ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CALLS ON SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CRAFT RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

17 July 1998

Press Release
ECOSOC/5781

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL CALLS ON SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CRAFT RULES AND PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCY HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

19980717 High Commissioner for Human Rights Calls on Members to Devise System-Wide Approach to Meeting Goals Set at 1993 Human Rights Conference

The mainstreaming of human rights into United Nations programmes and activities had moved human rights out of the offices and into the field, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, told the Council this morning as it began its coordination segment focusing on follow- up to the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights.

A comprehensive approach to implementing the Vienna Declaration adopted at the Conference was essential to incorporate both explicitly and implicitly related to human rights activities. Thus, democracy, sustainable development and human rights had to be integrated through streamlining, rational placement of resources, and coordination of efforts within a system-wide approach. She called on members of the Economic and Social Council to focus on devising a concerted system-wide approach to human rights.

Prior to the start of the coordination segment, the Council adopted, without a vote, agreed conclusions on special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance. The conclusions -- reached following the Council's two-day humanitarian segment -- were introduced by a representative of the observer for Switzerland.

Through that action, the Council called on the Secretary-General to develop emergency rules and procedures to ensure a rapid response to humanitarian crises. It stressed that disaster preparedness and early warning must be further strengthened at the country and regional levels. Particular efforts should be undertaken to enhance local capacity in disaster response, and to utilize capacities already existing in developing countries.

In adopting the conclusions, the Council reiterated the need for coordinated humanitarian assistance and adequate financial resources to ensure effective response by the United Nations system to natural disasters and other emergencies. It stressed that United Nations humanitarian activities must be supported by adequate responses to humanitarian appeals.

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Further, the Council stressed the urgent need to ensure respect for and promotion of the principles and norms of international humanitarian law, including ensuring the safety and access of humanitarian personnel.

Also addressing the Council during the coordination segment were the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), James Gustave Speth; the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy; the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, Angela King; and the Chief of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, David Basssiouni.

In addition, the Council agreed to hear statements from four non- governmental organizations holding consultative status with the Council.

Also this morning, Council President Juan Somavia (Chile) announced the death of Mahbub ul Haq, a former Finance Minister of Pakistan and United Nations employee.

The Council will meet again today at 3 p.m. to begin its general debate of the coordination segment.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this morning to conclude its segment on humanitarian affairs with the adoption of its related agreed conclusions. The Council was also scheduled to begin the coordination segment of its 1998 substantive session. The focus of the segment is on "coordinated follow-up to and implementation of the 1993 Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action".

To facilitate discussion on the subject, the Council had before it a report of the Secretary-General on coordination of policies and activities within the United Nations system related to follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (document E/1998/60). The report documents the improved capacity of the United Nations system, during the five years since the World Conference on Human Rights, to assist governments and societies in their efforts to ensure human rights to all people. Nonetheless, it indicates that neither the international community nor the United Nations has utilized the entire potential created by the Conference. The United Nations, over the next five years, should build on the progress achieved, while taking bold new steps to promote and protect the rights of people.

Overall, the report describes the steps taken to mainstream human rights through cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system. Mainstreaming has included adopting a human rights-based approach to activities; developing programmes and projects addressing specific human rights issues; reorienting existing programmes to focus on human rights concerns; including human rights in field operations; and inserting elements of the human rights programme in structural Secretariat units responsible for policy development and coordination. The report lists a number of recommendations for actions to be taken by the Economic and Social Council to increase mainstreaming effectiveness. Those centre on reaffirming the appeal of the World Conference and on calling on the United Nations to systematically integrate human rights protection measures.

The report also documents activities of the United Nations system aimed at integrating democracy, development, human rights and the right to development. It states that the holistic approach to human rights requires that greater attention be paid to those rights that are in a weaker position and need to be strengthened.

The report includes a brief review of specific programmes and projects carried out by United Nations agencies to integrate human rights and development, such as financial and technical assistance provided by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to over 100 countries for activities ranging from assisting with legislation and export certification to devising country programmes. To improve cooperation in this regard, the Secretary-General recommends that the Economic and Social Council promote a broader reliance within the United Nations

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system on the expertise of those active in both sustainable development and human rights, including the participation of the Bretton Woods institutions.

