Humanitarian/Relief efforts – GA debate (excerpts) – Press release

Fifty-second General Assembly            
Plenary                  
53rd Meeting (PM)

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT IN FACE OF VIOLENCE

AGAINST ENTIRE POPULATIONS, GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS TOLD

In Debate on Humanitarian, Relief Efforts, International Red Cross
Representative Emphasizes Role of Political and Military Initiatives

  The International  Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was  concerned at the tendency to resort to humanitarian assistance  as a substitute for political and military  action,  the ICRC  observer  told  the General  Assembly  this afternoon, as  it considered  strengthening coordination  of United  Nations humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.

  When  violence  was  used  as  a  deliberate  policy  to  threaten  entire populations, humanitarian action could not be  the sole response, she  said.  Massacres and  genocide were political crimes  which could  be combated only through political and military action.

  During this  afternoon's debate, several  speakers said the  establishment of the new  Office of the Emergency  Relief Coordinator would bring  greater policy  consistency  to  United  Nations  humanitarian  activities  both  at Headquarters and  in the  field.   The representative  of the United  States said the Office should be a  catalyst for early coordination in humanitarian crises, with a strategic time-frame involving relevant agencies.

  However,  the  observer   for  Switzerland  said  the  centralization   of activities  in an Office  of the  Emergency Relief  Coordinator might create too much  distance  between  information  distribution  and  decision-making mechanisms and the main humanitarian organizations in Europe.

  The  representative of  Luxembourg,  speaking  on behalf  of the  European Union  and associated  countries, said  that in  strengthening  humanitarian assistance  coordination,   attention  should  be  paid   to  the  role   of implementing partners and their relationship with the humanitarian  agencies to ensure more efficiency, accountability and monitoring of results.

  A  number of speakers praised the White Helmets initiative as an effective tool  to strengthen  the  response  of United  Nations  humanitarian  relief efforts.   The representative  of Argentina, introducing a  draft resolution on the participation of volunteers, White Helmets, in United Nations  humanitarian relief  activities, said  Member States  could have  a tangible input  in relief operations through their nationals recruited under the initiative.

  Introducing a draft resolution on strengthening international  cooperation on  the Chernobyl  nuclear-power  station disaster,  the  representative  of Ukraine  said it could not be considered the problem of one country or group of countries.    It was  an  unprecedented  technological catastrophe  on  a global scale and could only be solved through multilateral cooperation.

  Statements  were also  made by  Japan,  Norway, China,  Bulgaria, Uruguay, Canada,   Bolivia,  Lebanon,  Russian   Federation,  Ethiopia,  United  Arab Emirates, India, Belarus, Iraq, Tajikistan, Egypt, Liberia.

  The  observers for Palestine  and for  the International  Committee of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also spoke this afternoon.

  HASSAN KASSEM  NAJEM (Lebanon),  introducing the  draft on  assistance for the reconstruction and development of Lebanon  (document A/52/L.36) said the Secretary- General's  report  on  assistance  to  his  country,  despite  its clarity, provided only a sketchy outline of  the many cooperative efforts by the United  Nations and its development  partners.  It  was not possible  to gauge from the  report a full understanding  of present and future  measures and  it  should  therefore be  read in  conjunction  with the  more detailed reports of individual agencies, including the World Bank.
 
  Over the  last few months, he  said, the President  of the  World Bank and representatives of  United  Nations agencies  had  visited  his country  and Lebanese  Government officials,  in turn,  had visited  many donor  nations.  Such  diplomatic   activity  reflected   Lebanon's  pioneering   development efforts. However,  the report had not  underscored the  particular nature of development activities following conflicts.

  In his report on  the work of the Organization, the Secretary-General  had pointed out the unique nature such efforts required.  The Under-Secretary-General  of  the  Department  of  Humanitarian  Affairs  had  also   drawn attention to the need  for an assistance  strategy on the basis of  a clear-cut and welldefined link between relief and development.

