Disaster response The International Humanitarian Framework - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 30
About This Presentation
Title:

Disaster response The International Humanitarian Framework

Description:

Advocacy and negotiation for access, human rights, protection issues ... Highlights, in a generic manner, the nature and character of civil-military ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:97
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 31
Provided by: bbe75
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Disaster response The International Humanitarian Framework


1
Disaster response - The International
Humanitarian Framework
  • Guiding Principles
  • The Current Humanitarian Environment
  • Civil Military Coordination
  • Terje Skavdal,
  • Regional Office for Asian and the Pacific
  • Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
    Affairs

2
General Assembly Resolution 46/182, December 1991
the suffering of victims of disasters /
emergency situations,
the loss of lives,
the mass displacement of people
the flow of refugees
the material destruction
  • Strong needs for
  • enhancement of the coordination of humanitarian
    emergency assistance

3
Guiding Principles
  • 1) Humanitarian assistance is of importance for
    the victims of natural disaster and other
    emergencies
  • 2) Humanitarian assistance must be provided in
    accordance with the principles of humanity,
    neutrality and impartiality

4
Guiding Principles
  • 3) The sovereignty, territorial integrity and
    national unity of states must be fully respected
    in accordance with the Charter of the United
    Nations
  • 4) Each states has the responsibility first and
    foremost to take care of the victims of natural
    disasters and other emergencies occurring on its
    territory

5
Guiding Principles
  • 5) The magnitude and duration of many emergencies
    may be beyond the response capacity of many
    affected counties.

6
GA 46/182
  • Establishment of the Emergency Relief Coordinator
  • Inter Agency Standing Committee
  • Coordinated Appeal Process
  • Humanitarian Coordinators

7
Humanitarian Action Challenges
  • Well-known, long-standing gaps
  • Gap between response to recovery
  • Limited linkages weak partnerships
  • Coordination irregular and response capacity
    unpredictable
  • Preparedness weak
  • Gaps and duplication (sectoral geographic)
  • Insufficient accountability
  • Donor policies inconsistent

8
Changing Humanitarian Environment
  • Increasing complexity and frequency of disasters
  • New challenges (energy/water shortages,
    urbanisation, migration, climate change)
  • Challenges in maintaining humanitarian space and
    principles
  • Increasingly competitive funding environment
  • Increased demands for assistance,
  • Increased national capacity to respond and
    coordinate
  • Increasing number/variety of actors
  • Economic, food and fuel crises
  • Growing demand for a more inclusive disaster
    response system
  • Humanitarian
    Reform

9
Building a Stronger, more Predictable,
Humanitarian Response System
  • Partnership underpins humanitarian action
  • Strengthened sectoral coordination to ensure with
    full coverage of needs
  • Accountable humanitarian leadership to strategize
    effectively for response
  • Flexible, adequate and timely funding

10
Whose reform is itanyway?
  • IASC-agreed reform (not a UN-driven process!)
  • Principles of Partnership as the basis for reform
  • Changing attitudes and the way we work as a
    humanitarian community
  • No longer reform but the way we do business!

11
Partnership is the foundation of humanitarian
action
  • Partnerships are at the centre of effective
    response, and form the basis for humanitarian
    action
  • No single humanitarian agency or actor - can
    cover all humanitarian needs
  • Collaboration is not an option, it is a necessity
  • Limited resources need more efficiency in
    response
  • Common interest and objectives

12
Why partnership strengthening is in the interest
of all actors
  • Inclusive coordination structures
  • Coordinated resource mobilisation
  • Strategic and coherent response
  • Access to improved information
  • Recognition of mutual interdependence,
    trust-building
  • Better understanding of expectations and
    commonalities
  • Move away from traditional contractual
    relationships

13
Leadership of International Response
  • Strong and accountable leadership key to
    effective response
  • Role of RC/HC critical in leading supporting
    humanitarian community, through coordination by
    consent
  • Increased support to RCs who take on additional
    responsibilities

14
Humanitarian Coordinator role
  • Lead preparedness efforts (including contingency
    planning)
  • Facilitate agreement on coordination structures
    and sectoral leads (with HCT partners)
  • Establish inter-cluster coordination mechanisms
  • Strategic coordination lead strategic planning,
    needs assessment, response plans, monitoring
  • Overall operational coordination (establish HCT)
  • Advocacy and negotiation for access, human
    rights, protection issues
  • Ensure integration of cross-cutting issues and
    support to early recovery
  • Lead and coordinate resource mobilisation efforts

15
Benefits of Sectoral Coordination
  • Humanitarian response functions more effectively
    with agreed coordination structures and
    clearly-identified lead actors
  • Cluster approach should not be imposed as one
    size fits all field and needs-driven
  • Regardless of language used, same standards of
    predictability, accountability, partnership, and
    leadership guide response

16
Cluster Lead Agencies role
  • Establish, lead and maintain coordination
    mechanisms, response and early recovery planning
    and strategy development for cluster/sector
  • Include key humanitarian partners for sector
  • Establish coordination develop linkages with
    national actors and govt counterparts
  • Lead organisation of sectoral needs
    assessment/analysis, with all partners
  • Ensure agreed standards are applied
  • Build capacity of national actors and promote
    capacity-building of humanitarian partners
  • Ensure participatory community-based approaches
  • If needed, act as provider of last resort
  • Lead emergency preparedness activities for sector
  • Monitor and report on impact of sectoral
    activities

