STRENGTHENING OF THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER RELIEF ASSISTANCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, INCLUDING SPECIAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE

– As delivered –

Statement by H.E. Tijjani Muhammad Bande, President of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

16 December 2019

Excellencies,

Distinguished Delegates,

I commend you for your work on the resolutions related to the strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance. Your efforts are integral to the realisation of the values of the Charter of the United Nations. It is crucial  that the General Assembly continues to evolve policies and strengthen norms to better address humanitarian crises.

Today, humanitarian crises are becoming more protracted, and increasing in size and complexity. Inequality is widening within, and between, countries; hunger is on the rise; infectious disease outbreaks continue; and we continue to see human rights violations and political and social exclusion; the number of armed conflicts have risen, and non-State armed actors continue to pose significant security concerns in all regions.

As a result, generations are growing up in refugee camps. 70.8 million people around the world have today been forcibly displaced and the figure is on the rise. I feel the pain of our fellow human beings.

This humanitarian catastrophe demands urgent attention. We must make sure that every man, woman, and child is safe.: and where disaster hits regardless of its cause, those most affected receive our most urgent action. Let me remind you that we have pledged to leave no one behind.

We must do much more to prevent humanitarian crises and protect the people who are suffering and enable them to ascend out of inhumane conditions and the trap of poverty.  We need to strengthen our collective efforts to address the root causes of crises and to prevent further suffering.

Excellencies, Delegates,

The climate emergency and environmental degradation exacerbate crises and have placed some of the most vulnerable populations in even more precarious situations. Eight of the worst food crises today are linked to both conflict and climate shocks.

Current trends of global emissions will cause further global warming and human beings will suffer the impact of severe and extreme weather events. The climate emergency is already causing unprecedented human and socioeconomic costs.

It was disheartening that the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Madrid did not agree on key areas. Thus, we must continue to work together to push through on common commitments to reach carbon neutrality and a cap of 1.5- degree temperature rise to deliver a better future for all.

Both the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are people-centred instruments that were created by us to aid us in our common effort to create a better world for all. They are a feat of multilateralism, recognising our collective duty to serve the peoples of the world.

Achieving the targets of these Goals will improve the lives of the people we serve around the world, we will be better prepared to prevent, and respond to, humanitarian crises.

This also means having strong social services and climate-resilient infrastructure; investing in health systems and scaling up vaccination programmes; establishing adequate water supplies; investing in counter-terrorism efforts; and ensuring that people are not marginalised in society or left vulnerable to extremist recruitment.

Excellencies,

We must protect the millions of human beings who are trapped in conflict. We must support people’s needs, advocating for, and upholding, the full respect of the rights of all individuals in accordance with international humanitarian law, human rights, and refugee law.  

I underscore the need to protect our children and youth that are living under such conditions. It is inconceivable that in this era millions of children are deprived of their human rights, and that one out of every three children are out of school because of conflict or natural disasters. Protecting our children and facilitating equal access to quality education is a foremost priority and deserves our full attention.  

Special protection should be prioritised to safeguard our girls. Today, women and girls are at a higher risk of sexual and gender-based violence than before.

These violations have long-term, devastating impacts. Protection and prevention against all violence against women is a pre-requisite for gender equality and upholding women’s rights.

We must step up our efforts to empower women caught in crises. Improved analysis and more tools are now available to us to enable us to respond to the specific needs of women.

Excellencies,

Our Organisation was created with the primary responsibility to uphold peace and security. However, today international humanitarian legal obligations are being shirked in many conflicts.

In this year of the 70^th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, we acknowledge that much has been achieved but clearly much more remains to be done as various reports of relevant UN bodies have indicated.

In complex modern conflicts, let us not forget that international humanitarian principles remain key. I call on all Member States and parties to conflicts to fully adhere to international humanitarian law.

Attacks on healthcare workers are increasing and humanitarian personnel continue to face significant threats.

Shockingly, in the period between January 2018 and July 2019, 16 United Nations personnel and 32 humanitarian personnel working with non-governmental organisations lost their lives in the line of duty.    

These individuals have made the ultimate sacrifice. We must honour their memory by working together to meet the needs of the people we serve.

We must appreciate and know that these organisations bring hope and assistance to our fellow human beings during their darkest days. I call on everyone to provide support and protection to everyone who undertakes such indispensable  work.

Excellencies,

Last week, Member States, ‘invested in humanity’ at the High-Level Pledging Event for the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The empathy and solidarity you have shown towards our brothers and sisters who need our support gives us hope that despite the immense challenges we face, we will and can succeed by working together.

The CERF strategic pooled funding mechanism has already achieved success in terms of effective coordination and timely response to crises, often utilising cash to respond to those in need, as swiftly as possible. For example, the fund facilitates education to children at risk in conflict areas.

This innovative approach to the financial response is mirrored as we improve our working methods by breaking down silos. We are strengthening collaboration between humanitarian and development organisations.

The Resident Coordinator system is set up to work closely with the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and we need to promote more synergy and strengthen the humanitarian-development nexus. We must continue to streamline our work if we are to be at our most effective, and efficient.

It is projected that there will be 167.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in 2020. Clearly, we need to redouble our efforts and take action to safeguard the people whom we are duty-bound to assist.

Indeed, it is possible that with more focused attention to  the SDGs we may in fact avoid in large measure having such a  high figure in the future.

Let us work together and take action now to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, and ensure that people everywhere live healthier and more meaningful and more dignified lives.

I thank you.