With regard to coordination activities in the area of racism, racial discrimination and other forms of intolerance, the report enumerates programmes and initiatives of agencies. Recommendations include such actions as the Council calling on all of the United Nations system to strengthen efforts to eradicate racism, to encourage elaboration of a comprehensive approach to confronting ethnic and racial persecution, and to participate in preparations for a world conference on the issue.

Coordination efforts with regard to the equal status and human rights of women are also discussed in the report. They range from gender mainstreaming within the United Nations to the elimination of discrimination against women in all spheres of life, including the eradication of violence against them, the development of programmes oriented towards protecting their rights and support for their participation on all aspects of social and public life.

The report discussed special programmes and initiatives of agencies for advancing the rights of women, including by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Recommendations for Council action include reaffirmation of the framework for a comprehensive strategy on the issue, including training and development of guidelines.

Also covered in the report are coordination activities with regard to groups requiring special protection, such as children, indigenous peoples, minorities, migrant workers and internally displaced persons. Specific recommendations are included for each.

Finally, the report outlines achievements and recommendations for technical cooperation, human rights education and information dissemination. It addresses aspects of implementing international human rights standards and indicates the interrelation between actions for implementing the Vienna Declaration and those of other United Nations conferences and summits.

Humanitarian Affairs Segment

LIVIA LEU AGOSTI, observer for Switzerland, introduced the draft agreed conclusions on special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance (document E/1998/L.15). By the draft text, the Council would reiterate the need for coordinated humanitarian assistance and adequate financial resources to ensure effective response by the United Nations system to natural disasters and other emergencies. Effective response would include immediate relief, (as well as efforts which supported the smooth transition between relief, as well as efforts which supported the smooth transition between relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and long-term development.

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The Council would stress the urgent need to ensure respect for and promotion of the principles and norms of international humanitarian law. It also would welcome the continued efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to prevent the targetting of women and children in conflict situations; stop the recruitment and use of children as soldiers in hostilities; and support the demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers.

Also by the draft text, the Council would reaffirm the 1997 General Assembly resolution, calling on all governments and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies to ensure the safety and access of humanitarian personnel in order to allow them to assist the affected civilian population. The Council would reaffirm the necessity for all humanitarian personnel to respect the national laws of the countries in which they were operating.

The draft document would have the Council fully support the leadership role of the Emergency Relief Coordinator for the ongoing coordination of humanitarian assistance activities and prioritization of programmes within United Nations consolidated appeals. It would also fully support enhanced efforts to clarify the parameters of authority for the resident/humanitarian coordinator functions, including the establishment of selection criteria and procedures, and specific training and performance review mechanisms for humanitarian coordinators. The Council would encourage the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee to pursue those goals vigorously.

The Council would call on the Secretary-General to develop emergency rules and procedures to ensure a rapid response to humanitarian crises. It would stress that disaster preparedness and early warning must be further strengthened at the country and regional levels. Particular efforts should be undertaken to enhance local capacity in disaster response, and to utilize capacities already existing in developing countries which might be available closer to the site of a disaster and at lower cost.

The Council would note the need to develop a comprehensive approach to addressing needs of countries in crisis. The development of such a comprehensive approach should involve national authorities, as well as the United Nations system, donors and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). National authorities must take a leading role in all aspects of the recovery plan. The Council would stress that strengthening capacities to enable societies in post-conflict situations to manage their own affairs is a critical factor for recovery and development.

Underlining that the consolidated appeal process remained the principal resource mobilization tool for humanitarian assistance, the Council would stress the importance of ensuring adequate funding for humanitarian activities. It would encourage efforts to improve the format and structure of the appeal

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process so as to make them effective programming instruments for the purpose of strategic planning.

By the draft, the Council would further stresses that strengthened United Nations humanitarian activities must be supported by adequate responses to all United Nations humanitarian appeals. The response to international appeals should not be overly influenced by the levels of media interest, and must be commensurate with the needs of the affected population. In addition, the Secretary-General would be invited to submit to the Assembly at its fifty- third session his proposals for putting the OCHA on a sound financial basis, so it would most effectively oversee coordination of humanitarian assistance activities.

The Council then adopted the agreed conclusions without a vote.

