Committee: ECOSOC Topic: Protocol for Emergency Humanitarian Assistance Main Submitter: Canada Co-submitter: Italy Signatories: Nigeria, South Africa, Germany, Egypt, Japan, UK, Norway, Russia, Israel The Economic and Social Council, Recalling the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 in Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters member states are to follow, and reaffirming the proposals in the mentioned framework, Reaffirming the principle adopted in the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, 2005 in promoting a strategic and systematic approach to reducing vulnerabilities and risks to hazards, as well as underscoring the need for, and identifying ways of building the resilience of nations and communities to disasters among member states, Reaffirming also the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence, as well as taking into account of gender perspective, cultural diversity, age and vulnerable groups in the provision of humanitarian assistance in situations of complex emergencies and natural disasters to fully respect those principles, Expressing grave concern at the increase in the number of individuals affected by humanitarian emergencies , including natural hazards and complex emergencies, and at the grave consequences for the affected individuals’ survival, dignity and livelihood resulting from the increased impact of natural disasters and at the displacement resulting from humanitarian emergencies Expressing its deep concern at the increasing challenges facing Member States and the United Nations humanitarian response capacity posed by the consequences of natural disasters, including those related to the continuing impact of climate change, by the ongoing impact of the financial and economic crisis which could weaken member state’s capacity in large relief provisions, and by the global food and water crisis which may result in the lack of resources for disaster risk reduction, preparedness and humanitarian assistance, Alarmed, also, at and the compounded vulnerability that faces member states today by the changing demographics, technological and socio-economic conditions, unplanned urbanization, development within high-risk zones, under-development, environmental degradation, climate variability, climate change, geological hazards, competition for scarce resources, and the impact of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS etc, Condemning initiators of attacks, armed conflicts, terrorist movements, or other movements that directly or indirectly causes a mass to suffer from physical injury or other forms of suffering, Emphasizing that building and strengthening resilience is crucial in stopping disasters react with environmental vulnerability; and therefore is critical in reducing the impact of disasters, including by saving lives, reducing suffering, mitigating damage to properties and providing a
more predictable and effective delivery of assistance and relief, and in this regard, while recognizing that building resilience is a long-term development process, stressing the need for continued investment in preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response capacity, Condemning the increasing number of deliberate violent attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities and the negative implications for the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, Recognizing also the need for an approach that is systematically integrated into policies, plans and programmes for sustainable development and poverty reduction, and supported through bilateral, regional and international cooperation, including partnerships with United Nations system and its partners to improve and strengthen coordination and accountability of humanitarian assistance and leadership within the United Nations humanitarian response system, such as under the UNISDR in support of national efforts, and taking note of the efforts made by the United Nations and its partners,
1) Defines the following: a) Emergency humanitarian assistance: aid as a response to a crisis immediately that is intended to save lives and alleviate suffering in response to the effects of the crisis; b) When the crisis, whether man-made or natural, is a mass casualty incident, where emergency medical services resources, such as personnel and equipment, are overwhelmed by the number and severity of casualties, emergency humanitarian assistance should be provided through feasible sources, including but not limited to: i) NGOs; ii) International humanitarian agencies; iii) Other countries through their department of humanitarian affairs in providing resources successively apart from the country’s own government; 2) States that each State has the primary responsibility for its own sustainable development and for taking effective measures to reduce disaster risk, including for the protection of people on its territory, infrastructure and other national assets from the impact of disasters; 3) Devises a scheme developed with the UNISDR covering six areas that aims to prevent natural hazards and mass casualty incidents from happening, thus encouraging fellow member states and NGOs to adopt (if applicable) such practices within their country/area of expertise: a) Intergovernmental/International cooperation: i) Encourages intergovernmental/international sharing of intelligence in managing the various aspects of disasters, hazards or upcoming attacks; ii) Encourages, also, the States that are prone to natural hazards to form networks that share the data and trends of natural hazards that occur
