LINK BETWEEN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSED IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
Press Release
ECOSOC/5676
LINK BETWEEN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSED IN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
19960719 The increased trend towards funding for humanitarian aid should not be at the expense of development assistance, speakers told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon, as it continued its consideration of special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.Indonesia's representative emphasized that long-term solutions to humanitarian crises lay in the sustainable development of developing countries, adding that development issues should be addressed even as relief activities were under way. The representative of Japan called for strengthening the linkages between relief operations and development, as had been the case recently in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Rwanda.
Norway's representative said that inter-agency appeals should, to the extent possible, bear in mind the continuum from prevention to long-term rehabilitation and development. He said that the Department of Humanitarian Affairs had a critical role to play as a channel for information as well as a depository of expertise, noting that information was critical to the coordination of early-warning and relief operations.
The representative of the United States praised the Department for Humanitarian Affairs' Military Civil Defence Unit, which was working to develop specific ways in which national militaries and civil defence organizations might best support humanitarian programmes in emergencies. Speaking on economic sanctions levied by the Security Council, he said they had a real economic impact, and added that the Department "need not report to us those basic truths". The Department's role must be to demonstrate leadership in ensuring exceptions to sanctions were used to mitigate hardships experienced by people, he added.
A representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called for a review of funding arrangements for relief and development activities, and said that more significance should be attached to the role of local and national structures before, during and after crises situations.
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The representative of India called for efforts to strengthen the national capacities of developing countries to tackle the effects of natural disasters on a long-term basis. Stressing the importance of South-South cooperation, he called upon the Department of Humanitarian Affairs to look for experts from developing countries.
Statements were also made by the representatives of Syria, Thailand, Russian Federation, Yemen, Australia, Israel, Georgia, Ireland (on behalf of the European Union and associated States), United Republic of Tanzania, Ukraine, Argentina, Iraq, Pakistan, Belarus, Morocco and Algeria. The observer for Switzerland as well as representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Committee for the Red Cross also spoke.
The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. on Monday, 22 July, to continue its general segment.
Council Work Programme
The Economic and Social Council met this afternoon to continue its general segment, focusing on social, humanitarian and human rights questions. The Council has before it reports concerning special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance; the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); advancement of women; and social development questions. (For background information, see Press Release ECOSOC/5675, issued today.)
Statements on Economic, Humanitarian Assistance
VICTOR MARERRO (United States) expressed his Government's support for the work done by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in the area of humanitarian assistance. He stressed that humanitarian assistance had to be effective and well-coordinated so that gaps and overlaps were minimized. Next year, information now being produced in various agencies would be analysed. The United States would like to see a plan from the Department which laid out the process and the points at which governments would be consulted on their input. He congratulated the operational agencies for the progress they had made in defining their roles.
An important aspect of the coordination role of the Department was the Military Civil Defence Unit, which was working to develop specific ways in which national militaries and civil defence organizations might best support humanitarian programmes in emergencies, he said. His Government had made a contribution of $150,000 for that purpose, he added. Speaking on economic sanctions levied by the Security Council, he said those sanctions had a real economic impact on people and governments.
The Department "need not report to us those basic truths", he said, adding that the Department's role must be to demonstrate leadership in ensuring exceptions to sanctions were used to mitigate hardships experienced by people. The implementation of Security Council resolution 986 (1995) was a challenge to the Department to ensure that humanitarian distributions under that resolution occurred consistent with its intent.
FAYSSAL MEKDAD (Syria) expressed appreciation for the United Nations assistance to Lebanon. The Israeli occupation of south Lebanon and the continuing attacks by Israel on that country had been well analysed in the Secretary-General's report. Syria had always given moral and material assistance to Lebanon. At a time when negotiations were ongoing for peace, Israel had refused to implement the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. He hailed the efforts made by the United Nations and its agencies on behalf of Lebanon and stressed that a well-defined and specific mechanism to help that country was needed. He called for an unconditional withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon in keeping with Security Council resolution 425 (1978).
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APICHART CHINWANNO (Thailand) said his delegation believed in the importance of coordination of various humanitarian agencies in response to emergencies. It encouraged further efforts by all concerned to help mitigate the effects of emergencies on affected populations. He expressed appreciation for the role of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in responding to emergencies and in mobilizing international assistance. Thailand would continue to play its part in offering assistance within the limits of its resources.