JUAN SOMAVIA (Chile) informed the Council about the passing of Mahbub ul Haq, former Finance Minister of Pakistan and United Nations employee. Mr. Haq had been a visionary who cared for humanity and its future. He had captured international attention with his style and substance, and used it for the good of the poor. Though he had many accomplishments, perhaps his greatest skills was a communicator. The Human Development Report remained a living testimony to his skills.

Introduction of Report

MARY ROBINSON, High Commissioner for Human Rights, introduced the report of the Secretary-General on implementation of the Vienna Declaration. She said the present session of the Council constituted an essential component of the "Vienna+5 Review". It was taking place after initial analysis of progress at the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on Human Rights, which had stressed that the review had provided an opportunity to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide; to review and assess progress made since the Vienna Declaration; and to consider ways and means to further develop the United Nations human rights programme to meet current and future challenges.

Overall evaluation of progress made in implementing Conference recommendations would be made by the General Assembly following the Council's work, she said. The Council was the most competent forum for evaluating past efforts and designing plans for system-wide coordination. A comprehensive approach to the implementation of the Vienna Declaration was essential. The Secretary-General's report provided an overview for cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system towards implementing the Vienna Declaration.

Based on the report, the Council should focus on identifying specific means for implementing the Declaration, she said. It should identify: methods for achieving a concerted system-wide approach to human rights; examples of good experiences in implementing the Declaration; areas of responsibility in which efforts should be made; and plans for improving inter-agency cooperation and coordination.

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From the five year-perspective, the Vienna Declaration was an important milestone, she said. In recent months, the progress of human rights in the context of other United Nations activities had become visibly accelerated. Due to mainstreaming of human rights into other United Nations programmes and activities, human rights had moved out of the offices in New York and Vienna and into the field.

Ms. Robinson said she did not promote the idea of expanding her office. "Being Irish, I do not want an empire." Instead, what was needed was the integration of democracy, sustainable development and human rights, through streamlining, rational placement of resources and coordination of efforts.

JAMES GUSTAV SPETH, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said the UNDP had worked with its partners in the United Nations Development Group to make the right to development a central feature of the Organization's development activities in promoting poverty eradication. At the operational level, the UNDP had sought to meet growing demand by programme countries by supporting good governance to achieve the eradication of poverty. It also had developed a complementary role to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Complementing the approach of the High Commissioner and other partners, UNDP concentrated on capacity- building for the promotion of human rights. Based on its experience, UNDP had identified demand for support at the national level in several areas. Those included: capacity-building at the institutional level; integrating the right to development at the policy-level; and United Nations conference follow-up.

Referring to concrete examples of UNDP work, he said the Programme had played a significant role in Central American countries affected by years of civil war. Its activities included, among others: reform of judicial systems; enhancement of human rights protection; and creation of civilian police forces. In Latvia, the UNDP enabled the National Human Rights Office to serve as an independent entity for handling individual complaints and a source of human rights information, education and training. In Cambodia, the Programme provided human rights training to military personnel, police officers, commune leaders, monks, women's groups and teachers. Regarding women's rights, he said the UNDP had initiated many projects around the world in support of the Beijing Plan of Action.

CAROL BELLAMY, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said it was difficult to overstate the momentum for child rights that was generated by the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. It affirmed the principles at the heart of UNICEF's mandate and proclaimed that it was the duty of all States to promote and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms in their communities. The Conference also acknowledged that human rights, and specifically child rights, must inform the Organization's development and humanitarian agenda, and that they should guide the debate on peace and security.

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The most immediate outcome of Vienna was the further acceleration of the push for universal acceptance of the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, she said. The Declaration and Programme of Action referred to virtually every aspect of that Convention, which recognized child needs as rights to be ensured by adult society as a matter of legal obligation, moral imperative and development priority. Both developed and developing countries had obligations to meet under the Convention, and there was a natural confluence of national responsibility and international solidarity. That confluence was given legal expression in article 4 of the Convention, which called on States to come to the aid of others, "where needed, within the framework of international cooperation".

Thus, UNICEF was distressed by the historically unprecedented decline in official development assistance (ODA), she said. That phenomenon was tantamount to a rejection of the Convention itself. It was a situation that had only strengthened the Fund's determination to make good on the outcome of the World Conference on Human Rights. The call to action on child rights made in Vienna could be seen in the changes under way in UNICEF's programming for children and women at country level. In that area, a rights-based approach was bringing about a profound transformation in the day-to-day work of UNICEF.

