chapter iii humanitarian and special economic assistance...humanitarian trends and challenges during...

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the Chernobyl disaster; assistance in mine action; and the new partnership for Africa’s development: progress in implementation and international support.

Humanitarian assistance

CoordinationHumanitarian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council

In accordance with Council decision 2013/212 of 25 April, the humanitarian affairs segment of the Eco-nomic and Social Council, at its substantive session of 2013 (Geneva, 15–17 July) [A/68/3/Rev.1], considered the theme “The future of humanitarian affairs: towards greater inclusiveness, coordination, interoperability and effectiveness”. It convened two panels—one on reducing vulnerability, improving capacities and man-aging risks, and another on promoting humanitarian innovation for improved response. An informal event was held on 15 July to discuss, in response to decision 2013/213, ways of supporting national priorities in a process of transition from relief to development.

The Council, along with the General Assem-bly, considered the Secretary-General’s May report [A/68/84-E/2013/77] on strengthening the coordination of UN emergency humanitarian assistance, submitted in response to Assembly resolutions 46/182 [YUN 1991, p. 421] and 67/87 [YUN 2012, p. 900], and Council resolu-tion 2012/3 [ibid., p. 896]. The report described the major humanitarian trends and challenges during the period from June 2012 to May 2013, and analysed two thematic issues: the need to reduce vulnerability and manage risks, and the need to promote humanitarian innovation.

The global number of internally displaced persons (idps) resulting from armed conflict and generalized violence was estimated at 28.8 million at the end of 2012, the highest number ever recorded by the Inter-nal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Approximately 6.5 million people were newly displaced by armed con-flict—almost twice as many as in 2011. Furthermore, more than 1.1 million people became refugees in the course of 2012, the highest number in more than a decade. The number of idps being protected and/or as-sisted by the Office of the United Nations High Com-missioner for Refugees (unhcr) at the end of 2012 was 17.7 million, and the number of refugees under its mandate stood at 10.5 million. The Centre for Re-

In 2013, the United Nations and its partners con-tinued to face major challenges in responding to humanitarian needs generated by conflicts and natu-ral disasters throughout the world. During the year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (ocha), with an operating budget of $277.3 million, coordinated humanitarian assistance for 81.21 million people in countries with a strategic response plan. Three level-three emergen-cies—the highest-level crises for the United Nations and partner agencies—were declared during the year in the Central African Republic (car), the Philippines and the Syrian Arab Republic. In addition, crises in Mali and South Sudan were designated as corporate emergencies: when all ocha offices, branches and sec-tions provided their full support to response activities both at Headquarters and in the field.

During the year, consolidated inter-agency and flash appeals were launched for Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the car, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, Syria, Yemen and Zimbabwe. The initial global humanita-rian appeal for 2013 was $8.5 billion to provide assist-ance to at least 51 million people in 16 countries. By mid-2013, however, with the humanitarian crisis in Syria escalating, the appeal had grown by more than 50 per cent to $12.9 billion, with 73 million people in need of assistance. As the year closed, a further $677 million was required to assist 14 million people af-fected by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Some $8.3 billion was made available, meeting 64.9 per cent of require-ments. The Central Emergency Response Fund (cerf) continued to allow for the rapid provision of assistance to populations affected by sudden-onset disasters and underfunded emergencies. In 2013, cerf allocated more than $482 million for humanitarian action in 45 countries worldwide.

During the year, the Economic and Social Council considered ways to strengthen UN humanitarian as-sistance coordination; and analysed the need to reduce vulnerability and manage risks, as well as the need to promote humanitarian innovation. The General Assembly adopted resolutions on international cooper-ation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development; the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction; the strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of

Chapter III

Humanitarian and special economic assistance

Chapter III: Humanitarian and special economic assistance 863

YUN 2013—5th proof—28 November 2017

gether different stakeholders—affected Member States, affected people, donors, humanitarian organizations, non-governmental organizations (ngos), experts and academia—to take stock of the changing humanitarian environment and agree on how to adapt ways of work-ing and set an agenda for making humanitarian action fit for the future. He further called on Member States, non-State actors and humanitarian organizations to, inter alia, continue to promote greater respect for the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, im-partiality and independence; and urged States to facili-tate the unimpeded passage of humanitarian personnel and relief consignments to affected communities. He also urged Member States and other donors to provide timely and predictable funding to protracted crises; to adhere to the principles of Good Humanitarian Donor-ship [YUN 2003, p. 916]; and to ensure that preparedness work received adequate resources, including from both humanitarian and development budgets. Further, he proposed that the United Nations and humanitarian organizations continue to improve the collection and use of sex, age and disability disaggregated data, and to further strengthen the systematic integration of gender analysis into humanitarian programming.

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ACTION

On 17 July [meeting 36], the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 2013/6 [E/2013/L.20] without vote [agenda item 5].

Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations

The Economic and Social Council,Reaffirming General Assembly resolution 46/182 of

19 December 1991 and the guiding principles contained in the annex thereto, and recalling other relevant resolutions of the Assembly and relevant resolutions and agreed conclu-sions of the Economic and Social Council,

Reaffirming also the principles of neutrality, human-ity, impartiality and independence for the provision of humanitarian assistance, and the need for all actors engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance in situations of complex emergencies and natural disasters to promote and fully respect those principles,

Recalling its decision 2013/212 of 25 April 2013, in which the Council decided that the theme for the humanitarian affairs segment of its substantive session of 2013 would be “The future of humanitarian affairs: towards greater inclu-siveness, coordination, interoperability and effectiveness” and that it would convene two panels, on the topics “Reduc-ing vulnerability, improving capacities and managing risks: an approach for humanitarian and development actors to work together” and “Promoting humanitarian innovation for improved response”,

Expressing deep concern at the increasing challenges to Member States and to the United Nations humanitarian response capacity posed by the consequences of natural dis-asters, including those related to the continuing impact of climate change, by the ongoing impact of the financial and

search on the Epidemiology of Disasters recorded 310 disasters in 2012, which claimed an estimated 9,300 lives, affected 106 million people and caused over $138 billion in damages. Despite the decrease in fatalities compared to 2011, according to the Internal Displace-ment Monitoring Centre, an estimated 32.4 million people in 82 countries were newly displaced by natural disasters—almost double the number from 2011. It was also the third consecutive year for economic dis-aster losses to have exceeded $100 billion.

Humanitarian needs continued to increase, while the operating environment for delivering assistance became more complex. The United Nations had to respond to a number of complex emergencies, nota-bly in Syria where an estimated 6.8 million people were in urgent need of assistance as at 26 April; in northern Mali where approximately 4 million people required water and sanitation assistance; and in My-anmar where as a consequence of the intercommunal violence that broke out in 2012 in Rakhine State, 125,000 remained displaced. The reporting period also saw the intensification of existing complex emer-gencies and conflicts, causing further displacement in several States, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (drc), the Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan. Asia was the continent that expe-rienced the greatest number of natural disasters and highest death toll in 2012. Typhoon Bopha, which hit the Philippines on 4 December 2012, resulted in the largest loss of life from a natural disaster that year.

The principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Com-mittee (iasc)—a mechanism for inter-agency coordina-tion of humanitarian assistance, bringing together UN and non-UN humanitarian partners—agreed on an ac-tion plan in 2012 that outlined clear responsibilities for implementing the Committee transformative agenda to improve humanitarian leadership, coordination and accountability. As at May 2013, the Committee was in the process of developing a framework for capacity-building for emergency preparedness, combining ef-forts of humanitarian and development organizations.

With regard to humanitarian financing, the Secretary-General reported that in 2012, at least 100 countries, as well as private sector organizations and individuals, contributed towards a total of $12.7 bil-lion in funding, both within and outside the con-solidated appeals process, an overall decrease from recent years. Member States and the private sector contributed $427 million in pledges and contribu-tions to the Central Emergency Response Fund (see p. 867). Those contributions, along with other funds, allowed the Emergency Relief Coordinator to allocate some $485 million to implement life-saving activities in emergencies, the highest annual amount allocated since the Fund’s inception in 2006.

The Secretary-General called for a humanitarian summit that would provide an opportunity to bring to-

864 Part Three: Economic and social questions


system in support of national efforts, and taking note of the efforts made by the United Nations and its partners, including through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;2. Stresses that the United Nations system should con-

tinue to enhance existing humanitarian capacities, knowl-edge and institutions, including, as appropriate, through the transfer of technology and expertise to developing countries, encourages the international community, the relevant enti-ties of the United Nations system and other relevant insti-tutions and organizations to support national authorities in their capacity-building programmes, including through technical cooperation and long-term partnerships, as well as by strengthening their capacity to build resilience, miti-gate disaster risks and prepare for and respond to disasters, and also encourages Member States to create and strengthen an enabling environment for the capacity-building of their national and local authorities, national societies of the In-ternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and na-tional and local non-governmental and community-based organizations in providing timely humanitarian assistance;

3. Takes note with appreciation of the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Geneva from 19 to 23 May 2013, urges Member States to assess their progress in strengthening preparedness levels for humanitarian response, with a view to increasing efforts to develop, update and strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures at all levels, in accordance with the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, in particular priority 5 thereof, taking into account their own circumstances and capacities and in coordination with rele-vant actors, as appropriate, and encourages the international community and relevant United Nations entities, including the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, United Nations funds and programmes, as well as the specialized agencies, to give increased priority to and mainstream dis-aster risk reduction, including preparedness, in particular through supporting national and local efforts in that regard;

4. Encourages Member States, as well as relevant re-gional and international organizations, in accordance with their specific mandates, to continue to support adaptation to the effects of climate change and to strengthen disaster risk reduction and early warning systems in order to mini-mize the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters, including those related to the continuing impact of climate change, especially for those countries that are particularly vulnerable;