in that region; Under the OCHA, regular planning and assessment to be done by the volunteer experts from various member states on places with high risks of emergencies, and the regular checking and reporting of the inventory and warehouse of humanitarian aid; b) Governmental, organizational, legal and policy framework: i) Urges member states to effectively integrate disaster risk considerations in a multi-hazard approach into sustainable development policies, planning and programming emphasizing relief and mitigation planning, rehabilitation, preparedness in vulnerability reduction and recovery activities in post disaster and post-conflict situations in disaster-prone countries; ii) Supports the creation and strengthening of a national mechanism and multi sectoral national platforms with designated responsibilities for coordination and policy guidance on disaster risk reduction that need to be multi-sectoral and inter-disciplinary in nature, with public, private and civil society participation involving all concerned entities within a country; iii) Suggests the allocation of resources for the development and the implementation of disaster risk management policies, programmes, laws and regulations on disaster risk reduction in all relevant sectors and authorities at all levels of administrative and budgets on the basis of clearly prioritized actions; c) Risk identification, assessment, monitoring and early warning: i) Promote a culture of disaster resilience in accordance to the the trends of disasters studied; and, with the knowledge of the hazards, identify the physical, social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities to disasters the society faces; ii) Develop and strengthen institutions, mechanisms and capacities at all levels in response to the vulnerabilities identified, in particular at the community level, that can systematically contribute to building resilience to hazards; iii) Develop systems of indicators of disaster risk and vulnerability at national and sub-national scales that will enable decision-makers to assess the impact of disasters on social, economic and environmental conditions and disseminate the results to the public and populations at risk; d) Knowledge management and education: i) Develop, update periodically and widely disseminate risk maps and related information to the general public and communities at risk; ii) Record, analyse, summarize and disseminate statistical information on disaster occurrence, impacts and losses, on a regular basis through international, regional,national and local mechanisms; iii) Promote the inclusion of disaster risk reduction knowledge in relevant sections of school curriculum at all levels and the use of other formal and informal channels to reach youth and children with information, with the example of Japan’s regular earthquake drills; iv) Promote the implementation of local risk assessment and disaster iii)
preparedness programmes in schools and institutions of higher education; v) Promote the implementation of programmes and activities in schools for learning how to minimize the effects of hazards; vi) Develop training and learning programmes in disaster risk reduction targeted at specific sectors (development planners, emergency managers, local government officials, etc.); vii) Promote community-based training initiatives, considering the role of volunteers, as appropriate, to enhance local capacities to mitigate and cope with disasters; e) Reducing underlying risk factors; i) Support the development and sustainability of the infrastructure and scientific, technological, technical and institutional capacities needed to research, observe, analyse, map and where possible forecast natural and related hazards, vulnerabilities and disaster impacts; ii) Support the development and improvement of relevant databases and the promotion of full and open exchange and dissemination of data for assessment, monitoring and early warning purposes, as appropriate, at international, regional, national and local levels; iii) Cooperate regionally and internationally, to assess and monitor regional and trans-boundary hazards, and exchange information and provide early warnings through appropriate arrangements, such as, inter alia, those relating to the management of river basins; iv) Research, analyse and report on long-term changes and emerging issues that might increase vulnerabilities and risks or the capacity of authorities and communities to respond to disasters; f) Preparedness for effective response and recovery: i) The systematic incorporation of risk reduction approaches into the design and implementation of emergency preparedness, response and recovery programmes in the reconstruction of affected communities; ii) Promote food security as an important factor in ensuring the resilience of communities to hazards, particularly in areas prone to drought, flood, cyclones and other hazards that can weaken agriculture-based livelihoods; iii) Integrate disaster risk reduction planning into the health sector; promote the goal of “hospitals safe from disaster� by ensuring that all new hospitals are built with a level of resilience that strengthens their capacity to remain functional in disaster situations and implement mitigation measures to reinforce existing health facilities, particularly those providing primary health care; iv) Protect and strengthen critical public facilities and physical infrastructure, particularly schools, clinics, hospitals, water and power plants, communications and transport lifelines, disaster warning and management centres, and culturally important lands; and structures through proper design, retrofitting and re-building, in order to render them adequately resilient to hazards; v) Strengthen the implementation of social safety-net mechanisms to assist the poor, the elderly and the disabled, and other populations