ALEXANDER GORELIK (Russian Federation) said his country supported the establishment of stand-by arrangements to provide increased emergency response. The Russian Federation believed that the limitations on the capacities of the United Nations humanitarian system were not all complicated and that results could be achieved sooner in some cases. Issues of coordination, staff development, monitoring and evaluation belonged to those where speedier progress could be expected. As regards resource mobilization, he hoped to see the results of the sub-working group's consideration of current procedures for reporting on programme implementation and financial arrangements. Its work would allow for better organizing the evaluation of assistance and national assets and services provided for the benefit of humanitarian operations.
Special emphasis and detailed consideration should be given to the issue of post-conflict peace-building which integrated relief and development, he said. The efforts and programmes of all actors involved should be coordinated. On issues relating to the operation of the central emergency revolving fund, he said, in exceptional cases, channelling of resources could be justified if it supported the survival of humanitarian operations.
ABDULAZIZ KAID (Yemen) said his country had suffered due to the war in 1994 and thereafter due to natural causes. He stressed that the restructuring of the various sectors of the economy was on, and people accused of corruption were being brought to justice. He thanked the United Nations, its agencies and donors for their help.
SUTJIPTOHARDJO DONOKUSUMO (Indonesia) expressed concern that at a time when overall funding of official development assistance (ODA) had stagnated, donor countries had not been meeting the funds requested in United Nations consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance. He emphasized that long- term solution to humanitarian crises lay in sustained and sustainable development of the developing countries. The increased trend towards funding for humanitarian assistance should not be at the expense of development assistance. Development issues should be addressed even as relief activities were under way.
So far as coordination of activities at the field level was concerned, there was a need to better manage the activities of the numerous United
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Nations agencies and bodies, he said, drawing attention to the need to establish inter-agency monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
SVEIN ANDREASSEN (Norway) said the Department of Humanitarian Affairs should be strengthened. He stressed the importance of securing a full response from the donor community to ensure that all aspects of the consolidated inter-agency appeal process were covered. Norway, as a major contributor, encouraged other countries to respond favourably to the consolidated appeals. In preparing appeals, the Department should continue its efforts to involve the large and important family of non-governmental organizations in its undertakings. To the extent possible, the appeals should also bear in mind the continuum from prevention to long-term rehabilitation and development.
The Department had a critical role to play in field-level coordination, he said. By striving to become a channel for exchange of information, as well as a depository of expertise, it could gradually acquire a position of authority within the United Nations response system. Early-warning and subsequent coordination of prevention, as well as relief operations, could only be efficient if information was collated, analysed and disseminated in a standardized and coherent manner. The Department should look critically at activities and projects financed solely through extrabudgetary contributions. He urged the United Nations to continue to ensure the safety of relief personnel.
FUMIKO SAIGA (Japan) said one of the issues, the importance of which had been highlighted by recent developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Rwanda, was the linkage between relief operations and development activities. It was imperative that the international humanitarian assistance community find a way of strengthening that linkage. Japan believed that the Inter-Agency Standing Committee provided an appropriate forum for coordination among humanitarian and development assistance agencies as they began rehabilitation and development assistance programmes even before cease-fires were achieved. She stressed that keeping in mind the heavy burden of the UNHCR, countries should be careful in expanding its mandate to include the provision of protection and assistance to internally displaced persons.
GENEVIEVE HAMILTON (Australia) said her country supported an effective coordinating role for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, and stressed the need for all United Nations agencies to develop strategies to apply individual specialized resources and strengths to the common goal of closer, more effective coordination of humanitarian assistance. Governments also had a role in enhancing coordination by providing coherent direction to the various parts of the United Nations system, including through their participation in governing boards of agencies.
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She said Australia was interested in questions such as how coordination worked in the field, roles relating to internally displaced persons, effective coordination of mine clearance, and how stable funding for coordinated United Nations assistance was maintained. It was also interested in the means of transition from a complex emergency phase to development assistance.
ARIE TENNE (Israel) said the report on reconstruction of Lebanon had not alluded to the actual cause of the hostilities. It had also not mentioned the unprovoked and unhindered wave of terrorist missile attacks from Lebanese territory against the civilian population of northern Israel, as well as the physical damage and loss of life. Israel had been left with no alternative but to defend itself.
Israel continued to stand ready to negotiate peace with Lebanon, as with all of its neighbours, he said. It had no claim on Lebanese territory, economy or security. Its right to security and inviolability, however, should also be respected.