5. Welcomes the growing number of initiatives under-taken at the regional and national levels to promote the im-plementation of the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance adopted at the thirtieth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Ge-neva from 26 to 30 November 2007, encourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to take further steps to review and strengthen operational and le-gal frameworks for international disaster relief, taking into account, as appropriate, the Guidelines, and welcomes the recent efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to develop a model act on the subject;

economic crisis and by the global food crisis and continu-ing food insecurity, and the potential of those challenges to increase the need for resources for disaster risk reduction, preparedness and humanitarian assistance, including in developing countries,

Expressing grave concern at the increase in the number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies, including those associated with natural hazards and complex emer-gencies, at the increased impact of natural disasters and at the displacement resulting from humanitarian emergencies,

Reiterating the need to mainstream a gender perspec-tive into humanitarian assistance in a comprehensive and consistent manner,

Condemning the increasing number of attacks and other acts of violence against humanitarian personnel, facilities, assets and supplies, including medical personnel, vehi-cles and facilities, and expressing deep concern about the negative implications of such attacks for the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations,

Noting with grave concern that violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, and violence against children, continues to be deliberately directed against civilian popu-lations in many emergency situations,

Emphasizing that building and strengthening resilience at the local, national, and regional levels is critical to reduc-ing the impact of disasters, including by saving lives, reduc-ing suffering, mitigating damage to property and providing a more predictable and effective delivery of assistance and relief, and in this regard, while recognizing that building resilience is a long-term development process, stressing the need for continued investment in preparedness, prevention, mitigation and response capacity,

Emphasizing also the importance of improving information-sharing among Member States and the United Nations system and, where appropriate, with relevant humanitarian and development organizations, about risks that can lead to humanitarian crises, and of investing in building capacity, in particular for developing countries, to analyse, manage and reduce such risks and vulnerabilities to hazards, as well as, where appropriate, to improve risk analysis and planning,

Recognizing the clear relationship between emergency response, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, and reaffirming that, in order to ensure a smooth transi-tion from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and de-velopment, emergency assistance must be provided in ways that will be supportive of recovery and long-term devel-opment and that emergency measures should be seen as a step towards sustainable development, and in this regard highlighting the importance of closer cooperation between national stakeholders, including the private sector, as ap-propriate, and humanitarian and development actors,

Noting the contribution, as appropriate, of relevant re-gional and subregional organizations in the provision of humanitarian assistance within their region, upon the re-quest of the affected State,

Recognizing that volunteerism can make an important contribution to community and nationally-led efforts at all stages of humanitarian action,

Recognizing also the need for the United Nations system and its partners to improve and strengthen the coordination and accountability of humanitarian assistance and leader-ship within the United Nations humanitarian response



emergency relief material rapidly and cost-effectively, and locally when appropriate, in order to support Governments and United Nations country teams in the coordination and provision of international humanitarian assistance;

15. Recognizes the benefits of the effectiveness of the humanitarian response, including by engaging and coordi-nating with relevant humanitarian actors, and welcomes in this regard the recent efforts by the Office for the Coordi-nation of Humanitarian Affairs to build partnerships with regional organizations and the private sector, encourages Member States and the United Nations system to continue to strengthen partnerships at the global, regional, national and local levels in support of national efforts, which can cooperate effectively to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need and ensure that their collaborative efforts ad-here to the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence, and also encourages the United Nations system to continue to pursue efforts to strengthen partner-ships at the global level with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, relevant humanitarian non-governmental organizations and other participants in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;

16. Encourages Member States, the United Nations system and humanitarian and development organizations, in accordance with their respective mandates, to con-tinue to assess and improve, together with other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, how innovation can be more systematically identified and integrated into humanitarian action in a sustainable manner, and promote the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on innova-tive tools, processes and approaches, including those from recent large-scale natural disasters, that could improve the effectiveness and quality of humanitarian response, and in this regard encourages all relevant stakeholders to support the efforts of Member States, in particular developing coun-tries, to strengthen their capacities, including through access to information and communication technologies;

17. Expresses concern at the challenges related to, inter alia, safe access to and use of fuel, firewood and alternative energy, telecommunications, water and sanitation, shelter and food, and health care in humanitarian emergencies, and notes with appreciation initiatives at the national and interna-tional levels that promote effective cooperation in that regard;

18. Requests the United Nations humanitarian organi-zations, in consultation with Member States, as appropriate, to strengthen the evidence base for humanitarian assistance by further developing common mechanisms to improve the quality, transparency and reliability of and make further pro-gress towards common humanitarian needs assessments, to assess their performance in assistance and to ensure the most effective use of humanitarian resources by those organizations;

19. Encourages Member States to improve data collec-tion and analysis and to facilitate the exchange of informa-tion with humanitarian organizations of the United Nations, in order to support preparedness efforts and to improve the effectiveness of needs-based humanitarian response, and encourages the United Nations system, as appropriate, and other relevant actors to continue to assist developing coun-tries in their efforts to build local and national capacities for data collection and analysis;

20. Requests Member States, relevant organizations and other relevant actors to ensure that all aspects and stages of humanitarian response address the specific needs

6. Encourages efforts to enhance cooperation and co-ordination of United Nations humanitarian entities, other relevant humanitarian organizations and donor countries with the affected State, with a view to planning and deliver-ing emergency humanitarian assistance in ways that are sup-portive of early recovery as well as sustainable rehabilitation, reconstruction and development efforts;

7. Also encourages efforts to provide quality education in humanitarian emergencies, in particular for the well-being of boys and girls, to contribute to a smooth transition from relief to development;

8. Requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to con-tinue to lead the efforts to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance, urges relevant United Nations or-ganizations and other intergovernmental organizations, as well as other humanitarian and relevant development actors, including civil society, to continue to work with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to enhance the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of humanita-rian assistance, and encourages Member States to improve their cooperation with the Office;

9. Also requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue to improve dialogue with Member States on the relevant processes, activities and deliberations of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;

10. Encourages United Nations humanitarian organi-zations and other relevant organizations, while strengthen-ing the coordination of humanitarian assistance in the field, to continue to work in close coordination with national Governments, taking into account the primary role of the affected State in the initiation, organization, coordination and implementation of such assistance within its territory;

11. Requests the United Nations system and other relevant actors to continue to improve and strengthen humanitarian coordination mechanisms, notably at the field level, including the existing cluster coordination mecha-nism, and by improving partnership and coordination with national and local authorities, including the use of national/local coordination mechanisms, where possible;

12. Welcomes the continued efforts to strengthen the humanitarian response capacity in order to provide a timely, predictable, coordinated and accountable response to humanitarian needs, and requests the Secretary-General to continue efforts in that regard, in consultation with Member States, including by strengthening support to and improving the identification, selection and training of United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators;

13. Requests the United Nations to continue to iden-tify solutions to strengthen its ability to recruit and deploy appropriately senior, skilled and experienced humanitarian staff quickly and flexibly, giving paramount consideration to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and in-tegrity, while paying due regard to gender equality and to recruiting on as wide a geographical basis as possible, and in this regard encourages the United Nations Development Group to strengthen the resident coordinator system, on which the humanitarian coordinator system is based, in or-der to ensure full implementation of the management and accountability system of the United Nations development and resident coordinator system;

14. Also requests the United Nations to continue to develop specialist technical expertise and capacity to fill gaps in critical humanitarian programming and to procure



personnel, premises, facilities, equipment, vehicles and sup-plies operating within their borders, and in other territo-ries under their effective control, recognizes the need for appropriate collaboration between humanitarian actors and relevant authorities of the affected State in matters related to the safety and security of humanitarian personnel, requests the Secretary-General to expedite his efforts to enhance the safety and security of personnel involved in United Nations humanitarian operations, and urges Member States to ensure that perpetrators of crimes committed against humanita-rian personnel on their territory or in other territories under their effective control do not operate with impunity and are brought to justice as provided for by national laws and in accordance with obligations under international law;

29. Encourages the United Nations and other relevant humanitarian actors to include as part of their risk manage-ment strategy the building of good relations and trust with national and local governments and to promote acceptance by local communities, and all relevant actors, in order to enable humanitarian assistance to be provided in accordance with humanitarian principles;

30. Emphasizes the fundamentally civilian character of humanitarian assistance, and, in situations in which mili-tary capacity and assets are used to support the implementa-tion of humanitarian assistance, reaffirms the need for their use to be undertaken with the consent of the affected State and in conformity with international law, including interna-tional humanitarian law, as well as humanitarian principles;

31. Urges Member States to continue to prevent, inves-tigate and prosecute acts of sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies, calls upon Member States and relevant organizations to strengthen support services for victims of such violence, and also calls for a more effective response in that regard;

32. Notes the increasing challenges facing both Mem-ber States, in particular developing countries, and the in-ternational humanitarian response system in responding effectively to all humanitarian emergencies, in particular the underfunded and forgotten emergencies, and in that regard stresses the need to enhance existing partnerships and build new ones, strengthen financing mechanisms, broaden the donor base and engage other partners to ensure adequate resources for the provision of humanitarian assistance;

33. Encourages Member States, the private sector, civil society and other relevant entities to make contributions and to consider increasing and diversifying their contributions to humanitarian funding mechanisms, including consolidated and flash appeals, the Central Emergency Response Fund and other funds, based on and in proportion to assessed needs, as a means of ensuring flexible, predictable, timely, needs-based and, where possible, multi-year, non-earmarked and additional resources to meet global humanitarian chal-lenges, encourages donors to adhere to the Principles of Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship, reiterates that contributions for humanitarian assistance should be pro-vided in a way which is not to the detriment of resources made available for international cooperation for develop-ment, and encourages the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to consider making further use of multi-year consolidated appeals, as appropriate;