17
Humanitarian Funding
  • The Consolidated Appeal Process
  • More than an appeal for money
  • Tool for aid agencies to plan, implement, and
    monitor their activities together

18
Flash Appeals, Consolidated Appeal, Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
  • Flash appeals
  • Part of the Consolidated Appeals Process, the
    humanitarian sectors main tool for coordination,
    strategic planning and programming.
  • A tool that provides an overview of urgent
    life-saving needs, within a week of the
    emergency's onset.
  • Contains rapid needs assessment information, a
    common humanitarian action plan, and specific
    sectoral response plans and projects.
  • Addresses acute needs for up to six months (and
    can be developed into a consolidated appeal if
    the emergency continues beyond six months).
  • A Consolidated Appeal is, basically, a longer
    version of a Flash Appeal (usually 12 months),
    for longer-term crises, offering more analysis
    and detail.

19
Flash appeals and the CERF
  • Flash Appeal strategic response plan which
    includes a set (catalogue) of projects and
    request for funds by sectors
  • CERF source of funds, i.e. donor
  • Practically this means
  • CAP planning, coordination, implementation and
    monitoring tool for humanitarian action
  • CERF for programs not yet covered by donors
    BUT essential for the overall humanitarian
    response

20
CERF in 2008
21
UN CMCoord What is it?
UN Humanitarian Civil Military
Coordination The essential dialogue and
interaction between civilian and military actors
in humanitarian emergencies necessary to protect
and promote humanitarian principles, avoid
competition, minimize inconsistency, and when
appropriate pursue common goals.
The key elements are information sharing, task
division, and planning. Basic strategies range
from coexistence to cooperation. Coordination is
a shared responsibility facilitated by liaison
and common training.
22
CMCoord - WHY DO WE NEED TO DO IT?
Increasing Role for Military Forces in Disaster
Response The scale of the Indian-Ocean
Earthquake and Tsunami and the South Asia
Earthquake disasters led to an unprecedented
level of assistance being provided by national
and international militaries to the affected
States and humanitarian community. This
assistance was central to the overall relief
efforts in quickly accessing hard-to-reach areas
and filling many technical gaps that civilian
capabilities were unable to immediately
provide.
23
CMCoord - WHY DO WE NEED TO DO IT?
Shrinking Operational Environment In most
humanitarian emergencies (complex and natural
disaster) humanitarian responders will encounter
armed actors. Now, more than ever before, there
are likely to be multiple types of forces,
including domestic, foreign, international or
multinational forces and when such actors are
present there are also likely to be significant
coordination challenges.
24
CMCoord What are the benefits?
  • Logistical Assets Logistical support from
    strategic airlift to tactical fixed wing and
    rotary airlift, sealift, overland transportation
    and related support mechanisms and personnel.
  • Medical Assistance Field Hospitals, technical
    expertise and equipment, MEDIVAC etc.
  • Communications Support Specialised
    communications capabilities and potential support
    to humanitarian operations.
  • Manpower Perhaps the largest potential provider
    of highly disciplined and well trained manpower
    at very short notice to support Humanitarian
    operations.
  • Security An clear role in providing protection
    for humanitarian aid workers as required.

25
Civil Military Coordination in Natural Disasters
26
Guidelines on the use of Military and Civil
Defence Assets (MCDA) in Disaster Relief - The
Oslo Guidelines
AIM To establish the basic framework for
formalizing and improving the effectiveness and
efficiency of the use of military teams and
expertise in international disaster relief.
  • SCOPE
  • The Oslo Guidelines address the use of MCDA
    following natural, technological and
    environmental emergencies in times of peace.
  • These guidelines are primarily intended for use
    by UN humanitarian agencies and their operational
    partners, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators,
    UN MCDA commanders and commanders of other
    deployed forces performing missions in support of
    the UN humanitarian agencies.
  • They could also be used by decision-makers in
    Member States and regional organizations when
    considering the use of military and civil defence
    assets.
  • The document focuses on the use of MCDA in
    disaster relief operations. The foundation for
    effective coordination of military and civilian
    assistance during reconstruction and
    rehabilitation is often established during the
    first phase of an international response.

27
Civil Military Coordination in Complex Emergencies
28
Civil-Military Relationship in Complex
Emergencies - An IASC Reference Paper 28 June
2004
AIM Highlights, in a generic manner, the nature
and character of civil-military relations in
complex emergencies. Reviews some fundamental
humanitarian principles and concepts that must be
upheld when coordinating with the
military. Makes practical considerations for
humanitarian workers engaged in civil- military
coordination
29
Overall Challenges Ahead
  • Strengthened preparedness and contingency
    planning
  • Establishing Humanitarian Country Teams with link
    to clusters and governmental response systems
  • Real commitment to partnership, including to
    non-traditional partners
  • Improved and rehearsed CMC
  • Improved support to governments and local
    capacity-building
  • Better linkages to recovery and development

30
  • Thank you - questions?
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com