ANGELA KING, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, said women's enjoyment of human rights did not occur automatically, but was a result of the overall protection and promotion of human rights. The entities in the United Nations system had responsibilities in that context; they had to ensure that women's human rights were mainstreamed into all policies and programmes, and they had to support governments in their efforts to protect, promote and fulfil women's human rights. She said more entities should actively participate in transforming the successful experiences of a targeted, women-specific approach into a holistic approach that mainstreamed a gender perspective into all areas of the human rights agenda.

Specific strategies for mainstreaming women's human rights into all human rights activities should be put in place. Formalized structures of accountability would ensure that tangible results were achieved. Gender concerns should also be addressed as a matter of course in regard to technical and advisory services involving various parts of the United Nations system, in cooperation with governments, she said.

A project on gender in the technical cooperation programme of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and with the participation of the Division for the Advancement of Women had established a framework for proceeding. It included aspects, such as needs assessment missions, human rights education, literacy and law reform efforts. It identified United Nations arenas where those elements could be expressed, such as in human rights field presences, human rights components in peacekeeping or in humanitarian operations.

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DAVID BASSIOUNI, Chief of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, said humanitarian action could not be effective if it did not address the issue of rights. The central issue in a war zone was how humanitarian action could best ensure that civilians were protected from violence. Ensuring protection often surpassed the ability of the humanitarian community. Humanitarian activity was only of limited effect without a parallel concern for the protection of human rights. Yet, human rights advocacy was sometimes seen as potentially undermining humanitarian action. Humanitarian agencies were concerned that their personnel, and the crisis victims they were trying to protect, would be endangered if violations were publicized or denounced. There was equal concern that silence was not in the interest of victims and worked against the effectiveness of the humanitarian endeavour.

It was obvious, however, that any action which aimed to be humanitarian should avoid strengthening the hand of abusers and contributing to conditions that perpetuated suffering, he said. The High Commissioner for Human Rights was helping the humanitarian community to mainstream human rights. To that end, several priority issues and tasks had been identified. Those included: developing guidelines to assist humanitarian workers deal with human rights abuses; examining the relationship between relief inputs, war economies and structural inequalities; and reviewing ways in which humanitarian strategies could work with rights-based agendas geared to securing immediate and long- term solutions to violent conflict. Efforts were also being made to identify training needs and material for humanitarian, human rights and other personnel in assisting people adversely affected by crises.

Exchange of Views

In response to questions on how to achieve better delivery of service and integration of components -- for example, how the work of the Special Rapporteurs could be better used -- Ms. ROBINSON said a large part of the increasing work of her office consisted in providing technical assistance, on the ground, in the field. She was well aware of the need for technical assistance. It was important to build the capacities of governments in the area of human rights and to focus on institution-building in that regard. Increasingly, work was directed towards helping governments set up human rights agencies, such as in a recent conference where human rights commissions of 16 African countries exchanged views. Coalitions, such as those of agencies and NGOs, were an important component in developing strong human rights activity.

Governments were increasingly forming national human rights plans, and she supported that approach. The role of UNICEF in human rights was a matter of making "advocacy a reality", for example, by helping people learn how to write their human rights reports.

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She said the human rights mechanisms were under review, and her own Office was looking at them, as well as at the treaty bodies. Small "nuts-and- bolts" things were already being done, and there was a sourcing problem, but work had increased with regard to both the mechanisms and treaty bodies in a good way, such as through more ratifications. Basically, there needed to be better integration.

In response to questions about field collaboration, Mr. SPETH said the UNDP was moving forward, in a variety of ways, to put human rights concerns, including the right to development, in process for the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). The UNDP and the Office of the High Commissioner had also established an increasing number of on-the-ground partnerships and collaborations. The two bodies also had signed a memorandum of understanding in March and would meet next week to assess the progress achieved. The memorandum asked that the UNDP coordinate with the Office of the High Commissioner to seek advice on the ratification of human rights instruments.

He said many agencies had gleaned important lessons from UNICEF's work on a number of fronts, including its efforts to implement the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The broadest lesson was the importance of taking a rights-based approach. The UNDP was doing that in the area of the right to development and human rights, as embraced in the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and other instruments. That meant those countries that had the means to assist the implementation of a convention should do everything they could to ensure the realization of that instrument. When ODA declined, that meant countries were shirking their duties and preventing people from fulfilling their rights.