34. Recognizes that building preparedness is a long-term investment that will contribute to the achievement of humanitarian and development objectives, including a

of women, girls, men and boys, on an equal basis, taking into consideration age and disability, including through improved collection, analysis and reporting of data disag-gregated by sex, age and disability, taking into account, inter alia, the information provided by States, and emphasizes the importance of the full participation of women in decision-making processes related to humanitarian response;

21. Recognizes that accountability is an integral part of effective humanitarian assistance, and emphasizes the need to enhance the accountability of humanitarian actors at all stages of humanitarian assistance;

22. Calls upon the United Nations and its humanita-rian partners to enhance accountability to Member States, including affected States, and all other stakeholders, and to further strengthen humanitarian response efforts, includ-ing by monitoring and evaluating the provision of their humanitarian assistance, incorporating lessons learned into programming and consulting with the affected populations so that their needs are appropriately addressed;

23. Urges all actors engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance to fully commit to and duly respect the guiding principles contained in the annex to General As-sembly resolution 46/182, including the humanitarian prin-ciples of humanity, impartiality and neutrality as well as the principle of independence, as recognized by the Assembly in its resolution 58/114 of 17 December 2003;

24. Calls upon all States and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed con-flict and in post-conflict situations, in countries in which humanitarian personnel are operating, in conformity with the relevant provisions of international law and national laws, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel and delivery of supplies and equipment in order to allow humanitarian personnel to perform efficiently their task of assisting affected civilian populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons;

25. Calls upon all parties to armed conflicts to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law, human rights law and refugee law;

26. Calls upon all States and parties to comply fully with the provisions of international humanitarian law, in-cluding all the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, in particular the Geneva Convention relative to the Protec-tion of Civilian Persons in Time of War, in order to pro-tect and assist civilians in occupied territories, and in that regard urges the international community and the relevant organizations of the United Nations system to strengthen humanitarian assistance to civilians in those situations;

27. Encourages Member States, in cooperation with rel-evant United Nations humanitarian organizations, to ensure that the basic humanitarian needs of affected populations, including food, shelter, health, clean water and protection, are addressed as components of humanitarian response, in-cluding through providing timely and adequate resources with the aim of ensuring the immediate restoration of safe conditions of life, alleviating the immediate effects of humanitarian emergencies and contributing towards long-term recovery and reconstruction, while ensuring that their collaborative efforts fully adhere to humanitarian principles;

28. Urges Member States to continue to take the steps necessary to ensure the safety and security of humanitarian



The Secretary-General expressed concern about the safety and security of locally recruited staff, who made up the great majority of UN personnel serving in the field and suffered the most from situations of insecurity. He emphasized that the security of UN and humanitarian personnel was firstly the responsibility of the host Government, and requested all Member States that had not already done so to ratify or accede to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel [YUN 2005, p. 1420], which entered into force in 2010. He acknowledged that the United Nations had been able to introduce and implement a sophisticated se-curity risk management system, increase its security training and introduce mandatory training for per-sonnel assigned to particularly dangerous countries. He expressed his commitment to build upon those advances, while recognizing that there was room for improvement in order to provide the highest level of security for UN personnel and operations. The Secretary-General expressed support for the shift in the security philosophy of UN field operations from a model that focused narrowly on internationally re-cruited staff, with insufficient regard for the impor-tance of ongoing UN operations and programmes to the “stay and deliver” approach, which used security risk management techniques to continue delivering critical programmes even in high-risk environments.

The General Assembly, in resolution 68/101 of 13 December (see p. 1508), called on Governments and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to en-sure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel.

Resource mobilizationCentral Emergency Response Fund

The Central Emergency Response Fund (cerf), originally established in 1992 under the name Central Emergency Revolving Fund [YUN 1992, p. 584], was a cash-flow mechanism for the initial phase of humanita-rian emergencies. In 2005, by General Assembly reso-lution 60/124 [YUN 2005, p. 991], the Fund was renamed and upgraded with the purpose of promoting early action and response, enhancing response to time-critical requirements, and strengthening core elements of humanitarian response in underfunded crises.

In 2013, $482 million in cerf funds supported aid agencies responding to crises in 45 countries. Cerf allocated the greatest proportion of its funds, some 66 per cent, to conflict responses. The majority of conflict-related grants went to projects in the Su-dan, Syria, Somalia and Mali. Due to the exponential growth in humanitarian needs stemming from the Syrian crisis, allocations to the Middle East increased

reduction in the need for humanitarian response, and there-fore further encourages Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant actors to provide effective, predict-able, flexible and adequate funding for preparedness and dis-aster risk reduction activities, including from humanitarian and development budgets, and stresses that international preparedness efforts reinforce and support national and lo-cal response capacities and institutions;

35. Takes note of the initiative of the Secretary-General calling for the convening of the first World Humanitarian Summit, in 2015, aimed at sharing knowledge and best practices in the humanitarian field to improve the coordi-nation, capacity and effectiveness of humanitarian response, and requests the Office for the Coordination of Humanita-rian Affairs to ensure an inclusive, consultative and trans-parent preparatory process that includes all Member States and relevant stakeholders;

36. Requests the Secretary-General to reflect the pro-gress made in the implementation of and follow-up to the present resolution in his next report to the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly on the strength-ening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assist-ance of the United Nations.

UN and other humanitarian personnel

In response to General Assembly resolution 67/85 [YUN 2012, p. 1484], the Secretary-General in a Septem-ber report [A/68/489] provided an update on the safety and security of UN personnel during the preceding year and on the efforts of the Department of Safety and Security to implement that resolution. In 2012, the total number of UN personnel affected by signifi-cant security incidents increased to 1,793, compared to 1,759 in 2011; 35 UN personnel lost their lives in significant security incidents, compared to 70 in 2011; and 20 UN personnel lost their lives as a result of violence, while 15 were killed in safety-related inci-dents, compared to 26 and 44, respectively, in 2011. In the reporting period, the Department of Safety and Security, along with the Inter-Agency Security Management Network, facilitated the development of additional policies for the UN security management system in relation to the security of UN premises; im-provised explosive devices; the UN security manage-ment system board of enquiry; security training and certification; special events organized or sponsored by UN security management system organizations (and related guidelines); and fire safety and armed private security companies. Those policies came into effect in 2012 following endorsement by the High-level Com-mittee on Management and the UN System Chief Executive Board for Coordination. Furthermore, the Department of Safety and Security, in consultation with UN humanitarian agencies, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (ocha) and ngos, implemented the “Saving lives together” frame-work, which was designed to make coordination and the exchange of security information more systematic and reliable.



the conflict in Syria. The Fund increased its support to the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization, and it provided financial support to the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) for the first time, disbursing $193,151 for the protection of vulnerable infants and women suffering from conflict-related violence in Mali. Because of the availability of more funds in 2012, cerf was able to disburse $158.2 million to 21 countries through its underfunded emergency window allocation process, up from $143.5 million in 2011. That was the largest amount provided in a calendar year.

Advisory Group meetings. At its May meeting (Geneva, 13–14 May) [A/67/987], the cerf Advisory Group established by General Assembly resolution 60/124 [YUN 2005, p. 991] to advise the Secretary-General, through the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, on the use and impact of the Fund, considered a number of policy issues, including an update on the management response plan to the five-year evaluation of cerf; recent efforts to improve the quality of narrative reporting and monitoring on the use of cerf funds; updates on the performance and accountability framework; the underfunded emergency window; and an update on the risk ac-tion plan of cerf. The Advisory Group recognized the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s efforts to im-prove the speed with which it disbursed cerf funding to implementing partners, and called upon the cerf secretariat to maintain efforts to further expedite dis-bursements. The Group asked for additional data on that issue for its following meeting. It also requested the secretariat to evaluate the advantages and disad-vantages of limiting countries to a single allocation of support from the underfunded window per year. The Group agreed to close the management response plan to the five-year evaluation of cerf in the fourth quarter of the year, following its successful imple-mentation. It called upon the secretariat, however, to regularly update members on items that would be mainstreamed in the Fund’s longer-term workplan. It also asked the secretariat to explore the amount of funds that was carried over from the previous year and whether cerf should reduce that amount through more allocations or greater amounts of fund-ing to countries in need throughout the year. On the issue of the percentage of programme support costs retained by the Office of the Controller (60 per cent) and cerf (40 per cent), the Group expressed concern that donor support for cerf could be reduced if a significant portion of contributions was used to cover costs not related to the Fund’s humanitarian activities.

At its November meeting (New York, 4–5 Novem-ber) [A/68/767], the Advisory Group considered the clo-sure of the management response plan carried out as a follow-up to the five-year evaluation of the Fund; re-

by more than 50 per cent from the previous year. That was the largest proportion of cerf funding that a re-gion had ever received in a year. The top three cerf-recipient aid operations in 2013 were in the Sudan, Syria and the Philippines.

Report of Secretary-General. In response to Gen-eral Assembly resolution 67/87 [YUN 2012, p. 900], the Secretary-General in May [A/68/87] reported on cerf, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2012. He indicated that the Emergency Relief Coor-dinator had allocated a record $485 million from the Fund to implement life-saving activities in emergencies affecting 49 countries and territories, and that fifteen humanitarian agencies had received funds directly from the Fund. With the adoption of General Assem-bly resolution 66/119 [YUN 2011, p. 866] in December 2011, the loan element of the Fund was reduced from $50 million to $30 million and the balance of the funds, including interest earned, was transferred to the grant element in January 2012. The Fund received more than $427.6 million in pledges and contributions from 75 Member States, one regional government and three private donors during the reporting period. The Fund secretariat continued to make significant pro-gress in implementing a management response plan to the five-year independent evaluation of its activities.

