Concept Note Regional Consultation for the Pacific 30 June to 2 July 2015 Auckland, New Zealand
Background on the World Humanitarian Summit Humanitarian needs are on the rise. Today, more people are affected by conflict and disaster, more frequently, and for longer than in previous decades. At the same time, humanity is facing new challenges such as climate change, rapid population growth and urbanization. Humanitarian action must keep evolving in order to keep pace with global shifts in power and influence, involve new actors in decision‐making, leverage new partnerships and take advantage of emerging technologies. Now more than ever, we need a global humanitarian system that is more inclusive, effective, efficient, sensitive to national and regional contexts, and accountable in meeting the needs of millions of people. Convened by United Nations Secretary‐General Ban Ki‐moon and organized by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the first‐ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) will be held in Istanbul, Turkey, in May 2016. The goal of the summit is to find new ways to tackle humanitarian needs in our rapidly‐changing world and ensure that the humanitarian system is fit for purpose in responding to emerging challenges. The World Humanitarian Summit is focused on four global themes: (i) humanitarian effectiveness, (ii) reducing vulnerability and managing risk, (iii) transformation through innovation, and (iv) serving the needs of people in conflict. Globally, the preparatory process for the summit is built on four axes of consultation: Eight (8) regional and one global consultations
Thematic consultations, with expert working groups preparing thematic reports, and a global thematic consultation to be hosted by Germany
Online consultations
Linkages to related global processes on Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change and the post‐ 2015 development agenda
The Summit will provide an opportunity to take stock of achievements, share lessons and good practices on humanitarian action, and build a more inclusive and diverse humanitarian system committed to humanitarian principles.
worldhumanitariansummit.org
WHS Pacific Concept Note | 2
Regional Consultation for the Pacific The Regional Consultation for the Pacific will be seventh of eight regional consultations and will take place over two and a half days from 30 June to 2 July 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. The regional summit will combine plenary and workshop sessions, keynote and expert presentations and break‐ out discussions. Goal, Objectives and Results The primary goal of the regional consultation is to inform the global WHS agenda and shape the outcomes of the Summit by providing strong and bold regional recommendations for the future of humanitarian action. It is also expected that the regional consultation will result in a plan of action to guide regional engagement in humanitarian affairs in the coming years. In terms of specific objectives, the regional consultation will seek to: Draw out regional perspectives on the global themes – including gaps and cross‐cutting issues – via brainstorming workshops, preparatory consultations with the various stakeholder groups, and links to related DRR, climate change and development‐related events to be held in the region prior to the consultation; these will inform the regional background paper to be presented in Auckland;
Take stock of regional progress and lessons for humanitarian action, and identify key recommendations on how to better meet humanitarian needs in the region; these will be reflected in the regional action plan;
Generate innovation in Pacific humanitarian action, through both consultations and an innovation challenge, and reflect best practice into global consultations;
Capture regional recommendations to inform other regional and global discussions, these will be disseminated via the final report on the regional consultation; and
Strengthen networks for coordinated advocacy on the regional perspectives at the global Summit.
A key precept of the global – and regional – WHS process is that no one has predetermined the outcomes. Guided by the above objectives, participants in the consultation will determine results, which will be captured in a regional report and include recommendations for the summit agenda and necessary follow‐on action at the regional level. Geographic Coverage Fiji, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, French territories, US territories, Australia and New Zealand. Hosting Arrangements The regional consultation will be co‐chaired by New Zealand, Australia and OCHA. Keynote speaker UNDP Administrator Ms. Helen Clark, chair of the UNDG, will be the keynote speaker and senior UN representative at the Pacific Consultations.
worldhumanitariansummit.org
WHS Pacific Concept Note | 3
Representation Approximately 100 – 120 representatives to convene in Auckland for the regional consultation. Attendance at the regional meeting is through invitation only, with attendees selected by the Regional Steering Group. As the global summit seeks to represent the widest possible range of perspectives, the regional consultation meeting will include representatives from: Member States - Ministries of Foreign Affairs - National Disaster Management Offices - Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces
Regional Organizations
UN agencies
International and regional non‐governmental organizations and networks
Red Cross / Red Crescent Movement
Regional, national and local civil society organizations
Affected communities
Private sector
Academia, think tanks, and foundations In view of a desire to ensure a diverse and inclusive process, the regional consultation will be preceded by an extensive preparatory process between March and mid‐May, which will seek to capture representative views from all stakeholder groups and ensure they are reflected in the Auckland dialogue.
Regional Steering Group To guide the regional process, a Regional Steering Group (RSG) has been formed, with representatives from all stakeholder groups. The RSG’s role is to advise on preparations for the regional consultation; validate key regional perspectives to be brought to the table; and ensure coordination between the regional consultation and the global processes, including the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit itself. The RSG members are also responsible for mobilizing their networks to raise awareness on the WHS and the regional consultation, and encourage engagement by all stakeholders throughout the process. The RSG members will meet monthly in the lead up to the Auckland consultation. No. 1 2 3
Name Dr. Graham Sem Dr. Julia Edwards Mr. Jamie Isbister
5
RSG Category Academia Civil society/ Faith‐based Co‐chair (Member state ‐ Australia) Co‐chair (Member state – New Zealand) Co‐chair (UN)
6
Member state (Melanesia)
Dr. Melchoir Mataki
4
Mr. Jonathan Kings Mr. Sune Gudnitz
Organization University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) Australia Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) New Zealand UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Solomon Islands Government
worldhumanitariansummit.org
WHS Pacific Concept Note | 4 7 8 9
Member state (Micronesia) Member state (Polynesia) NGO
Hon. Baklai Temengil Ms. Filomena Nelson Ms. Emele Duituturaga
10
Private sector
Mr. Howard Politini
11
Red Cross
Ms. Aurelia Balpe
12 13
Regional organization Development partner
Mr. Mosese Sikivou Mr. Peter Batchelor
Palau Government Samoa Government Pacific Islands Association of Non‐ Governmental Organisations (PIANGO) Pacific Islands Private Sector Organisation (PIPSO) International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Regional Preparatory Consultations In view of a desire to ensure a diverse and inclusive process, the regional consultation in Auckland will be preceded by an extensive preparatory consultation process, which will seek to capture representative views from all stakeholder groups. The regional preparatory consultations will run from late February to mid‐May 2015 using the following three‐fold strategy: Country‐level, sub‐regional and regional consultations organized specifically to discuss the WHS themes with a range of different stakeholder groups.
Integrating WHS discussions within various regional and sub‐regional pre‐scheduled meetings and events.
Online consultations and surveys to reach out to the broader Pacific humanitarian community. To ensure the inclusion of a representative sample of regional perspectives, the preparatory phase leading up to the regional consultation will include facilitated dialogues among the targeted stakeholder groups. To support preparatory consultations, the RSG will produce a scoping paper, guidance notes, and questionnaires to guide the various stakeholder dialogues.
worldhumanitariansummit.org
WHS Pacific Concept Note | 5
Preparatory consultations will be finalised by mid‐May in time to enable the consolidation and analysis of results in May and June. The outcomes will directly inform discussions and recommendations at the Auckland meeting.
More information Website: www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/whs_pacific Email: pacific@whsummit.org Twitter: @WHSummit or https://twitter.com/whsummit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WHSummit Hashtag: #ReShapeAid, #WHSpacific
worldhumanitariansummit.org