Concerning a comment about existing tensions in the area of human rights, he said agencies often were involved in countries that had questionable human rights records. United Nations assistance was unconditional. The Organization played a useful role when bilateral support was not forthcoming because of conflicts.

Responding to a question on country-level programming, Ms. BELLAMY said UNICEF was currently considering how it could build issues into programmes at the country level. In those efforts, UNDAF, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child should be taken into consideration. The UNICEF was also working with partner governments in designing programmes in a rights context. Regarding the creation of a system of indicators, she said UNICEF had gained valuable experience from establishing such indicators and monitoring goals from the 1990 World Summit for Children. That experience had been useful in establishing indicators for measuring the follow-up to Vienna. In addition, the Fund was developing a monitoring evaluation-training package for its staff worldwide.

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Regarding collaboration with UNICEF, Ms. KING said there was an ongoing series workshops on the issues relating to the rights of women and girls, which had proved that countries were receptive when bodies of the United Nations system worked together. The UNICEF had also been involved in the preparation process of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. It had provided that body with valuable country-specific information during its last two sessions. The UNICEF had also been a valuable collaborator in efforts to implement the Beijing Platform for Action.

Concerning difficulties faced in humanitarian activities, Mr. BASSIOUNI said agencies sometimes operated in places where their partners did not accept the responsibilities or uphold norms and standards. In such cases, the agencies had little choice. In that context, the OCHA had initiated the elaboration of guiding principles that would allow agencies to operate with such partners. That would involve extensive consultations and constructive engagement, but they were necessary to promote those principles. Ms. ROBINSON responded to a series of questions on the role of human rights protection efforts in the intergovernmental process. She said the word "mainstreaming" had not appealed to her a year ago, but it had become very useful as a shorthand for referring to a coordinated, system-wide approach which led to an integrated incorporation of human rights into other programmes. She was very impressed with the inter-agency coordination meeting, for example, in which 16 agencies had been involved in an effective, easy dialogue on how to achieve better coordination.

She underscored the importance of human rights education and programmes featuring regional approaches to technical cooperation in the area of human rights. Capacity-building was a major focus for human rights organizations, and her Office was increasingly working in peacekeeping and in post-conflict contexts, emphasizing capacity-building.

Integrated work was also being done on developing benchmarks in rights promotion as part of the focus on sustainable development, she said. Related papers should be available soon which would contribute to broader views on practical ways of measuring progress in human rights. National indicators had not been enough in regard to economic and social rights.

Mr. SPETH said many in the developed countries did not view the right to be free of poverty within the same category as human rights. Efforts of the future had to address such a disparity of views. All groups within the United Nations system were searching for common indicators with which to buttress the correct approach. Indicators were particularly important in regard to political and civil rights, or in developing what was called the human freedom index, he said. The UNDP had agreed with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to hold dialogues at the country level in that regard. Work of that kind had already begun in the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, and it would be expanded.

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Regarding indicators, Ms. BELLAMY said the United Nations system was in the beginning stage of developing rights-based programming. The Organization was still in the process of learning lessons and developing indicators, and it did not have past experience in the field. The UNDAF process created an opportunity to identify a set of common global indicators at the country level. That would provide one way to have some degree of consensus on what indicators would be.

She said the United Nations Development Group had discussed the possibility of receiving guidance from treaty bodies through their agreed conclusions. The UNICEF often used the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child in developing programmes at the field level. There was a false dichotomy in viewing rights and needs as different things, she said. The need of a child to be healthy was consistent with the right to health. That view helped to build a system of health that included the availability of immunizations and other health needs.

In response to a comment on human rights education for staff, Ms. KING said that within the Office for Human Resources Management there were programmes for gender mainstreaming and gender sensitivity that brought into play the rights of women. There also were ongoing efforts in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations on orienting and training police personnel in basic human rights and how to respond in situations of armed conflict.

Responding to a question about balance resource allocation between development and relief, Mr. BASSIOUNI said the international community had the duty to ensure that development worked so the need for relief did not occur. Humanitarian work could not be successful unless there was respect for human rights imperatives in the field.

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