Grants disbursed to programmes, funds and spe-cialized agencies of the UN system during the report-ing period included $326.8 million from the rapid response window allocation process and $158.2 mil-lion from the underfunded emergency window alloca-tion process. Conflict-related displacements received the greatest share of funding, accounting for $198.8 million or 41 per cent of overall funding. Food inter-ventions continued to be the highest-funded sector, receiving $114.5 million in 2012, or 23.6 per cent of all cerf funding for the year, followed by the health sector at $78.1 million, representing 16.1 per cent of the Fund’s disbursements during the reporting period. The water and sanitation sector received the third highest allocation at over $56.2 million. Geographi-cally, cerf resources again focused primarily on Af-rica ($286.5 million). Agencies in Asia received the second-highest allocation ($98.9 million), followed by the Middle East ($71.6 million) and Latin America and the Caribbean ($28 million). Overall, the two countries that received the greatest amount of Fund support in 2012 were South Sudan ($40 million) and Pakistan ($36.7 million). Another $48.1 million went to the Syrian Arab Republic and the region affected by the spillover of that situation.

In regard to agencies receiving funds directly from cerf in 2012, the World Food Programme remained the biggest recipient, followed by the United Nations Children’s Fund and unhcr. Funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refu-gees in the Near East more than tripled because of



improve the speed, predictability, planning and effi-ciency of humanitarian financing, such as the Cen-tral Emergency Response Fund at the global level, and emergency response funds and common humanita-rian funds at the country level. The UN humanitarian system, however, continued to be characterized by the lack of an intergovernmental mechanism to govern a strategic management and planning framework for humanitarian response and risk reduction. As a result, basic humanitarian financing needs were only partly met and in an inconsistent and unpredictable way. The jiu Inspector concluded that there was a need for more predictable funding for core humanitarian coordination through the regular budget, in partic-ular for ocha coordination services; that humanita-rian financing must be planned more strategically; that short-term financing must be better linked with longer-term financing; that the negative impacts of earmarking must be mitigated; and that common procedures for humanitarian assistance and recovery conferences must be defined.

Jiu recommended to the Secretary-General to ensure that the consolidated appeals process was developed as an instrument to mobilize and deliver adequate resources in a timely and predictable man-ner, and to increase transparency and accountability on the use of military assets provided as a last resort in support of affected populations. In addition, jiu recommended that the General Assembly mandate the Secretary-General, with the support of the iasc, to present a proposal on a set of humanitarian fund-ing principles advocating soft earmarking and a par-ticipatory approach. It also called on the Assembly to adopt a capacity-building policy to assist disaster-affected countries in developing a national disaster in-surance scheme, taking into account groundbreaking work initiated by the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Devel-opment and the Pan American Health Organization, among others.

Later in May [A/67/867/Add.1], the Secretary-General transmitted to the Assembly his comments and those of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination on the jiu report.

On 23 July (decision 2013/232), the Economic and Social Council took note of the note by the Secretary-General transmitting the jiu report on fi-nancing for humanitarian operations in the UN sys-tem and the note by the Secretary-General transmit-ting his comments and those of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination on the jiu report.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ACTION

On 13 December [meeting 67], the General As-sembly adopted resolution 68/102 [draft: A/68/L.25 & Add.1] without vote [agenda item 70 (a)].

cent efforts to improve the quality of narrative report-ing on the use of the Fund; an update on the perfor-mance and accountability framework; the Fund’s risk action plan; support for the protection activities of the Fund; and the contribution to the Fund’s resilience initiatives. Members noted with concern the heavy reliance of cerf on its top donors and emphasized the need for the mobilization of additional resources. In that regard, the Group recommended that the Fund’s resource mobilization strategy be further revised to develop a regional approach and to leverage new part-nership and fundraising opportunities in the private sector. Members met with representatives of the iasc Working Group to focus on progress made since their May meeting in Geneva regarding timely disburse-ments from UN agencies and the International Or-ganization for Migration (iom) to implementing part-ners and their partnership with ngos. In that respect, the Group noted that there was room for improvement on the part of all agencies and recommended that the timeliness of such disbursements be brought to the attention of iasc principals for discussion at a future meeting. At the request of the Group following the May meeting, the UN Controller presented a compre-hensive overview of the framework regulating the use of programme support costs and a detailed explana-tion of the use of the portion of programme support costs earmarked for the corporate initiatives and joint services of the UN Secretariat. The Group requested the Controller to provide more detailed information about the use and traceability of programme support costs, once the new system-wide enterprise resource planning system (Umoja) was in place. The Group confirmed its intention to have the next meeting in Geneva, in conjunction with the annual retreat of humanitarian coordinators in May 2014.

JIU report. In May, the Secretary-General trans-mitted a Joint Inspection Unit (jiu) report [A/67/867] entitled “Financing for humanitarian operations in the United Nations System”, which found that the environment and context of humanitarian financing had been evolving in recent years. The report identi-fied salient trends, such as a significant increase in the share of humanitarian assistance in the total of official development assistance (oda); a concentration of oda and humanitarian assistance in countries that were disaster-prone or in fragile situations; growing resources for prevention and preparedness activities; increasing concern about attracting money to finance not only life-saving and protection, but also early re-covery and recovery activities for affected populations; an increase in humanitarian financing instruments; a reduction in earmarking through the introduc-tion of pooled funding mechanisms; and the emer-gence of alternative appeal channels outside of the UN humanitarian appeal processes. The report also identified a number of good practices that had helped



Emphasizing that enhancing international cooperation on emergency humanitarian assistance is essential, and reaf-firming its resolution 67/231 of 21 December 2012 on inter-national cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development,

Emphasizing also the fundamentally civilian character of humanitarian assistance, and reaffirming, in situations in which military capacity and assets are used as a last resort to support the implementation of humanitarian assistance, the need for their use to be undertaken with the consent of the affected State and in conformity with international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as humanitarian principles,

Condemning the increasing number of deliberate threats and violent attacks against humanitarian personnel and fa-cilities, including medical personnel and facilities, noting with concern the negative implications for the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, and in this regard welcoming efforts to raise awareness and promote preparedness to address the grave and serious humanitarian consequences arising from such violence,

Recognizing the high number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies, including the increasing num-ber of internally displaced persons, of whom a majority are women and children, wherein the national authorities have the primary duty and responsibility to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons within their jurisdiction, bearing in mind their particular needs, and welcoming in this regard the entry into force and ongoing process of ratification and implementation of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, which marks a significant step towards strengthening the national and regional normative framework for the protection of and assistance to internally displaced persons in Africa,

Recognizing also the importance of the Geneva Conven-tions of 1949, which include a vital legal framework for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, including the provision of humanitarian assistance,

Noting with grave concern that violence, including gender-based violence, particularly sexual violence, and vio-lence against children, continues to be deliberately directed against civilian populations in many emergency situations,

Noting with appreciation the efforts that the United Na-tions continues to make to improve humanitarian response, including by strengthening humanitarian response capaci-ties, improving humanitarian coordination, enhancing predictable and adequate funding and strengthening the accountability of all stakeholders, and recognizing the im-portance of strengthening emergency administrative proce-dures and funding to allow for an effective and needs-based response to emergencies,

Recognizing that, in strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance in the field, the organizations of the United Nations system should continue to consult and work in close coordination with national Governments,

1. Welcomes the outcome of the sixteenth humanita-rian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2013;

2. Requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue her efforts to strengthen the coordination and accountability of humanitarian assistance and leadership within the United Nations humanitarian response sys-

Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations

The General Assembly,Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991

and the guiding principles contained in the annex thereto, other relevant General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions and agreed conclusions of the Council,

Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanita-rian assistance of the United Nations and on the Central Emergency Response Fund,

Reaffirming the principles of humanity, neutrality, im-partiality and independence in the provision of humanita-rian assistance, and reaffirming also the need for all actors engaged in the provision of humanitarian assistance in situ-ations of complex emergencies and natural disasters to pro-mote and fully respect these principles,

Deeply concerned about global challenges, such as the on-going adverse impact of the world financial and economic crisis, the negative impact of the volatile food prices on food security and nutrition and the rapid urbanization of popula-tions, and about their effect on the increasing vulnerability of populations and impact on the need for and provision of humanitarian and development assistance,

Emphasizing the need to mobilize adequate, predictable, timely and flexible resources for humanitarian assistance, based on and in proportion to assessed needs, with a view to ensuring fuller coverage of the needs in all sectors and across humanitarian emergencies, and recognizing in this regard the achievements of the Central Emergency Response Fund,

Reiterating the need for Member States, relevant United Nations organizations and other relevant actors to main-stream a gender perspective into humanitarian assistance, including by addressing the specific needs of women, girls, boys and men in a comprehensive and consistent manner, and to take into account the needs of affected populations, including persons with disabilities,

Expressing its deep concern about the increasing challenges faced by Member States and the United Nations humanita-rian response system and their capacities as a result of the con-sequences of natural disasters, including those related to the continuing impact of climate change, and reaffirming the im-portance of implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Commu-nities to Disasters, inter alia, by providing adequate resources for disaster risk reduction, including investment in disaster preparedness and capacity-building, and by working towards building back better in all phases from relief to development,

Recognizing that developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, remain acutely vulnerable to natural hazards and need adequate international cooperation, as appropriate, to strengthen their resilience in this regard,

Recognizing also that economic growth and sustainable development are essential for the prevention of and prepar-edness for natural disasters and other emergencies,

Recognizing further that building national and local preparedness and response capacity is critical to a more predictable and effective response and contributes to the achievement of humanitarian and development objec-tives, including enhanced resilience and a reduced need for humanitarian response,



teams, including by providing necessary training, identifying resources and improving the identification of and the selec-tion process for United Nations resident/humanitarian coor-dinators, and enhancing their performance accountability;