affected by disasters. Enhance recovery schemes including psycho-social training programmes in order to mitigate the psychological damage of vulnerable populations, particularly children, in the aftermath of disasters; 4) States that each State should also, in armed conflicts or attacks, immediately take appropriate measures to protect civilians and personnels, including women and girls, from all forms of physical and sexual violence, and related reactions in protection of safety, including but not limited to: a) Being responsible for the safety and speed of the international personnels arriving at the state for means of distributing humanitarian aid, while demanding that any person who enter into the state for assistance purposes must respect the state’s sovereignty by means; i) Ensuring that all personnel enjoy all basic human rights yet respecting the local government’s rule of law and sovereignty; ii) Ensuring communication among the UN, humanitarian aid personnel and the government; iii) Encouraging close cooperation with the local government/authorities b) Alerting public of the movement; c) Evacuating civilians accordingly to safe locations; d) Mobilizing the emergency forces to assume their positions and be prepared for second waves of attack; e) Report to the UN and to neighboring countries of the possible effect of the movement and the magnitude of the influence it may impose; f) Ensure the safety of the injured and of the location in which the incident happened. Evacuate according if the location is identified unsafe; g) Swiftly allocate and mobilize resources within the State’s own capacity to the suffering victims; h) Report through the department of humanitarian affairs to the UNISDR the estimated emergency humanitarian aids the state hopes to acquire from outer sources; i) Specify, with data and evidence, the extent of emergency of the mass casualty incident; 5) Devises an international aiding scheme under the OCHA to be implemented in times of mass casualty incidents (after receiving a report specified in clause 4), with the following departments, each comprised of international experts on humanitarian logistics as nominated by fellow countries, to determine the amount of aid provided to each country, at the same time allowing NGOs to conduct their humanitarian work as usual and without conflict: a) Details on the inter-cluster coordination within the OCHA: Leaders from each department within the inter cluster coordination groups meet under the UN head of agencies and NGO representations at the field level during decision making processes on emergency humanitarian aids in order to maintain and increase the level of humanitarian coordination as well as to foster discussion of major humanitarian challenges, with the clusters as follows; i) Financial aid: A fund for emergency humanitarian aids in will be set up utilizing current mechanisms. The fund accepts donations from state
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government, non-governmental organizations and individuals. Funds collected will be allocated to states in need of emergency humanitarian aids either in the form of funding or materials, judged by representatives from all member states of the UN according to reports submitted by affected states with the priority given to states that are most urgently in need, as a backup. The concrete measures include but are not limited to; 1) The integration of the Central Emergency Response Funds (CERF), Common Humanitarian Funds (CHF), Emergency Response Funds (ERF) with the Long Term Redevelopment Fund for the OCHA to minimize the need of applications from NGOs and other entities in receiving such funds, placing the OCHA with the power to allocate such funds; 2) The ratification of the Long Term Redevelopment Fund Treaty and the expansion of funding of the long term redevelopment fund to entities including but not limited to: a) All member states of the UNGA; b) NGOs; c) International and regional charities; Material Necessities: The UN, upon acquiring a donation from the emergency humanitarian assistance fund, can purchase materials to be transported to places under the effect of hazards, such as aiding victims of famine by supplying them with staple food supply like bags of flour. The four main parts are as follows: 1) Shelter: Temporary shelter should be provided in ample amount; 2) Health and Nutrition: Immediate aids such as nutrition packs and nutrition bars should be provided to victims especially to those diagnosed to be in immediate threat of dying; 3) Water Sanitization: Water sanitization pills to be distributed to victims, while teaching them how to use the pills to sanitize the water that they drink; 4) Medical aid: Hygienic supplies, medicine, surgical equipments can be provided through the emergency humanitarian assistance fund; Medical professionals, through the doctors without