1

The International Response to Complex Emergencies

FAO Photo

2

Complex EmergenciesDefinition

3

Complex EmergenciesWho is responsible and who

coordinates?

4

Who is a Refugee?Definition

5

The UN System

6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SECURITYCOUNCIL

SECRETARIAT

TRUSTEESHIPCOUNCIL

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

COUNCIL

INTRNTNL.COURT OFJUSTICE

OCHA DPA DPKO DA HCHR/CHR DGSRDP

• ILO• FAO• UNESCO• WHO• WBG• IMF• WMO• IAEA

• UNRWA• UNCTAD• UNICEF• UNHCR• WFP• UNITAR• UNDP• UNEP

THE UN STRUCTURETHE UN STRUCTURE

5 PRINCIPAL ORGANS5 PRINCIPAL ORGANS

•ICAO•UPU•ITU•IMO•WIPO•IFAD•UNIDO

Specialised Agencies

7

NATO

The “International System”IFRC

Refugees -IDPs,

Besieged

donorshost government

localpopulation

national/localNGOs

UNHCR

intergovernmentalorganizations

Other UNagencies

media

media

media

media

internationalNGOs

media

media

military

ICRC

Red Crescent

Can anyone coordinate this?

WFP

UNICEF

UNDPOCHA

8

Coordination in the UN System

• Mandates• Standards• Structures• Tools

9

Mandates• Pre-defines (broadly) the activities of each

UN body

–e.g. WFP is the Food organisation of the UN, UNHCR is the refugee organisation of the UN

10

Standards• Common emergency standards and indicators

provide benchmarks for common objectives and action

For refugee emergencies: Death rate >2 per 10,000 per day Nutritional Status <70% weight for height or

<12 cm middle upper arm circumference

Rations <2,100 calories/person /day Site Space <30 sq. meters per person Shelter <3.5 meters per person Water Quantity <10 liters/person/day Water Quality >25% of people with

diarrhea

11

Structures• The Secretary General can put in place one

of four structures for field coordination:

–Resident Coordinator–Lead Agency–Humanitarian Coordinator–Regional Humanitarian Coordinator

12

Tools• UN Agencies can use tools which help

coordination e.g.

–Joint Contingency Planning–Consolidated (joint) appeals–Memoranda of Understanding (MOU)–Joint Training

13

Spectrum of Coordination Activities

Information sharingInformation sharing

CollaborationCollaboration

Joint Field/HQPlanning andProgramming

“SOFT”

“HARD”

14

Coordination and time:The rule of diminishing returns?

TIME

Crisis Humanitarian Expansion Programme Normalization Transition

CO

OR

DIN

ATI

ON

INPU

TS N

EED

ED

22

Some Examples of International Humanitarian Coordination Mechanisms

23

GovernmentCoordinationMeeting @ LowerLevel

UN & InternationalsCoordinationMeeting @Lower Level

JOINT COORDINATION

MEETING @HIGHER

LEVEL

Kukes - “Horseshoe” mechanism Location -JointMembership -InclusiveAuthority -HighFormality -HighResources -High

Location -SeparateMembership -ExclusiveAuthority -MediumFormality -LowResources -Low

24

JOINT COORDINATION

MEETING @MIDDLE LEVEL

EMG Tirana - “Integrated” coordination meeting mechanism

Location - Co-locatedMembership - InclusiveAuthority - HighFormality - HighResources - High

25

Parallel Meetings MechanismTurkey/Kurdish Influx 1991

orLifeline Sudan

GovernmentCoordination

Meeting @ lowerlevel

UN & InternationalsCoordination

Meeting @Lower Level

GovernmentCoordination

Meeting @ Higherlevel

UN & InternationalsCoordination

Meeting @Higher Level

Location -SeparateMembership -ExclusiveAuthority -HighFormality -HighResource - ?