10. Calls upon the Chair of the United Nations De-velopment Group and the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue enhancing their consultations before present-ing final recommendations on the selection process for resi-dent coordinators in countries likely to require significant humanitarian response operations;

11. Requests the United Nations to continue to iden-tify solutions to strengthen its ability to recruit and deploy appropriately senior, skilled and experienced humanitarian staff quickly and flexibly, giving paramount consideration to the highest standards of efficiency, competence and in-tegrity, while paying due regard to gender equality and to recruiting on as wide a geographical basis as possible, and in this regard encourages the United Nations Development Group to strengthen the resident coordinator system, on which the humanitarian coordinator system is based, in or-der to ensure the full implementation of the management and accountability system of the Group and the resident coordinator system;

12. Recognizes that accountability is an integral part of effective humanitarian assistance, and emphasizes the need for enhancing the accountability of humanitarian actors at all stages of humanitarian assistance;

13. Reaffirms the importance of implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, reit-erates the importance of strengthening the effectiveness of national and local preparedness in line with priority five of the Framework, notes the fourth session of the Global Plat-form for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Geneva from 19 to 23 May 2013, and encourages States, the United Nations system and all stakeholders to continue to engage in the con-sultations on the successor to the Framework, culminating at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, to be held in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015;

14. Calls upon Member States, the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations to continue to build the capacity at all levels of government and within local organizations and communities to better prepare for hazards and respond to and recover from disasters;

15. Calls upon Member States and the international community to increase and commit adequate, timely, flex-ible and predictable resources for disaster risk reduction in order to build resilience, including through complementary humanitarian and development programming and by fur-ther strengthening national and local capacities to prevent, prepare for and respond to humanitarian emergencies, and furthermore encourages closer cooperation between na-tional stakeholders and humanitarian and development ac-tors in this regard;

16. Encourages the United Nations system, humanita-rian organizations and development organizations to con-tinue their efforts to mainstream preparedness, early action and early recovery into their programming, acknowledges that preparedness, early action and early recovery should receive further funding, and in this regard encourages the provision of timely, flexible, predictable and adequate re-sources, including from both humanitarian and develop-ment budgets as appropriate;

tem, including through the transformative agenda of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, and calls upon relevant United Nations organizations and other relevant intergov-ernmental organizations, as well as other humanitarian and development actors, to continue to work with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to enhance the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance;

3. Also requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue to improve dialogue with all Member States on the relevant processes, activities and deliberations of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;

4. Encourages Member States and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to continue to im-prove dialogue and collaboration on humanitarian issues, including on policy, in order to foster a more consultative and inclusive approach to humanitarian assistance;

5. Welcomes the recent efforts by the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs to build partnerships with regional organizations and the private sector, and en-courages Member States and the United Nations system to continue to strengthen partnerships at the global, regional, national and local levels in support of national efforts in order to effectively cooperate to provide humanitarian as-sistance to those in need and ensure that their collaborative efforts adhere to the principles of humanity, neutrality, im-partiality and independence;

6. Encourages Member States, the United Nations sys-tem and humanitarian and development organizations to continue to assess and improve, together with other relevant stakeholders, including the private sector, how innovation can be more systematically identified and integrated into humanitarian action in a sustainable manner and to promote the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on innovative tools, processes and approaches, including those from large-scale natural disasters, that could improve the effectiveness and quality of humanitarian response, and in this regard en-courages all relevant stakeholders to continue to support the efforts of Member States, in particular developing countries, to strengthen their capacities, including through facilitating access to information and communication technologies;

7. Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations system and, as appropriate, other relevant humanita-rian actors to continue efforts to improve the humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters and complex emergencies by further strengthening humanitarian response capacities at all levels, by continuing to strengthen the pro-vision and coordination of humanitarian assistance at the global and field levels, including through existing cluster co-ordination mechanisms and in support of national authorities of the affected State, as appropriate, and by further enhancing efficiency, transparency, performance and accountability;

8. Recognizes the benefits of engagement and coordina-tion with relevant humanitarian actors to the effectiveness of humanitarian response, and encourages the United Na-tions to continue to pursue efforts to strengthen partner-ships at the global level with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, relevant humanitarian non-governmental organizations and other participants in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue strength-ening the support provided to United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators and to United Nations country



including in order to contribute to a smooth transition from relief to development;

26. Encourages the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to continue to work with Member States and relevant United Nations entities to facilitate the exchange of updated, accurate and reliable information, including through mutually comprehensible harmonized data, in order to ensure better assessment of needs and to improve preparedness and humanitarian response;

27. Calls upon relevant United Nations organizations to support the improvement of the consolidated appeals process, inter alia, by engaging in the preparation of com-mon needs assessments and common humanitarian action plans and priorities, including through a better analysis of gender-related allocations, in order to further the develop-ment of the process, including by ensuring a more coor-dinated, timely and comprehensive overview of the needs and the common humanitarian action plans in a given emergency, as an instrument for United Nations strategic planning and prioritization, and by involving other relevant humanitarian organizations in the process, while reiterating that consolidated appeals should be prepared in consulta-tion with affected States;

28. Requests Member States, relevant humanitarian or-ganizations of the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian actors to ensure that all aspects of humanita-rian response, including disaster preparedness and needs as-sessments, take into account the specific humanitarian needs of all components of the affected population, in particular girls, boys, women, older persons and persons with disabili-ties, including in the design and implementation of disaster risk reduction, humanitarian and recovery programming and, as appropriate, post-humanitarian emergency recon-struction, and in this regard encourages efforts to ensure gender mainstreaming and emphasizes the importance of full participation of, in particular, women and persons with disabilities in decision-making processes related to humanitarian response;

29. Calls upon United Nations humanitarian organiza-tions, in consultation with Member States, as appropriate, to strengthen the evidence base for humanitarian assistance by further developing common mechanisms to improve the quality, transparency and reliability of, and make further progress towards, common humanitarian needs assessments, including through improved collection, analysis and report-ing of sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated data, to assess their performance in assistance and to ensure the most effec-tive use of humanitarian resources by those organizations;

30. Calls upon the United Nations and its humanita-rian partners to enhance accountability to Member States, including affected States, and all other stakeholders and to further strengthen humanitarian response efforts, includ-ing by monitoring and evaluating the provision of their humanitarian assistance, incorporating lessons learned into programming and consulting with the affected populations so that their needs are appropriately addressed;

31. Calls upon donors to provide adequate, timely, pre-dictable and flexible resources based on and in proportion to assessed needs, including for underfunded and forgot-ten emergencies, to consider providing early and multi-year commitments to pooled humanitarian funds and to continue to support diverse humanitarian funding channels, encour-ages efforts to adhere to the Principles and Good Practice of

17. Urges Member States, the United Nations and other relevant organizations to take further steps to provide a coordinated emergency response to the food and nutri-tion needs of affected populations, while aiming to ensure that such steps are supportive of national strategies and pro-grammes aimed at improving food security;

18. Expresses concern about the challenges related to, inter alia, safe access to and use of fuel, firewood, alternative energy, water and sanitation, shelter and food and health-care services in humanitarian emergencies, and noting with appreciation initiatives at the national and international lev-els that promote effective cooperation in this regard;

19. Encourages the international community, includ-ing relevant United Nations organizations and the Interna-tional Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to support efforts of Member States aimed at strengthening their capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters and to support efforts, as appropriate, to strengthen systems, espe-cially early warning systems, for identifying and monitoring disaster risk, including vulnerability and natural hazards;

20. Welcomes the growing number of initiatives under-taken at the regional and national levels to promote the im-plementation of the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, encourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to take further steps to review and strengthen operational and legal frameworks for international disaster relief, taking into account the Guide-lines, as appropriate, and welcomes the recent efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent So-cieties, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Af-fairs and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to develop a model act on the subject;

21. Encourages States to create an enabling environment for the capacity-building of local authorities and of national and local non-governmental and community-based organi-zations in order to ensure better preparedness in providing timely, effective and predictable humanitarian assistance, and encourages the United Nations and humanitarian organiza-tions to provide support to such efforts, including, as appropri-ate, through the transfer of technology and expertise to devel-oping countries and through support to programmes aimed at enhancing the coordination capacities of affected States;

22. Calls upon Member States, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations to provide emergency assistance in ways that are supportive of recovery and long-term devel-opment, where appropriate, including through prioritizing humanitarian tools that strengthen resilience, such as, but not limited to, cash transfers, local procurement of food and services and social safety nets;

23. Encourages Member States and relevant United Na-tions organizations to examine their own financing mecha-nisms in order to improve, where possible, fast and flexible financing for preparedness, response and the transition from relief to recovery;

24. Takes note of the efforts of Member States, the United Nations system and the international community to strengthen preparedness and local, national and regional humanitarian response capacity, and calls upon the United Nations and relevant partners to continue support in this regard;

25. Encourages efforts to provide education for all, es-pecially for girls and boys, in humanitarian emergencies,



survivors of such violence, beginning in the earliest stages of emergency response;

40. Recognizes the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as an important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons, encourages Member States and humanitarian agencies to continue to work together, in collaboration with host communities, in endeavours to provide a more predictable response to the needs of internally displaced persons, and in this regard calls for continued and enhanced international support, upon re-quest, for the capacity-building efforts of States;

41. Calls upon all States and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed con-flict and in post-conflict situations, in countries in which humanitarian personnel are operating, in conformity with the relevant provisions of international law and national laws, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, as well as the delivery of supplies and equipment, in order to allow such personnel to efficiently perform their task of as-sisting affected civilian populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons;

42. Welcomes the progress made towards further en-hancing the security management system of the United Nations, and supports the approach taken by the Secretary-General to focus the efforts of the security management system on enabling the United Nations system to deliver on its mandates, programmes and activities by effectively man-aging the risks to which personnel are exposed, including in the provision of humanitarian assistance;