  He  said the Lebanese  success in  perpetuating peace  and development had led it  to ignore the  consequences of 17 years of war.   Its experience was different  from  that  of  developing  countries which  had  enjoyed  peace.  Lebanon had  focused on building  its infrastructure in  all sectors and  on developing outlying  areas, as  well as  its health  and social  programmes.  The   need  to   establish   sustainable   development  required   continued international   assistance  —   a  fact  Lebanon  had   emphasized  in  its cooperation  with  the  World  Bank, donor  countries  and  humanitarian and development  agencies.   The many  problems of  implementing  reconstruction efforts  were openly discussed through a transparent  national process which encouraged open public  and media discussion.   Efforts were hindered by the current stagnation  in the peace  process, as  a result of  Israeli actions, including  its ignoring of  Security Council  resolution 425  (1978) and its continued occupation of Lebanese territory.

  Mr. MIRZA   (United  Arab Emirates)  said that  despite  its efforts,  the United Nations had not  met all humanitarian needs  because of the  scope of crises  and a lack of  resources.  Humanitarian assistance must be increased and  the  United Nations  machinery  improved;  international  and  regional development programmes must meet calls for humanitarian assistance quickly.

  He said  his country had established a development fund  for assistance to developing  countries in  education,  health  and agriculture, and  it  had established many charitable organizations to meet  demands in many parts  of the world.   It  supported peaceful  solutions of  conflicts, early  warning systems  and  effective databases  to  maximize  responses to  disasters and implementation of development and reconstruction projects.

  The Palestinian economy, he went on, had regressed because of  collective punishment  pursued  by  the  Israeli  Government, which  had  delayed  the Palestinian Authority's access to international help.   That had resulted in the spread of disease and poverty in the  occupied territories, with a  more than  60 per cent  drop in gross  national product (GNP)  and a  60 per cent unemployment  rate.   The United  Arab Emirates  placed great  hopes in the draft resolution  on  helping the  Palestinian  people  achieve  their  economic plans.  Israel   must  be  forced  to   stop  dangerous   policies  and  the international community must meet its obligations.

  MOWAFAK MAHMOUD  AYOUB (Iraq) said  the role  of the United  Nations and its specialized   agencies   was   growing, especially   that  involving humanitarian assistance to  people affected by conflicts, natural disasters and other emergencies.  The United  Nations and the international  community should  consider the refugee  problem in  terms of its root  causes, such as economic sanctions, indebtedness,  and poverty, which led to greater refugee flows.  The  High  Commissioner  for  Refugees  had  focused  on political refugees  but account should  also  be  taken  of  refugees  leaving their countries for economic reasons. Iraq believed  that the United Nations could make effective contributions in addressing the problem.  

  He  said the  1949 Geneva  Convention  should be  the legal framework for providing such assistance.  Consideration should  be given to reforming  the Security  Council  to  make  it more  representative  of  the  international community.   United  Nations  machinery should  not  be used to serve  the interests  of certain  Member States.    The  criteria for  implementing and lifting   sanctions  should  be   clear-cut.    Iraq  had  extremely  bitter experiences  with  sanctions.   The  economic  embargo  blocking  food   had compelled some of its people to seek refuge  elsewhere for economic reasons.  Foreign countries should avoid interfering in  Iraq's internal matters.  The United  Nations should  step up  efforts to lift  the embargo  against Iraq, which would be conducive to the return of its refugees.

  SOLIMAN  AWAAD  (Egypt)  said  Egypt  extended  contributions to the Palestinian  people,  which  had  suffered  so  long  under  tyranny.   That assistance was more pressing  now, in light of  the stagnation of  the peace process  and Israeli  coercive measures and border  closures restricting the movement of commodities.   Egypt had set up a national committee to  specify assistance needs  to the Palestinian Authority,  especially in  the areas of mail,  transport, communications  and  education.   It  trained  Palestinian police cadres and provided expertise to  defend the Palestinian question  in all international  forums.   It  was  participating  with other  parties  on technical assistance to the  Palestinians in all fields.  Egypt, Norway  and the Palestine Authority were cooperating on  training nursing cadres.  Egypt was also cooperating with the Palestinian on the  creation of the Gaza port.