ARUN KUMAR SINGH (India) said adequate attention should be paid to natural disasters, particularly in developing countries. Efforts should be made to strengthen the national capacities of developing countries to tackle the effects of natural disasters on a long-term basis. He stressed the importance of South-South cooperation in the area of technical assistance and called upon the Department of Humanitarian Affairs to look for experts from developing countries. He also stressed the need for transparency in the allocation of resources. Concerns about diversion of humanitarian assistance from development aid should also be looked at.
Dr. MAAZA BEKELE, a representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), said the World Health Assembly had endorsed five major fields of activity which included technical support for emergency humanitarian assistance. It had stressed the role of the WHO in the health field. Also, it had endorsed emergency preparedness and development of national capacity for emergency health management. It had endorsed the rehabilitation of national health structures and the linking of relief and development activity, bearing in mind that both types of activities could often be undertaken simultaneously. In addition, it had endorsed humanitarian advocacy and enhanced partnership with national, international, intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations.
The WHO had made considerable progress in preparing itself to respond increasingly effectively to health needs arising from emergency of any type, she said. Cooperation between WHO headquarters and its regional offices had been considerably strengthened and technical assistance and guidance was increasingly made available to field offices for back-up purposes. However, emergency staff in the WHO was not permanently employed, for it was not practical or feasible to have such staff employed permanently. Moreover,
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since the WHO's resources were not primarily directed to relief operations, the organization did not have uncommitted funds available for rapid response in complex emergencies and depended on the appeals of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs for finance inputs.
LIVIA LEU, observer for Switzerland, stressed the need for clear attribution of responsibilities for the implementation of tasks that needed to be done in the field of humanitarian relief. The attribution of responsibilities, on a case-by-case basis, must be process-oriented, should take into consideration the situation in the field and must have necessary flexibility and efficiency. He stressed the need for multi-track assistance which would integrate the use of all tools available in complex emergencies. Such assistance would focus on a proper mix of prevention, relief, macroeconomic considerations, peace-keeping, development, sanctions, financial support and good offices.
RASHIM AHLUWALIA, of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the Federation, with its 169 member societies, sought to improve the situation of the most vulnerable and victims of disasters globally. It had developed its own rules and principles of disaster relief, and was examining the possibilities of developing a further code to cover in more depth the practical issues in humanitarian response. It believed that more significance should be attached to the presence and role of competent local and national structures before, during and after crises situations. There was also need for a review of funding arrangements for relief and development activities.
Greater attention should be paid to food security and the current trend of reduced food aid availability, he said. Two other areas of concern to the Federation were the negative humanitarian impact of economic sanctions on the humanitarian needs of vulnerable populations and the issue of violence against women, especially in crises situations. The harsh realities of the humanitarian sector required reassessment, realignment and harmonization of efforts by all. He called for support and cooperation for the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General to strengthen humanitarian and disaster relief coordination.
BRUNO ZIMMERMANN, of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the civilian population was the first to suffer from armed conflict. There was a dichotomy between the universally recognized right of civilians and the actual protection that was provided to them in conflict situations. The personnel of humanitarian organizations were often attacked, killed, and their equipment taken away in those situations. He stressed the need for coordination of humanitarian assistance on a bilateral and multilateral level. Such coordination should not slow down decision-making. Instead, it should create synergies drawing on the experiences of the various organizations involved. The ICRC believed in preventive action and
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contingency planning. He also reiterated the need for mobilization of respect for international law and for facilitating reconciliation.
DAVID E. APTSIAURI (Georgia) said the problems of 300,000 displaced persons in his country were hindering its transition to a market economy. An important regional meeting on humanitarian relief and problems of refugees held last March in his country was considered a practical example of regional approaches to resolution of regional problems. He expressed gratitude for the assistance given to his country by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and other agencies.
JOHN CAMPBELL (Ireland), speaking on behalf of the European Union as well as Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, expressed appreciation for the work being done by the UNHCR. He noted that the restrictions on freedom of movement of UNHCR had made it difficult for it to implement its mandate, and that was particularly important in the light of forthcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the region of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Union urged that countries should work closely with UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). It shared the UNHCR's concern regarding the Great Lakes region of Africa. It believed that refugees should be encouraged to return voluntarily as the presence of a large number of refugees could create instability in the region. He also stressed the importance of timely and adequate funding for the UNHCR activities and said the Union was the largest donor to it.