43. Encourages the United Nations and other relevant humanitarian actors to include, as part of their risk manage-ment strategy, the building of good relations and trust with national and local governments and to promote acceptance by local communities and all relevant actors in order to en-able humanitarian assistance to be provided in accordance with humanitarian principles;

44. Requests the Secretary-General to report on ac-tions taken to enable the United Nations to continue to strengthen its ability to recruit and deploy staff quickly and flexibly, to procure emergency relief materials and services rapidly, cost-effectively and locally, where applicable, and to quickly disburse funds in order to support Governments and United Nations country teams in the coordination of international humanitarian assistance;

45. Welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to hold the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2016, aimed at sharing knowledge and best prac-tices in the humanitarian field to improve the coordination, capacity and effectiveness of humanitarian response, and requests the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to ensure an inclusive, consultative, transparent preparatory process;

46. Encourages Member States to give appropriate con-sideration in the discussion on the post-2015 development agenda to disaster risk reduction, including building resilience and national and local preparedness and response capacity;

47. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session, through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2014, on progress made in strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations

Humanitarian Donorship and to improve burden-sharing among donors, and in this respect encourages the private sector, civil society and other relevant entities to make rele-vant contributions, complementary to those of other sources;

32. Calls upon all Member States that are in a posi-tion to do so to increase their voluntary contributions to humanitarian emergencies, and in this context reiterates that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs should benefit from adequate and more predictable funding;

33. Welcomes the important achievements of the Central Emergency Response Fund in ensuring a more timely and predictable response to humanitarian emergen-cies, stresses the importance of continuing to improve the functioning of the Fund, and in this regard encourages the United Nations funds, programmes and specialized agencies to review and evaluate, where necessary, their partnership policies and practices in order to ensure the timely disburse-ment of funds from the Fund to implementing partners in order to ensure that resources are used in the most efficient, effective, accountable and transparent manner possible;

34. Calls upon all Member States, and invites the pri-vate sector and all concerned individuals and institutions, to consider increasing their voluntary contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund, and emphasizes that contributions should be additional to current commitments to humanitarian programming and should not be to the det-riment of resources made available for international coopera-tion for development;

35. Encourages Member States, in cooperation with rel-evant United Nations humanitarian organizations, to ensure that the basic humanitarian needs of affected populations, including food, shelter, health, clean water and protection, are addressed as components of humanitarian response, in-cluding through providing timely and adequate resources, while ensuring that their collaborative efforts fully adhere to humanitarian principles;

36. Reaffirms the obligation of all States and parties to an armed conflict to protect civilians in armed conflicts in accordance with international humanitarian law, and invites States to promote a culture of protection, taking into ac-count the particular needs of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities;

37. Also reaffirms the obligations of all States and par-ties to an armed conflict, in accordance with international humanitarian law, to respect and protect humanitarian per-sonnel, including medical personnel, facilities, transports and activities, which must not be attacked, and to ensure that the wounded and sick receive, to the fullest extent prac-ticable and with the least possible delay, the medical care and attention required;

38. Calls upon States to adopt preventive measures and effective responses to acts of violence committed against civil-ian populations in armed conflicts and to ensure that those re-sponsible are promptly brought to justice, in accordance with national law and their obligations under international law;

39. Urges all Member States to address gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies and to ensure that their laws and institutions are adequate to prevent, promptly investigate and prosecute gender-based violence, and calls upon States, the United Nations and all relevant humanita-rian organizations to improve coordination, harmonize response and strengthen capacity, with a view to reducing such violence and ensuring support services to victims and



telecommunication, food security, health, logistics, multi-sector assistance to refugees, nutrition, pro-tection, and water, sanitation and hygiene—and humanitarian partners, endorsed two strategic objec-tives for humanitarian action in the car: to provide immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by humanitarian emergencies; and to stabilize liveli-hoods of vulnerable people in post-conflict areas.

Since December 2012, a political crisis had led to massive displacement of populations through-out the country, with an estimated 206,000 inter-nally displaced and 54,987 people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The security situation in the country remained volatile and unpredictable, render-ing humanitarian access challenging and limiting re-sponse in some parts of the country.

Chad

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Chad in 2013 sought $509.9 million, of which 58 per cent ($297.9 million) was received.

For 2013, the strategic objectives of the humanita-rian community in Chad were to continue to address the immediate life-saving needs of refugees, idps, re-turnees, expelled migrants, host communities, and people affected by natural disasters. Special focus was given to strengthening the resilience of disaster-affected communities to handle cyclical shocks. The Consoli-dated Appeal was supported by a three-year humanita-rian strategy (2013–2015) aimed at improving the re-silience of people exposed to recurrent disasters, and helping the Government respond to emergencies, in synergy with national development strategic plans and the upcoming United Nations Development Assistance Framework. The humanitarian community planned to intensify efforts on contingency planning and stock-ing, early warning systems, conflict prevention and risk analysis to enable the authorities and humanita-rian actors to respond faster and more effectively.

As at June 2013, Chad was on a steady path to stabili-zation. Around 150,000 Chadian returnees from Libya had arrived in Chad since 2011. Refugees, however, con-tinued to flow in from other neighbouring countries. Meanwhile, 2.1 million people remained food insecure, including 1.2 million at risk of extreme food insecu-rity and 147,000 children at risk of acute malnutrition. Following an outbreak of yellow fever in eastern Chad, and as the rainy season approached, activities related to the prevention, preparedness and response to pos-sible epidemics of waterborne diseases were accelerated.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The UN Humanitarian Action Plan for the Dem-ocratic Republic of the Congo (drc) in 2013 sought $892.6 million, of which 71 per cent ($629.4 million) was received.

and to submit a report to the Assembly on the detailed use of the Central Emergency Response Fund.

On 27 December (decision 68/550), the General Assembly decided that the agenda item on strengthen-ing of the coordination of emergency humanitarian as-sistance of the United Nations would remain for consid-eration during its resumed sixty-eighth (2014) session.

Humanitarian actionThe Consolidated Appeals Process (cap), an in-

clusive and coordinated programme cycle for analys-ing context, assessing needs and planning prioritized humanitarian response, was the humanitarian sector’s main strategic planning and programming tool and was used for the last time in 2013.

During the year, global humanitarian funding was reported as $13.6 billion, higher than any year except 2010. Funding for consolidated and flash appeals, and their equivalents, reached an unprecedented $8 billion (exceeding the previous high of $7.2 billion in 2010) in assistance to people in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the car, Chad, the drc, Djibouti, Haiti, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, the Occupied Palestinian Ter-ritory, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudan, the Su-dan, Syria, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Discrepancies in funding among crises were evident during the year. The appeals and plans for the car, Djibouti, Haiti, the Philippines and Somalia were all under 50 per cent funded, while those for Afghani-stan, Mauritania, the Niger and South Sudan were over 70 per cent funded. Some Governments increased their international humanitarian funding significantly. In 2013, Kuwait’s reported international humanitarian contributions moved it from the position of twenty-ninth largest governmental donor in 2012 to tenth largest in 2013. Saudi Arabia advanced from eight-eenth to fifteenth, and the United Arab Emirates from twenty-fourth to nineteenth. Japan increased its con-tributions by 47 per cent, from $658 million in 2012 to $966 million in 2013, and the European Commission by 28 per cent, from $1.65 billion to $2.12 billion. Pri-vate donations for international humanitarian action also partially recovered from a dip in 2012.

Africa

Central AfricaCentral African Republic

The UN Consolidated Appeal for the Central Af-rican Republic (car) in 2013 sought $195 million, of which 53 per cent ($102.8 million) was received.

For 2013, the humanitarian country team, sup-ported by the clusters—each with a specific exper-tise such as coordination and support services, early recovery, education, emergency shelter, emergency



sic services, combined with the continued impact of austerity measures resulting from the oil shutdown in 2012, humanitarian partners remained providers of first-resort, particularly in the areas of emergency education, food assistance, health, nutrition, water and sanitation. Between January and April 2013, partners provided food and livelihoods assistance to nearly 821,000 people, life-saving nutritional assist-ance to more than 100,000 malnourished children, and medical consultations to about 772,000 people. They assisted 59,000 people displaced by violence and 38,000 newly arrived returnees.

Sudan

The United Nations and Partners Work Plan for Sudan in 2013 sought $985.1 million, of which 56 per cent ($549.9 million) was received.

For 2013, the strategic priorities to guide humanita-rian action in the Sudan were to contribute to timely and effective humanitarian response throughout the Sudan; to promote and facilitate durable solutions, empowering people and communities by reducing aid dependence; and to build capacity of national actors to address humanitarian needs. The highest priority humanitarian needs were food assistance, livelihood opportunities, water, sanitation and health services, and protection of idps.

In the first half of 2013, significant new displace-ment took place; fighting between government forces and armed groups, as well as inter- and intra-tribal conflict increased; the situation in the border area of Abyei remained tense; access for humanitarian ac-tors to conflict-afflicted areas was unpredictable; and the funding available for humanitarian interventions declined. The biggest challenge over the first half of the year was in meeting the needs of the 390,000 people newly displaced by conflict in the Sudan over that period.

West Africa

Burkina Faso

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Burkina Faso in 2013 sought $138.9 million, of which 55 per cent ($76 million) was received.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in Bur-kina Faso, the humanitarian community identified four strategic objectives for 2013: to provide humanita-rian aid to communities suffering from or threatened by food insecurity, while developing the self-reliance and resilience capacity of affected people and rebuilding livelihoods; to provide humanitarian aid to children under 5 years of age with moderate or severe acute mal-nutrition; to prevent and control outbreaks, and reduce morbidity and mortality rates; and to provide multi-sectoral assistance to refugees from Mali and/or poten-tial displacements and support to host communities.

