Measuring Commitment to Best Practice
HRI
NEWS
Humanitarian Coordination: More than joining forces
“Contribute responsibly, and on the basis of burden-sharing, to United Nations Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeals and to International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appeals, and actively support the formulation of Common Humanitarian Action Plans (CHAP) as the primary instrument for strategic planning, prioritisation and co-ordination in complex emergencies. ”
Principle 14 of the Principles and Good Practices of Humanitarian Donorship
The saying, “there is strength in numbers” takes on special meaning with respect to humanitarian action. Coordination among different actors is essential to actions which respond quickly, efficiently and flexibly to the needs of those affected by crises. This is precisely what is laid out in the Principles of Humanitarian Donorship, which in principle 14, emphasize the need to actively contribute to the UN and International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement appeals. Also highlighted is the importance of supporting the Common Humanitarian Action Plans as the fundamental mechanism for the coordination and planning of humanitarian action in complex emergencies.
Let’s see what these instruments are and what they mean. At the beginning of the 1990’s, a process was initiated to reflect on humanitarian action as a whole. As a result, in 1992, the United Nations Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) was created, under the auspices of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The CAP is a mechanism through which aid is requested for different crises, but it is also a tool that humanitarian actors can use to work together to plan, implement and evaluate their activities and in coordination with governments. The launch of a CAP requires the prior preparation of a Common Humanitarian Action Plan, specifically created for each humanitarian emergency. This plan is none other than a strategic analysis of the context in which the crisis takes place. In other words, it analyses the most urgent needs, identifies the involved actors and their responsibilities, determines the way in which to carry out medium or long-term planning to allow for the establishment of goals and results, and it establishes an evaluation and revision framework, in case it is needed. Since its creation, the CAP has requested 3.1 billion dollars, and has received 2.1 billion. Therefore, 68% of the total amount of requested aid was received. Although donors´ contributions could be greater and, therefore, meet the needs of the people affected by crises more appropriately, we can say that it is a relevant instrument of the humanitarian actors’ collective actions.
At the end of 2005, another important step for the coordination of humanitarian responses took place. At this time, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, United Nations agencies and three large federations of NGOs, established a new way of working called the cluster approach. Initially, nine working groups were created, each focusing on areas whose response capacity needed reinforcement.
The number of these groups has grown to eleven, covering the sectors of agriculture, nutrition, health, water, sanitation and hygiene, emergency settlement, camp coordination and management, early recovery, logistics, protection, emergency telecommunications, and education. Each group is coordinated by a UN agency.
The organisation of this method of action is based on the division of tasks among the involved actors, and on the definition of roles and responsibilities of each of them. In March 2006, the first specific appeal using this new perspective was launched with a value of 39 million dollars; the humanitarian responses to the crises experienced, in 2006, by Lebanon and Pakistan, among others, used this approach.
Red Cross Instruments
In addition to the instruments created by United Nations, there are also those of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The main mechanism of the Red Cross to obtain funds for emergency actions is the Emergency Appeal. At the end of each year the International Committee Red Cross launches an emergency appeal which will be used to implement the anticipated field activities for the next twelve months. However, it is also possible during the course of the year, and as a result of unexpected events, that other appeals need to be launched to increase the initial budget. In this case, the appeals of the International Committee can join those of the Red Cross National Societies. Governmental and non governmental organisations, companies and individuals voluntarily donate economic resources to the appeals, in this way, allowing them to have to have sufficient financial resources.
A reform process is underway for humanitarian action, which requires the involvement of all parties. The growing plurality of actors, the constant emergence of crises, and the diversity of contexts require increasingly complex and coordinated responses that combine all contributions. The complementarity of actors and actions is a key part in this new scenario in which one plus is not always simply two.