ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
14 July 2006
2006 HUMANITARIAN SEGMENT (GENEVA)
Statement by Ms Keren Davies, Development Adviser,
Australian Mission to the UN in New York
(as delivered)
Mr Vice-President,
The international humanitarian community faces an ever growing range of complex and dynamic crises and challenges. In addition, humanitarian agencies are under growing pressure to increase the effectiveness of assistance and to accurately measure our impact. And rightly so. The international humanitarian community has long acknowledged that there is room for improvement. There is a moral and operational imperative to maximize the impact of humanitarian assistance and we should be able to demonstrate that we are doing so.
The current humanitarian reform agenda, outlined by the Secretary General and led by OCHA, has an integral role to play in improving humanitarian response capacity, coordination and financing. Alongside this is the need for increased accountability and stronger partnership approaches with partner governments and all humanitarian actors. Australia supports these efforts and also commends progress in recent years in improving UN coordination and enhancing the impact of humanitarian assistance.
Australia’s primary interest is in demonstrable results on the ground. To this end, we will continue to support practical, results-focused reform measures.
Coordination and Improved Humanitarian Response
Mr Vice President,
In the area of coordination and humanitarian response, Australia supports the central and unique role of the United Nations in providing leadership and coordination of international humanitarian action and we recognise that achieving a universally coordinated response to a complex humanitarian emergency is no easy task.
In this regard, we welcome progress in strengthening the humanitarian coordinator system through: better identification, selection and training of Humanitarian Coordinators; improvements in accountability and performance frameworks; enhanced training and support for Resident Coordinators so they are better equipped to respond to humanitarian emergencies; increased authority for UN Humanitarian Coordinators; and changes to ensure that UN Humanitarian Coordinators take the lead in needs assessment, planning and allocation of resources. We joined with others in calling for these steps and at the same time acknowledge the changes and improvements that have already been made.
Steps to improve the capacity of the UN system and individual agencies to respond in key sectors are equally important. We welcome the efforts of the humanitarian community in this regard, especially the development of the IASC ‘cluster’ approach. While we consider that the cluster approach has significant potential, work will be needed to ensure that this potential is realised. This must include development of effective partnerships between UN agencies and other humanitarian actors, especially NGOs, and clear shared understanding of the role of cluster leads. Important also is effective leadership of the overall approach by OCHA. We encourage OCHA and the UN and other humanitarian actors involved in this to focus on practical implementation of the cluster approach. This should include incorporation of lessons learned in implementing the cluster approach pilots, and an assessment of the usefulness and effectiveness of the approach.
Mr Vice-President,
The third pillar of the humanitarian reform agenda relates to financing. We support the UN’s efforts to ensure that humanitarian financing is more timely and predictable. The expanded CERF is an important innovation in this regard and a key element of humanitarian reform, alongside stronger response coordination and capacity. In recognition of this, the Australian Government has contributed A$10 million to the CERF. Subject to performance, we are prepared to consider further support. We encourage OCHA, as the manager of the Fund, and UN agencies and international organisations eligible for funding, to ensure that the impact and functioning of the CERF is maximized. This should necessarily include better needs assessments that allows for prioritisation, identification of gaps and comparison across crises.
Disaster Risk Management and Response
Mr Vice-President, the Indonesia earthquake, Indian Ocean tsunami and South Asia Earthquake have shown that effective disaster mitigation and preparedness is critical - it can substantially reduce social, economic and environmental losses due to disasters. Tackling this issue requires a holistic and integrated approach that addresses multiple hazards, disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness and response activities, and that integrates disaster risk management into national development planning.
Australia supports concerted efforts at national, regional and international levels to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action. The guiding principles and priorities for action contained in the Framework must inform efforts to achieve disaster resilience for vulnerable communities.
Recent natural disasters have also underlined the important role that military actors can play in partnership with civilian humanitarian actors in responding to disasters. We need to continue to build these partnerships. We also need to help develop the local and national capacity of governments, NGOs and communities, to mitigate, prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
Transition
Mr Vice-President, as we noted in the Operational Segment, coordination and leadership is vital not only in the emergency phase of humanitarian action, but in the transition between relief and development.
The links between development and humanitarian action are clear and we consider it essential that humanitarian response lays the groundwork for effective transition and longer-term development.
It is also critical that a concrete solution is found to the ongoing funding and coordination gaps during transitions.
Mr Vice-President,
In closing let me reiterate Australia’s strong support for the current humanitarian reform agenda. 2005 was an important year for planning and developing this agenda. 2006 is the year of implementation and consolidation – this is the true test of the reforms. We must keep up the momentum and continually looking to how we can increase the impact of humanitarian response.