For 2013, the strategic objectives of the humanitarian community in the drc were to respond to the popula-tion’s needs by reinforcing the protection of civilians in crisis-affected areas; reducing morbidity and mor-tality among crisis-affected people; improving living conditions and reducing vulnerability; and restoring the livelihoods of crisis-affected people.

By 2013, the drc had faced more than 10 years of continuous, complex humanitarian crisis. The humanitarian context in the country had eight main factors: a high level of armed violence in some regions; a high number of displaced people and refugees; hu-man, epidemic, and epizootic and plant diseases; widespread poverty and insecurity; local conflicts linked to access to natural resources (land, fishing, hunting, mines), to political or traditional power, and to ethnicity; unstable politics in some regions; natural disasters; and frequent expulsions of Con-golese from Angola in the south. In the first half of the year, three events had important humanitarian consequences: new clashes between rebel movements and the governmental army in May in North Kivu, which displaced 120,000 people; increased displace-ments in Katanga, where the Mai Mai militia at-tacks had displaced 350,000 people; and the inflow of an estimated 39,000 refugees from the car to the Equateur province.

South Sudan

The UN Consolidated Appeal for South Sudan in 2013 sought $1.07 billion, of which 72 per cent ($771.9 million) was received.

For 2013, the strategic objectives of the humanita-rian community in South Sudan were to prepare for and respond to emergencies on time; to maintain front-line services in hotspot areas; to assist and pro-tect refugees and host communities; to protect people affected by crisis; to support returns in a voluntary, safe and sustainable manner; to increase resilience of households suffering from recurrent shocks; and to improve the operating environment for UN agencies and NGOs.

By midyear, the situation in the country stabilized and even improved in some areas, despite the fact that humanitarian needs remained very high. Overall, up to 4.5 million people needed basic services, of whom an estimated 4.1 million people remained food inse-cure, down from the original estimate of 4.6 million at the beginning of the year. One million people were expected to remain severely food insecure. Sudanese refugees continued to flee Blue Nile and South Kordo-fan, but in much lower numbers than in 2012, mov-ing the refugee operation from crisis to a more stable mode. Internal insecurity continued to cause displace-ments and deaths, but in lower numbers than in the same period in 2012. With the Government of South Sudan continuing to be challenged in providing ba-



refugees; and to reinforce activities of surveillance and response to epidemics, as well as to inundations.

In 2013, Mauritania continued to be affected by a multidimentional crisis stemming from the com-bination of food insecurity and the influx of Malian refugees, which intensified after the January military intervention in northern Mali. As at July, despite favourable rains and the good 2012 harvest, an esti-mated 800,000 people remained food insecure. While there had been a slight improvement in food security in rural areas, the number of food-insecure people in-creased in urban areas and in the north of the country. In the second half of the year, the Consolidated Appeal targeted the 350,000 most severely food-insecure peo-ple in Mauritania.

Niger

The UN Consolidated Appeal for the Niger in 2013 sought $355.3 million, of which 81 per cent ($288.1 million) was received.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in the Niger, the humanitarian community identified three strategic objectives for 2013: to ensure better prepar-edness and risk management of crises and disasters; to reduce mortality, morbidity and suffering caused by crises and disasters; and to support communities and individuals affected by humanitarian crises in recov-ering quickly and sustainably.

As at midyear, more than 2.8 million men, women and children continued to live in food-insecure ar-eas throughout the country—a 10 per cent increase since November 2012, despite the good harvest that year. Moderate and severe acute malnutrition rates were also higher than in 2012. Since May, a cholera epidemic affected the south-west, with 322 cases con-firmed and 10 people dead as at 16 June. The Niger was also hosting more than 50,000 people who fled the violence in Mali. Additionally, as a result of the intensification of the armed conflict in the north of Nigeria, 6,000 people fled and sought refuge in the Diffa region, in the far east of the Niger. Major con-straints such as lack of access, insecurity and lack of resources hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Southern Africa

Zimbabwe

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Zimbabwe in 2013 sought $147 million, of which 62 per cent ($91.4 million) had been received as at 8 October 2013.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in Zim-babwe, the humanitarian community identified two strategic objectives for 2013: to maintain a minimum and coordinated response capacity in the Food, Health, Protection and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (wash) clusters to address the most urgent, residual humanitarian needs in the country; and to assist in

As at midyear, despite the improved harvests of 2012–2013, 1.8 million people in the country re-mained food-insecure and were yet to recover from the 2012 food and nutrition crisis. Many families were putting any surplus from the current year’s harvest to-wards paying back debts incurred in the previous year. Furthermore, households faced difficulties in food ac-cess due to low purchasing power, low household ag-ricultural production and the isolation of many parts of the country. Some 20 per cent of a targeted 1.4 million people received food assistance in the form of cash transfers and seeds in the first part of the year.

On the epidemiological situation, by the twenty-second week of the year, 2,586 suspected cases of mea-sles were registered. A measles vaccination campaign targeting the refugee populations was conducted in February; however, only about a third of planned measles vaccinations took place due to weak funding to the health sector.

Mali

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Mali in 2013 sought $476.9 million, of which 56 per cent ($264.7 million) was received.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in Mali, the humanitarian community identified four strategic objectives for 2013: to reduce the mortality and the morbidity of vulnerable people and communities af-fected by the political, socioeconomic, food, health and nutritional crisis; to contribute to the protection of peo-ple and communities affected by the crisis; to contribute to strengthening the capacities for resilience of commu-nities affected by different kinds of emergencies; and to strengthen and enlarge humanitarian space. The 2013 Appeal comprised 139 projects of 54 partners, for a to-tal value of $370 million, targeting 3.92 million people affected by the food and nutritional crisis, 1.51 mil-lion of whom were located in the north of the country.

In 2013, Mali was affected by an unprecedented pol-itical, security and humanitarian crisis. The humanita-rian needs resulting from the conflict in the north of the country remained significant and added to the pre-existing needs caused by the food security and nu-trition crisis of 2012. As at 1 May, the conflict in the country generated 300,783 idps and 174,129 refugees, mainly in Burkina Faso, the Niger and Mauritania.

Mauritania

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Mauritania in 2013 sought $106.8 million, of which 83 per cent ($88.5 million) was received.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in Mau-ritania, the humanitarian community identified three strategic objectives for 2013: to assist people vulner-able to food insecurity and malnutrition; to maintain the activities for protection and assistance to Malian



natural and man-made disasters; to enhance resilience in communities and reduce chronic vulnerability by means of disaster risk reduction and early recovery ap-proaches; and to increase the commitment of the Gov-ernment of Kenya and development actors to address chronic vulnerability and provide durable solutions.

In March, Kenya held its first general elections un-der the new Constitution. The elections were generally peaceful with only isolated incidents of violence.

In relation to food and livelihood insecurity in Kenya’s arid and semi-arid areas, the favourable 2012 rains had led to improvements in most parts of the country. Thanks to water and pasture availability in pastoral areas, crop production increased and live-stock conditions improved, which reduced the num-ber of Kenyans who were food insecure from 2.1 to 1.1 million. Between March and May, however, the long rains led to flooding in western, coastal and central regions of the country. As a result, 140,000 people were displaced and the stock pre-positioned in preparation for the elections were used to support first-line response.

The Office of the United Nations High Commis-sioner for Refugees (unhcr) reported that the number of refugees in the Dadaab refugee camps decreased to about 425,000 people. At the same time, the num-ber of refugees from the Sudan and South Sudan in Kakuma refugee camp increased by 18,000 since the beginning of the year, bringing the total population to more than 119,000. Despite those challenges, Kenya continued to progress towards its goal of Vision 2030, the country’s economic and social blueprint.

Somalia

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Somalia in 2013 sought $1.15 billion, of which 51 per cent ($586.1 mil-lion) was received.

In response to the humanitarian situation in Somalia, the humanitarian community and the Government identified four strategic objectives for 2013: to ensure equal and integrated life-saving assistance to malnourished children and people liv-ing in humanitarian emergency and crisis situations to reduce mortality and destitution; to contribute to improving the quality, reliability, responsiveness and accessibility of basic services; to invest in household and community resilience; and to strengthen the ca-pacity and coordination of NGOs, affected communi-ties and local, regional and national-level authorities to prevent and mitigate risks and implement effective emergency preparedness and response. The Appeal included 369 project proposals from a cross-section of 177 UN agencies and NGOs.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia improved in the first half of 2013. The number of food-insecure people decreased, largely due to consecutive good

strengthening Government and other local capacity to coordinate, prepare for and respond to ongoing and future emergency situations.

In 2013, Zimbabwe continued to make steady pro-gress towards recovery and development. Humanita-rian partners continued to complement Government efforts in response to the remaining needs. The main humanitarian response, as at midyear, was to food in-security, mainly caused by drought. Over 1.4 million people were provided with food assistance through joint efforts of the Government and humanitarian partners. Sporadic outbreaks of waterborne diseases were also addressed, as well as the needs of the most vulnerable groups. The 2.2 million people that would be in need of food assistance at the peak of the 2013/14 lean season would be the main priority for humanita-rian support for the remaining part of the year.

Horn of Africa

Djibouti

The UN Consolidated Appeal for Djibouti in 2013 sought $70 million, of which 35 per cent ($24.8 mil-lion) was received.

In response to the humanitarian situation in Dji-bouti, the humanitarian community and the Govern-ment adopted a double strategy consisting of providing humanitarian aid directly to vulnerable populations, both rural and urban, and strengthening the resilience of those populations in view of long-term solutions.

