The United Nations Systemand its Humanitarian Role

1. GA Resolution 46/182 (1991)

1. Position of the ERC

2. Establishment of the IASC

3. Institutionalization of OCHA

4. Humanitarian coordinator system

5. International appeals

Position of the ERC

Head of OCHA Responds to requests of affected states Mobilization of external assistance Advocates for access to affected population Chairs IASC Supervises network of humanitarian

coordinators

IASC

Сеть НПО

• Межд. Совет добровольных учреждений (S.I.)• Интерэкшн (S.I.)

RED CROSS/RED RED CROSS/RED CRESENTCRESENT• ICRC (S.I.) • IFRC (S.I.)

UN AGENCIES • WFP(F.M.)

• UNICEF (F.M.)• WHO (F.M.) • FAO (F.M.)

• UNDP (F.M.)• UNHCR (F.M.)• OHCHR (S.I.) • UNFPA (F.M.)• OCHA (F.M.)

IASC

Other UN Other UN Special Rep on Special Rep on IDPs IDPs (S.I.)

International Organizations • IOM (S.I.)• World Bank(S.I.)

NGO netwroks• ICVA (S.I.)• Interaction (S.I.)• (S.I.)

GA 46/182: Lead Role of Government in Humanitarian Response

‘Each State has the responsibility first and foremost to take care of victims of natural disasters and other emergencies occurring on its territory. Hence, the affected State has the primary role in the initiation, organization, coordination, and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory.’

‘States whose populations are in need of humanitarian assistance are called upon to facilitate the work of these organizations in implementing humanitarian assistance, in particular the supply of food, medicines, shelter and health care, for which access to victims is essential’ 

Responsibilities of the government

• Provide leadership to the response • Ensure mechanisms for coordination with

humanitarian partners • Facilitate easy entry and exit of non-residential

humanitarian partners, personnel, goods and equipment

• Facilitate legal status of operations of non-residential humanitarian partners

• Provide “Humanitarian space”: Ability of humanitarian actors to work independently and impartially in pursuit of humanitarian imperative

Supporting role of humanitarian partners

No organisation has a comprehensive mandate or the capacity to assist and protect a large number of vulnerable populations

Responsibilities of humanitarian partners

• Needs and beneficiary based assistance: Aid that seeks to save lives and alleviate suffering, including support to existing services (such as food, water, health, shelter, education, etc)

• Protection: All activities aimed at ensuring respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of relevant bodies of law, including international human rights, humanitarian, and refugee law

• Protection should always be integrated into humanitarian assistance

Common Humanitarian Principles:

• Humanity (humanitarian imperative comes first, right to receive assistance)

• Impartiality (aid provided regardless of race, creed, nationality – needs-based)

• Neutrality (organisations not working as instruments of government foreign policy)

• Independence

Coordination through HC and HCT

1. IASC-wide consensus to establish coordination structures under leadership of RC/HC

2. Humanitarian Country Teams are broad-based, with UN, NGO, International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, IOs representation

3. Senior level coordination platform for strategic planning, priority setting, and decisions

4. Aims to support inter-cluster coordination

OCHA

• Supports the RC/HC in emergency response tools and services

• Resource mobilisation: appeals, CERF, pooled funds

• Information management

• Disaster response preparedness

Humanitarian appeal (CAP)

• Coordination tool for international response and resource requirements

• UN, NGO, Red Crescent, others• Make donors more effective by precluding

simultaneous, overlapping appeals• Officially issued in Geneva

Relief Coordination - the reality?

OSOCC

EMOPS

UNCEF

PNS’NGOs

WFP

NGOs

WFPRome

MIL

UNDAC

OCHANew York

HumanitarianCoordinator

SGSGOCHA

Coordinator

CMOC

UNCS

USAID/DART

Ambassador

DonorGovt’s

NGOsNGOs

UNDP

UNHCR

Private

IFRC

Humanitarian reforms

Humanitarian financing

Adequate, flexible and timely financing

Humanitarian coordinators

Effective leadership and coordination in humanitarian emergencies

Partnership

Strong and equal partnership between UN and non-UN partners

Cluster approach

Adequate capacity and predictable leadership in all sectors

Global Cluster Leads

Sector/Cluster Designated Lead

1. Agriculture FAO2. Camp Coordination & Camp Mgmt UNHCR & IOM3. Early Recovery UNDP4. Education UNICEF & Save the

Children5. Emergency Shelter UNHCR & IFRC

(convenor)6. Emergency Telecommunications OCHA, UNICEF & WFP7. Health WHO8. Logistics WFP9. Nutrition UNICEF10.Protection UNHCR 11.Water, Sanitation & Hygiene UNICEF

5. Web information

• www.reliefweb.int• http://ochaonline.un.org/• www.irinnews.org