borders scheme, can also be arranged to aid the situation; Manpower: Volunteers under the United Nations Volunteers programme can assist governments in relief work in cases of a lack in volunteers to manage aids distribution, community reconstruction etc; 1) Risk evaluation will be conducted before the deploy of personnel; should there be high risk, especially in war conditions, personnels should be given extra protection; 2) The OCHA will do its part to ensure that all personnel will be out of preventable harm or human errors; Social/psychological aid: Basic psychological counselling can be provided by trained volunteers from various sources including but not limited to NGOs (such as the MSF volunteers). Support for grief and bereavement can be provided by psychologists sent to upon request; Protection/placement:
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1) In General, UNHCR will join hands with the affected state to assist displaced persons in their country in seeking asylum. Vital assistance, along with counselling and support, asylum applications, integration and reintegration programs will be provided. 2) Targeting children, UNICEF’s Orphan and Vulnerable Children Programme can also assist children in coping with challenging circumstances through education, psychosocial assistance, food, nutrition and social protection. Though previously funded by the EU, it will now be part of the funds raised by the OCHA; Scientific/ Researching work: Scientists/ Researchers can be sent to the affected state by the OCHA to aid the state in conducting analysis over disasters, both man made and natural: 1) Disaster identification, where the type of disaster and basic geographical/political concerns are understood; 2) Humanitarian aid identification, where the types of aid needed are decided (adopting structure like the image with the departments lead by international experts); 3) Risk identification, where the safety concerns of aid providers and victims are investigated; Post-disaster: the OCHA shall remain in close monitoring of the situation at hand and evaluation post-disaster with annual/biennial meeting within departments as well as inter-departments to understand the strengths and weaknesses of current settings and possible improvements to be made; 1) Conduct regular (annual/biannual) meetings internally among OCHA for evaluation in emergency coordinations: such meetings would be publicly disclosed; 2) Conduct evaluation and reassessment after each aid mission on the following important areas (including but not limited to): a) Whether the safety of the personnel(s) conducting aid distribution is/are well protected; b) Whether or not is the distribution of aid unbiased, disregarding the victims’ backgrounds; c) Whether or not is the planning adequate; d) Whether or not is the sovereignty of the State respected;
6) Encourages more NGOs, local, regional and international alike, to contribute to the coordinating system of the OCHA by sending more representatives to the OCHA for more all-rounded opinions in making decisions during humanitarian aid distribution; 7) Urges that the all parties, including the OCHA, the States which would favour, within their financial capabilities, direct provision of aids to the affected States, regional and international organizations, provide emergency humanitarian aids and carry out the mobilization of aids resources in a manner that is: a) Through appropriate multilateral, regional and bilateral coordination mechanisms and also;
b) Under the United Nations System’s approval; 8) States that material aid provided by the emergency humanitarian fund is to be primarily transported by member of the OCHA to the State requesting aid, and upon the arrival of the material aid, the following parties are to be empowered to manage and reduce disaster risk by having access to the necessary information, resources and authority to further allocate the aid materials: a) State government; b) Communities and local authorities; c) Local NGOs; d) Regional or international charitable/ humanitarian organizations in order to implement actions for disaster risk reduction; 9) Strongly encourages the international community, including relevant United Nations organizations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to support efforts of Member States aimed at strengthening their capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters; 10) Realizes that in the context of increasing global interdependence, concerted international cooperation and an enabling international environment are required to stimulate and contribute to developing the knowledge, capacities and motivation needed for disaster risk reduction at all levels, thus international cooperation should be carried out in the following ways: a) The transfer of knowledge, technology and expertise to enhance capacity building for disaster risk reduction; b) The sharing of research findings, lessons learned and best practices; c) The compilation of information on disaster risk and impact for all scales of disasters in a way that can inform sustainable development and disaster risk reduction; 11) Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations system and, as appropriate, other relevant humanitarian actors, especially NGOs, to continue efforts to improve the humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters and complex emergencies; 12) Decides to remain actively seized on this matter.