  In the  private sector,  he went  on, Egyptian businessmen had  initiated many projects to enhance the Palestinian  economy and compensate for border closures.   Egypt urged  all friendly  States to  increase their assistance, and abide by commitments to  agreements with the Palestinian Authority.  The United  Nations  has played  a major  role  in  support for  the Palestinian people and  Egypt  called  on  all  international  organizations  and  donor countries  to extend  economic  assistance  to the  Palestinian  people  and increase  their  support.   He  praised the  efforts  of the  United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
   

    MARWAN  JILANI, Observer  for  Palestine, said  the  Palestinian  people deeply  appreciated the  efforts of  the international community  in helping their efforts to regain  their homeland and promote the peace process.   The Secretary-General's report reflected  in its documentation the policies and measures imposed by the Israeli Government  on the Palestinian people  after 1993.  The Israelis  had imposed restrictions on the movement of people  and goods between certain areas in the  occupied territories.  Arrangements  for transit had not been made, nor for the  seaport or airport in Gaza.  Control posts had been set up on all main roads.

  He said the restrictions  on goods and  people, and on the United  Nations staff members,  had caused delays and  additional costs  for the development projects and delayed the work of humanitarian  aid workers.  Those  policies and practices  could not be justified with regard to  what the international community  had said  about them.    Economic  performance had  worsened, the average  Palestinian income  had  dropped and  unemployment  had  increased. Those conditions,  along with  the  frustration of  the Palestinian  people, made talking  about the  peace process  impossible.   He warned  the Israeli Government to  end the blockade,  otherwise it would  be impossible  to hope for successful cooperation as long as the Palestinian economy worsened.

  SYLVIE  JUNOD, International  Committee  of  the  Red Cross  (ICRC),  said better  operational and  political coordination  among  various humanitarian emergency response organizations was essential.  Coordination should aim  at carefully orchestrating  different types  of activities over time,  within a volatile and rapidly changing  environment.  Coordination should broaden the impact of humanitarian efforts and ensure the best use of donor funds.

  She  said personnel  of humanitarian  organizations were being  exposed to greater risk, which had been further compounded by  the proliferation of aid agencies with  divergent objectives and  different working  methods.  Proper coordination and  compliance with common  fundamental principles could  help improve the safety  of humanitarian personnel.   Codes of conduct  and terms of reference  which regulated the way humanitarian organizations carried out their work and established  minimum standards should be universally applied.  In 1993, the  International Red Cross  and Red Crescent  Movement adopted a code of  conduct  which had  since  been  endorsed by  100  non-governmental
organizations.

  She said enhancement of consultation and cooperation between humanitarian organizations  and  political bodies  was  essential.  Despite  constructive dialogue between humanitarian  and political bodies, the ICRC was  concerned about  the tendency to resort to humanitarian assistance as a substitute for political and  military action, particularly in  Africa.   When violence, as the expression  of  deliberate policy,  threatened  the  survival of  entire populations,  the  response  could  not  solely   be  defined  in  terms  of humanitarian action.  Massacres and genocide,  which were first and foremost political crimes, could  be effectively combated only through political and, if need  be, military action.  Humanitarian actions should complement, rather than  replace,  political   action  and,  when  required,  peace-keeping  or peace-enforcement operations.
 
  The  challenges ahead  lay in  the international  community's ability  and willingness to  reach comprehensive solutions  to humanitarian problems,  he said.   Such  solutions  must  incorporate political,  social  and  economic elements.  What  was being sought was  not only better  coordination between humanitarian organizations,  but also  a clearly defined  framework and  the terms  of   effective  cooperation   between  humanitarian   endeavours  and political actions.

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