DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS, RED CRESCENT

‘INSTITUTIONALLY AGILE’ IN PURSUIT OF SHARED HUMANITARIAN, DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Following is the text of remarks by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro to the General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Geneva today, 21 November:

I am honoured to address the General Assembly of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.  I take this invitation to speak before your highest decision-making body as an illustration of the strong ties binding the United Nations to the International Federation.

I send warm regards from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who attaches great importance to the collaboration between the United Nations and partners such as the Red Cross and Red Crescent.

On the Secretary-General’s behalf and on my own behalf, let me also express profound condolences to the people and Government of Bangladesh for the tragic loss of lives and destruction caused by Cyclone Sidr.  The United Nations system is supporting the efforts of the Government of Bangladesh in the relief effort, together with the International Federation, the Bangladesh Red Crescent and other partners.

Our response to the emergency in Bangladesh reminds us how much our two organizations have in common.

This General Assembly brings together the National Societies of 186 countries -- almost the same number of Members States in the United Nations’ own General Assembly.

In addition to our universality, we share similar objectives.  From your Constitution, we know that the central aim of the Federation is “alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and the promotion of peace in the world”.  The United Nations Charter enshrines similar values, committing nations “to combine their efforts to promote international peace and security … and better standards of life in larger freedom”.

Beyond text and ideals, our commonalities extend to a much more practical level, and that is in our field operations aimed at providing relief and other assistance to needy populations around the world.  Ultimately, that is where our work -- that of our United Nations agencies, of your National Societies, and of all our partner organizations -- matters the most.  That is where we can make the biggest difference in the lives of people who need our help -- the victims of conflict, of natural disasters, of inequality, of oppression.

That is why it is important to strengthen our partnership, so that we can better serve humanity.  That means taking full advantage, not only of our commonalities, but also our differences.  We need to complement and amplify each other’s efforts, taking into account our relative strengths and constraints.

You, like our other implementing partners, are institutionally agile.  And in crisis situations, vital humanitarian assistance would not reach the affected populations without the presence and efforts of partners like you.

For our part, the United Nations resident coordinator system plays a pivotal role at the country level, bringing together United Nations and civil society organizations in pursuit of national goals.  At the global level, too, the United Nations plays an important role as a convenor of diverse constituencies relevant to an issue.

Today, there is no greater manifestation of the United Nations’ global convening power than the Millennium Development Goals -- adopted by all the world’s leaders as our common vision for a better world in the twenty-first century.

I pay tribute to the Federation for the important contributions you and your member societies have made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals -- by supporting immunization campaigns and community health care, by empowering communities and combating gender discrimination, and by promoting literacy and food security.

I am heartened that the Global Agenda, adopted by your General Assembly two years ago, placed the realization of the Millennium Development Goals at the centre of your activities.  Today, we need your help more than ever as we work to reach the Goals by the target date of 2015.

Considerable progress has already been made.  But much more needs to be done, particularly in Africa.  Everyone has a role to play -- Governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and individuals and communities around the world.

In the International Federation, the United Nations has a particularly effective partner and a trusted ally.

Let me mention three areas where the partnership between the United Nations and the Federation has not only been fruitful, but where I believe scope exists for further collaboration in favour of the Millennium Development Goals.

First, the millions of people mobilized through the Red Cross and Red Crescent show how volunteers can achieve tremendous development results.  In my native Tanzania, I have seen the remarkable work of your volunteers not only in providing emergency relief to refugees and other vulnerable groups, but in supporting development.

Volunteering is about empowering individuals and communities at the grass-roots level.  It is about giving them a voice and letting them take the lead.  And it is the foundation upon which rests the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

For over 30 years, the United Nations system has been tapping into this vital human resource through the fielding of skilled and experienced professionals under the United Nations Volunteer programme.  The United Nations Volunteers have a long-establishment partnership with the International Federation.  That relationship was strengthened in 2004 when the United Nations Volunteer programme and the Federation signed a joint letter on expanded collaboration in support of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Federation is well placed to help mobilize more volunteers for peace and development.  As the clock to the 2015 target ticks louder every day, now is the time to do everything possible to harness voluntary action by people around the world.

Second, you have a critical role to play in advancing our global public health agenda.  Through your global reach and your community health-care expertise, you can help provide the impetus needed to reach the health Millennium Development Goals -- reducing maternal mortality; improving child health; and combating AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

You have partnered with WHO [World Health Organization], UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] and other United Nations entities in support of these Goals.  You have been the driving force behind successful campaigns against measles and malaria that have saved countless lives in many countries.  Our alliance to build preparedness for an avian influenza pandemic is just one example of how we all benefit from working together.

The health Millennium Development Goals are not only crucial in their own right, they are also critical for attaining the other Goals.  So let us redouble our efforts to strengthen health systems around the world, and enable more people to access them.

The thirdarea I wanted to mention relates to disaster risk reduction.  Disasters are one of the key factors holding back progress towards the Millennium Development Goals in many countries.  Responding to emergencies, as we are currently doing in Bangladesh, is absolutely critical.  But prevention has an even higher pay-off.  That is why we must do more to reduce vulnerabilities to natural hazards.

The Federation plays a key role in supporting the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.  You are also important partners in the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action, which provides a road map for building a more disaster-resilient world.  And your programme on International Disaster Response Laws is helping countries to strengthen their legal preparedness for these emergencies.

Global warming makes it even more urgent to plan for disaster mitigation, and it makes the challenge even greater.  The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that hundreds of millions of people face increased risk from hazards linked to global warming.

As climate change poses a serious threat to our ability to meet the Millennium Development Goals, we must work hand in glove, in a strategic partnership, to address this complex, pressing issue.

Climate change reminds us that we are a single, interdependent human family sharing one planet.  There are many other such reminders -- health threats, volatility in the global economy, regional conflicts and instability.  In our increasingly globalized world, we must work together to tackle these complex, interlinked challenges.

That is why the theme for your deliberations -- “Together for Humanity” -- is so apt and relevant.  And in our collective efforts to address the world’s problems, there can be no greater aim than achieving true and lasting development for all.

And so, on behalf of the United Nations, allow me to thank all the members of the Red Cross and Red Crescent for more than six decades of partnership in pursuit of our shared humanitarian and development goals.  I know that our relationship will continue to flourish in the years to come.

I wish you a most productive General Assembly session.

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