|
Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance
Speech delivered by Dr Astrid N Heiberg, President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to the United Nations General Assembly, New York
27 November, 2000
Mr. President,
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is pleased to have this opportunity to address the United Nations General Assembly on matters that are of deep concern to us, as they are to the entire humanitarian community.
Improving the ways we work together is central to the interests of the victims and vulnerable whom we serve, vital to retaining the respect and loyalty of our volunteers, and crucial in building the confidence of governments in our ability to do the work we are there to do.
Mr. President,
The issue of the co-ordination of humanitarian assistance has been debated in the United Nations General Assembly every year since the early 90's. This reflects the inherent difficulties in achieving the appropriate level of co-ordination. It may also reflect that talking in general terms about the need for co-ordination does not bring us forward. We need to be specific about what kind of co-ordination we want - and what we do not want. Unless carefully designed, co-ordination in the form of centralizing bodies can actually be counterproductive to locally based action and responsibility, upon which our Red Cross and Red Crescent network is based. Co-ordination done wrongly can create new layers of bureaucracy where there is a need to reduce existing bureaucracies. This being said, all players in the humanitarian, political and development spheres must manage crisis in a comprehensive manner, taking due account of the respective responsibilities, mandates and spheres of competence of each party.
An important tool for better, co-ordinated management of humanitarian crises is the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief. This work is taken further in the Sphere Project with the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in disaster response. It sets out standards for humanitarian assistance against which humanitarian organisations can be held accountable. Governments should also take responsibility for implementing such standards, possibly through codes of conduct of their own. Compliance with the Code of Conduct could also be secured if donors use these as a criterion for funding. This would also lead to better co-ordination.
Last year the call for improved coordination and better quality assistance came through strongly at the 27th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, of which States Party to the Geneva Conventions are part. The Plan of Action adopted at that Conference included
- a commitment from the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement to improve our co-operation and co-ordination in our international activities, both internally and with States, the United Nations system, and other actors, based upon the Code of Conduct.
- support from both States and the Movement to efforts to develop minimum practical standards for the delivery of humanitarian assistance, such as those elaborated in the Sphere project.
Mr. President,
While much has been done to achieve better quality and co-ordination, we are facing major challenges, one of which is the lack of a systematic legal framework for disaster response, which may cause unnecessary difficulties in responding to disasters. Some elements of such a framework already exist, including UN resolutions, conventions such as for use of radio communication, as well as customary law. This constitutes the beginnings of what I like to refer to as an "International Disaster Response Law".
The need for such a legal framework was discussed in our "World Disasters Report" this year, including some basic concepts and possibilities to cover those gaps by developing "International Disaster Response Law". Based on the Federation and our National Societies' experiences in the field, we have initiated consultations on these issues with other interested parties. This work cannot be done by us, alone. We therefore invite the United Nations and its individual member States as well as relevant NGOs to participate actively in this work.
Mr. President,
The humanitarian community is rightly concerned with the plight of the internally displaced - including not only those displaced by armed conflict, but also those displaced by natural and human made disasters, side effects of development projects as well as those forced to move into already overcrowded cities through fear or their inability to provide for themselves.
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are well placed to assist these. If appropriately supported we can provide
- Preparedness and early warning in the first phase, because we are part of the community and with a network of branches throughout their country
- Response in the first emergency phase, and particularly where access is a problem for the international community
- Supplementing actions and mandates of other organisations in the care and maintenance phase and in the solution phase
- Not least, in the final integration phase National Societies as local organisations can enable integration to work
Nevertheless it must not be forgotten that States have the primary responsibility for the protection of all people within their borders. Organisations like the Red Cross and Red Crescent are there to assist States in discharging that responsibility.
Mr. President,
The General Assembly has before it the report of the Secretary General on the subject of security for humanitarian workers. We highly appreciate the work of the United Nations in this regard, not least because we, too, face the problems of maintaining a presence in situations of instability and violence.
We are, nevertheless, worried by the almost exclusive focus on the situation of international staff of international organisations. We understand the reasons: Organisations have concerns for their staff, governments' for their citizens, and media for their home audiences. But that is no excuse for ignoring the situation of locally recruited staff, volunteers, and staff of our
counterpart organisations at the national level. These humanitarian workers - who are there before, during and after the crisis - suffer many more casualties than do the internationals, and with more severe consequences for their families and dependents. Moreover, they are often facing danger as a direct consequence of our, international actions, policies and statements, - matters on which they have little influence. On behalf of, especially, the volunteers which the UN will celebrate over the next year, I call upon both states and agencies to pay full attention to those humanitarian workers that put their security at stake to enable international agencies to carry out our tasks.
Mr. President,
Ensuring effective and efficient co-ordination is our collective duty, and if it fails, we have failed. We need to continue to build the institutional framework within which co-ordination can take place, and develop the needed legal instruments. But our focus must be on the people we serve - the internally displaced, the victims of natural disasters, the individuals and families fleeing war and strife. They must get the assistance, support and protection they need.
In that context, and with your permission, Mr. Chairman, let me take this opportunity to advertise one of tomorrow's events, when we inaugurate the International Year of Volunteers. Let us recall that while we -- agencies, states, and international organisations -- see ourselves as significant players, the first and most important emergency response, the immediate, the lifesaving action, is provided by family, relatives, friends and neighbours. In short, by volunteers.
Mr. President,
Let me end by re-stating the commitment of the International Federation to constructive participation in the co-ordination of humanitarian assistance and assure you, as well as the distinguished delegates, of our willingness to engage and co-operate.
Thank you for your attention.
|
News