RADHIYA MSUYA (United Republic of Tanzania) said the impact on the local population of the influx of refugees should be noted, as should their impact on the environment. She hoped that the ongoing consultations between UNHCR and the World Bank and the regional development banks to address the impact of refugee influxes on development resources of asylum countries and the multifaceted needs of countries into which refugees integrated would bear results. It was disturbing that while two thirds of the resettlement caseloads had been resettled in third countries, the majority of cases still in need of resettlement originated in Africa.
YEVHEN KOZIY (Ukraine) welcomed the idea of regional approaches to the resolution of problems of refugees and migration. He noted that for the first time the problems of refugees, displaced persons and other forms of involuntary displacement in the CIS had been dealt with at a regional conference last May in Geneva organized by the UNHCR in collaboration with the IOM and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Discussions had showed that the problems of those countries transcended their borders. Bilateral and regional cooperation was important in dealing with problems associated with refugees and migration.
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A programme of action adopted by that meeting and a framework for follow-up activities should help those countries manage migratory flows, he said. The document contained specific activities to be followed, noteworthy among which was a section devoted to preventive measures concerning human rights and involuntary migration. He said successful implementation of the programme would have great importance to peace and stability not only in the region but in the world at large.
MARTIN GARCIA MORITAN (Argentina) said his country had traditionally received refugees. It offered asylum to all. He called for the strengthening of the work of the UNHCR.
KHALED AL-HITTI (Iraq) said his country had always been a country which had offered refuge to others. The circumstances of the blockade and the military campaign that had been imposed against it had forced its citizens to seek refuge elsewhere. As a result of the blockade, foodstuffs were lacking and living conditions had gone down. In the north a bloody conflict was going on among factions. One of the adverse consequences of the sanctions had been the "brain drain", the flight of experts. He stressed that the international community should study the effect of sanctions on human rights and economic development in Iraq. The United Nations should seriously consider lifting the blockade or at least alleviating the conditions in Iraq.
MUHAMMAD NAJM AKBAR (Pakistan) said his country had been the host to one of the largest caseloads of refugees in history. It had sheltered more than 3 million Afghan refugees. Their presence had caused serious problems in the country. There was a reverse flow of refugees even as some were repatriated. The withdrawal of assistance or reduction of assistance would severely affect the Government of Pakistan at the present stage. In the absence of aid, keeping the refugees in camps would be difficult and once they were outside, that registration network would not work and they would become illegal immigrants. He called for increasing the level of assistance to refugees and for free transportation for them to return to their homes.
OLEG MALGINOV (Russian Federation) said countries of origin of refugees should create conditions to ensure their return. The UNHCR should assist countries in tackling problems faced by minorities. He supported priority areas of UNHCR's work in such areas as capacity-building, coordination and synchronizing relief work with reconstruction and development. The UNHCR's humanitarian efforts should in future retain their main characteristics and the needs of victims. He stressed the need for integrated approach to problems of refugees.
The Geneva conference on the problems of refugees, returnees, displaced persons and other forms of involuntary displacement in the CIS countries, an idea initiated by the Russian Federation three years ago, had adopted important instruments which should prevent refugee flows in future, he went
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on. The discussions had been open and apolitical which made it possible for consensus to be achieved. The final document dealt with the elimination of discrimination of minorities and refugees and ensuring freedom of movement. The problems of the CIS countries had been met with understanding by the international community. The significance of the conference decisions was that they transcended the countries of the region. He said his country hoped the decisions of the conference would be implemented. It appealed for support for the implementation of projects submitted at the conference.
IGAR GUBAREVICH (Belarus) said his country supported UNHCR's proposed strategies. Belarus had been providing assistance to refugees and migrant workers among others. It was interested in the development of international cooperation in resolving problems of migrants. It also welcomed the decisions of the Geneva conference and was striving for further cooperation with UNHCR. It was interested in establishing a regional centre for migration with the cooperation of the UNHCR.
YAMINA BENNAMI (Morocco) said that the number of refugees quoted in the UNHCR report was not based on a census. She said it was incorrect to say that there were 165,000 refugees.
AMINA MESDOUA (Algeria) said once more there seemed to be misinformation from one delegation. There were no good arguments to defend bad causes. She stressed that it was up to the identification commission to put forth the number of the Sahrawi refugees.
Action by Council
The Council then took note of the oral reports on assistance to Madagascar, Somalia and Yemen. It also took note of a report on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa and another on assistance to the drought-stricken areas of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan and Uganda.
In addition, it took note of the report of the Secretary-General on assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon (document E/1996/65), and of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (document E/1996/52 and Corr.1).
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