chechnya & so forth. => Political Geography & Geopolitics

(c) Technological e.g. nuclear accidents – Fukushima, Japan 2011, Chernobyl, Ukraine 1986; chemical explosions Bophal, India 1984 - Union Carbide Plant. Economic Geography

(d) Complex / Mixture: (a+b) natural & human-made disasters e.g. Aceh / Indonesia – tsunami & rebels; Burma – flooding & dictatorial regime refusing international aid in 2008; (a+c) mixture of natural & technological e.g. Japan tsunami, earthquake & Fukushima nuclear power plant , 2011. (a+b +c) Nuclear weapons, LDCs, non-democratic, location e.g. N. Korea, Iran & Pakistan.

HUMANITARIAN CRISES

Impact of humanitarian disaster is directly proportional to level of vulnerability of population concerned e.g. contrastive HDI: USA, Japan, Italy, Turkey, Chile, Bangladesh, Burma, Somalia => LDCsHurricane Sandy: NY/USA Vs. Haiti80% in LDCs, former European colonies1975 = 78 recorded disasters in world. 2012 = 385Pop. Threatened: 70-80 M/year

UN HDI (Human Dev. Index)

HDI = life expectancy, education & income indices - levels of human development. 192 countries.Norway: 1 USA: 3 RoI: 7. France: 20. UK: 26.Mali: 182. Niger:186.

Democracy Index (EIU compiled)

60 indicators in 5 categories.N. America = 8.6 E/U - W. Europe = 8.4. Latin Am./Carib. = 6.4. Lowest: Sub-Saharan Africa = 4.3 MENA = 3.7 (2012)

Corruption Perception Index (re: Transparency International)

Index: 176 countries. Rank:1-100Cleanest: Denmark, Finland, New Zealand.RoI = 25th place (2012)Lowest: Afghanistan, N. Korea & Somalia.

Humanitarian Aid & Action

Principles: humanitarianism, impartiality, neutrality & independence. Action: protection of civilians, & provision of vital services by agencies. Sphere Coalition Charter (NGOs): Assistance: funding & in-kind services via humanitarian agencies or host government.

HA: Governments, agencies & citizens

Government: e.g. RoI - Dept. Foreign Affairs - Irish Aid, UK – DIFD, USAID.Intergovernmental organizations: e.g., OCHA - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.ECHO - EC Humanitarian Office.NGOs: e.g. ICRC (Red Cross/Crescent), MSF, CONCERN, Trocaire, Goal.

ECHO - EC Humanitarian Office

EU as a whole = world's biggest donor. Member states & institutions: > 50% official global humanitarian aid.ECHO founded in 1992 - has provided €14 billion to victims of conflict & disasters in 140 countries.2010: first dedicated EU Commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid & crisis response appointed.

ECHO Activities

ECHO > 300 people working in its HQ in Brussels & > 400 in 44 field offices in 38 countries. Needs-based approach.ECHO cooperates with > 200 partners (14 UN agencies, 191 NGOs & international organisations: ICRC & International Organisation for Migration). => Rapid response.

Eurobarometer: HA – 2012 Report

(1) Awareness of HA(2) Importance of EU HA (3) Support for EU funding HA despite economic crisis(4) Common or national approach to HA(5) Knowledge & information on EU HA(6) Attitude towards a European voluntary aid corps

Eurobarometer: Main Results

88% consider it important for EU to fund HA (79% in 2010).84% agree that EU should continue to fund HA in spite of economic crisis.71% believe HA provided by EU is more efficient than when provided by each Member State separately (58% in 2010).

ECHO: HA & Civil Protection DG

http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htmIntegrated Rapid ResponseList of expertsEducation: e.g. NOHA Network / Faculty listed by ECHO as model for European research, joint Masters & Doctorates.Remaining challenge for ECHO is education in a digital age: 1st - LLP

ECHO/UN - R2P

UN Charter: - Ch1. non-interference in internal

affairs of sovereign states. - Ch7. Risk of destabilization of

other countries. VsIncreasing globalization: concepts of global governance & International Humanitarian Law.EU Common Foreign Policy?

UN: GA Resolutions & Security CouncilCollective security principle has often failed. People-centred approach now emerging.

UN SC (& P5 veto n.b. France, UK) Vs UN GA (all other states). 115 states Non-Aligned / Former colonies.Failed states (e.g. Somalia): increasing trend for regional state interventions as in Africa. N.B. EUUN & EU experiences: Libya Vs. Syria.

Geoploitics. Media. Digital revolution

R2P: UN Secretary General: "every sovereign government … 'responsibility to protect' its citizens & those within its jurisdiction from genocide, mass killing, & massive & sustained human rights violations." – UNSG Report (2005).

“… if national authorities are unable or unwilling to protect their citizens, then the responsibility shifts to the international community to use diplomatic, humanitarian & other methods to help protect the human rights & well being of civilian populations. … the UNSC may out of necessity decide to take action under the Charter of the UN, including enforcement action...”

Education - NOHA1993: Master´s in HA - 7 EU HEIs - NL, Sp, Sw, Ger, Irl, Belg & Fr.Sem1: all 7 HEIs - Geopolitics, Anthropology, Public Health, Management, Law, Geography. Sem2: Specialisms.Mundus: 6 partner HEIs & >100 NGOs.EU cites as model

HOW DOES IRELAND RESPOND TO

HA? State: bilateral/multilateral programs, & NGOs – Irish Aid / EU – ECHO / UN. Irish Aid: > 40 countries.

Partner countries e.g. Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Timor Leste, Vietnam; & others

Neutral state: with defense forces: UN R2P1958 on: UN > 51 Peacekeeping missions.1993: UNTSI (UN Training School RoI).1997: EU: Treaty of Amsterdam / CFSP1999: NATO PfP / Petersberg Tasks

DF & HA

2000: Defence White Paper: “HA tasks go hand-in-hand with military tasks in many crisis situations.”2006: EU battle groups: “to stop … unrest in many locations … deteriorating into … crises… Irish soldiers may be ordered to participate in HA missions.”DF: Officers seconded to UN Relief & Works Agency & GOAL, CONCERN & ICRC.

DF / HA Merging Roles?

Most DF policies now contain reference to HA.DF ‘cooperating’ with military organizations; legitimating actions by HA.DF/NGO synergy enhancing HA delivery.Irish HA in: Afghanistan & Iraq.Triple lock system:

DF involvement abroad requires authorization of Gov., Oireachtas & UNSC at present.

NGOs

Dóchas (umbrella for 35 Irish NGOs)Trócaire: R2P -UN/multilateral mandate only.CONCERN: Mandate to respond, “to extreme poverty … due to disaster or long-term economic & social factors.” GOAL: 150 GOALies alongside 2,000 local staff in HA in 14 countries. “Programs aimed at poor & those suffering effects of war &/or natural disaster.”

Haiti2010: Earthquake, flooding & cholera.Pop: 10.1 M. Area: 27,750 sq. km.Vulnerability: UN HDI: 161st / 187. 2010: 50% deaths = HIV/AIDS (infect = 2.2% adult pop) (WHO 2012). 200-year history: 32 coups.Indexes: Corrupt - High. Democ - low. Literacy = 49%.

EU/ECHO ResponsesHaiti: http://www.urd.org/Evaluation-of-DG-ECHO-s-responseEvaluation of DG ECHO’s global response to situation in Haiti Dec. 2010– April 2011= T/D-B/U plethora HA networks ECHO/EU: linked to all scales, NGOs (e.g. Haitian & Irish), & UN institutions (e.g. WHO, FAO)

ConclusionsPost Cold War responses to geopolitical contexts & humanitarian spaces within EU & outside Europe1992: EU/ECHO created 2010: 1st dedicated EU Commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid & crisis response appointedCentripertal / Centrifugal - integrating humanitarian institutions, organizations & actors e.g. Ireland & Haiti narrativesFuture research: ECHO time/space processes & humanitarian space & networks

Thank You!

Dr Gerry O’Reilly, gerry.oreilly@spd.dcu.ie

Geography Department, St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra – Dublin City University