In mid-2013, a quarter of the population of Dji-bouti faced urgent needs due to, among other factors, repeated droughts over several years, which threat-ened ever-higher numbers of people with food inse-curity. It was projected that in the second half of the year, insufficient rainfall and the lean season would exacerbate food needs. Compounding that, local host communities competed with refugees and migrants for scarce resources. With more than 26,000 refugees (mostly fleeing Somalia), tens of thousands of irregu-lar migrants en route to Yemen and the Gulf States, and 65,000 registered migrants, humanitarian aid and protection were in considerable demand. As at midyear, the majority of the projects planned for the year were not activated and the humanitarian needs of the population had not received an adequate re-sponse due to insufficient funding of the 2013 Con-solidated Appeal.

Kenya

The UN Emergency Humanitarian Response Plan for Kenya in 2013 sought $663.3 million, of which 56 per cent ($370.5 million) was received.

To respond to the humanitarian situation in Kenya, the humanitarian community identified three strategic objectives for 2013: to meet the humanita-rian needs of highly vulnerable people affected by



Security risks for the aid community remained high: 12 aid workers were killed, 22 injured, 26 ab-ducted and 19 arrested and detained. Furthermore, in May, attacks on the offices of the International Or-ganization for Migration (iom) in Kabul, and the In-ternational Committee of the Red Cross in Jalalabad underlined the dangers faced by humanitarian workers in the country.

Occupied Palestinian TerritoryThe UN Consolidated Appeal for the Occupied

Palestinian Territory sought $400.8 million, of which 67 per cent ($269.7 million) was received.

For 2013, the humanitarian community identified two priorities for humanitarian action in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: to improve the protection envi-ronment for Palestinian communities most at risk, in-cluding with regard to access to services; and to tackle food insecurity among the most vulnerable communi-ties in the Gaza Strip, Area C of the West Bank, the Seam Zone—the closed area between the Green Line and the separation barrier—and East Jerusalem. The initial 2013 Appeal of $374 million comprised 144 projects; at midyear, however, the Appeal increased to $400.8 million to implement 167 projects.

By midyear, the humanitarian situation in the Oc-cupied Palestinian Territory remained unchanged, as the key drivers of vulnerability—protracted conflict, natural disasters, cumulative restrictions and internal Palestinian political divisions—remained in place.

At midyear, there was a 26 per cent increase in the number of people displaced in the West Bank compared to 2012, and food insecurity rose by 24 per cent. Targeting 1.8 million Palestinians, the 2013 Consolidated Appeal addressed food insecurity, protection and human rights issues, and limited access to essential services, particularly in Gaza, East Jeru-salem, Area C of the West Bank and the Seam Zone. Humanitarian partners provided food assistance to 1.3 million people, health and nutrition services to 740,000 people, school transportation for 25 commu-nities and psychosocial support to 79,000 children.

PhilippinesThe UN Humanitarian Action Plan for the Philip-

pines (Mindanao) in 2013 sought $95.5 million, of which 56 per cent ($53.5 million) was received.

In 2013, armed conflict, clan feuds and general-ized violence continued in Mindanao—the second largest island of the Philippines in the southern part of the archipelago—since the Humanitarian Ac-tion Plan was launched in December 2012. Adding to those humanitarian challenges, Typhoon Bopha swept across Mindanao that same month, causing massive destruction and affecting 6.2 million peo-ple, leaving 1,146 dead, 834 missing and 230,000

rains and the delivery of assistance in more areas of the country. The scope of the humanitarian needs, how-ever, remained vast. One million people still required aid to meet their basic needs and a further 1.7 million had recently emerged from crisis but could fall back into it without sustained support. Even with the im-proved conditions, malnutrition rates in Somalia were among the highest in the world, with one in seven children acutely malnourished. Decades of conflict had left over 1 million people internally displaced, and forced 1 million people to seek refuge in neigh-bouring countries. Furthermore, Somalia remained one of the most challenging security environments for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Despite those challenges, as at midyear, an average of 224,000 people per month had received food, vouchers or cash and livelihood assistance; nearly 200,000 malnour-ished children were reached with nutritional care; and more than 230,000 livestock were treated for diseases. In response to the multilayered challenges facing So-malia, humanitarian partners were implementing a three-year humanitarian strategy to help Somalis be more resilient to shocks such as droughts, floods and cyclical food insecurity.

Asia

AfghanistanThe UN Common Humanitarian Action Plan for

Afghanistan in 2013 sought $474.4 million, of which 73 per cent ($348.1 million) was received.

In 2013, humanitarian partners in Afghanistan transitioned to a prioritized rather than project-based common humanitarian action plan (chap). The chap focused on provincial needs and on building a vulnerability index. Funded at 74 per cent of the total appeal, the Afghanistan chap was one of the best funded appeals during the year. For 2013, the four strategic objectives identified for humanitarian action in Afghanistan were to reinforce the protec-tion of civilians; reduce mortality and morbity; assist the displaced, returnees and host communities; and restore livelihoods for the most vulnerable.

Intensifying conflict was the main driver of humanitarian needs and response in the first six months of the year. As at midyear, the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate, with growing needs among idps, other people struggling with the impact of conflict and natural disasters, and communities ex-posed to communicable diseases, coupled with chal-lenges for some populations in accessing basic serv-ices. Unhcr reported 34,769 newly displaced people, bringing the number of conflict-induced displaced people to 570,705 as at 31 May. Between January and May, over 120,000 people were affected by natural hazards, including earthquakes, which resulted in 18,000 damaged or destroyed homes.



Since the launch of the previous Regional Response Plan (rrp), an additional 1 million Syrians had be-come refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, making it the fastest growing refugee crisis in 2013. Over 1.5 million Syrian refugees were hosted across those five countries, each with its own set of domestic priorities and concerns. Unhcr also recog-nized that the actual number of refugees in the region was much larger since not all Syrian refugees came forward to register.

The 2013 rrp took up where the previous one left off, also covering for the first time refugees in Egypt, whose number had significantly increased over the past year. The Plan aimed to provide life-saving assistance to refugees, while ensuring that the cost of their welcome was not borne by the asylum countries alone. The Plan also took into consideration those affected by the refu-gee influx of third-country nationals and refugees of other origins leaving Syria, and vulnerable members of host communities. The Lebanon chapter, for example, included activities targeting Palestinians from Syria. The 2013 rrp brought together the coordinated efforts of over 60 agencies operating under unhcr leadership to cover the needs of an anticipated 3.45 million Syr-ian refugees, 1.75 million host-country nationals and 100,000 Palestinian refugees from Syria in the region.

YemenThe Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan in 2013

sought $705.8 million, of which 56 per cent ($395.8 million) was received.

For 2013, the humanitarian community identified four strategic objectives for humanitarian response in Yemen: to save lives and prevent a further increase in the mortality rate of people in humanitarian need; to protect and restore livelihood assets; to strengthen the response to victims of human rights and humanitarian law violations; and to reinforce the focus and sustain-ability of humanitarian action.

In 2013, Yemen was of one of the world’s major humanitarian crises, with more than half of the popu-lation affected and a third targeted for humanitarian aid. At midyear, an estimated 13.1 million people re-quired humanitarian aid across the country. Due to access, security, implementation capacity and resource constraints, humanitarian partners were targeting 7.7 million people for the year.

Latin America and the Caribbean

HaitiThe Humanitarian Action Plan for Haiti in 2013

sought $152.3 million, of which 47 per cent ($72.4 million) was received.

For 2013, the strategic objectives for humanitarian action in Haiti were to provide the support necessary

homes destroyed. In order to respond to the critical humanitarian needs of typhoon-affected people, the Philippine Government and the humanitarian country team launched the Bopha Action Plan as an addendum to the Humanitarian Action Plan. The revised plan supported the Government of the Philippines in re-sponding to the humanitarian and protection needs of 530,000 affected people. In other parts of Mindanao not covered by the Bopha Action Plan, communities continued to experience intermittent cycles of forced displacement and insecurity due to clan feuds and gen-eralized violence from non-State armed groups.

On 8 November, Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda—the most powerful storm ever to make landfall—hit the country, killed nearly 6,000 people, devastated the lives of millions and destroyed over a million homes. The Typhoon prompted a response designed to com-plement strong national capacity and the resilience of affected communities.

SyriaHumanitarian Assistance Response Plan. The

revised Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan (sharp) for 2013 sought $1.4 billion, of which 68 per cent ($959.3 million) was received.

In 2013, the deterioration of the humanitarian situation prompted the revision of the initial sharp, launched in collaboration with the Government of Syria, humanitarian actors and ngos, to address large-scale humanitarian needs throughout all 14 gov-ernorates. Between January and April the number of people displaced within Syria more than doubled—to an estimated 4.25 million people—and 6.8 million people were thought to be affected, including 3 mil-lion children. The revised plan expanded the scope of the original objectives and developed a new set of ob-jectives, including the following: to advocate for the protection of civilians; to increase the provision of life-saving emergency assistance; to expand humanitarian response to encompass early recovery and restoration/stabilization of livelihoods; to enhance the operational capacity of humanitarian responders; and to ensure ad-equate levels of preparedness in case of a further dete-rioration of the humanitarian situation.

In consultation with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (sarc), UN agencies and international NGOs identi-fied critical activities to undertake, including the pro-vision of food rations to 4 million people; agriculture and livestock support for 620,800 people; the provi-sion of non-food items for 3.67 million people; shelter assistance for 372,500 idps; cash assistance for 257,650 families; provision of safe drinking water for 10 mil-lion people (2 litres/person/day); and sanitation for 5 million people.

Regional Response Plan. The Syria Regional Response Plan for 2013 sought $3 billion, of which 73 per cent ($2.2 billion) was received.



International cooperationReport of Secretary-General. In response to

General Assembly resolution 67/231 [YUN 2012, p. 915], the Secretary-General in May submitted a report [A/68/89] on international cooperation on humanita-rian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development. The report covered the period from June 2012 to May 2013.

The most lethal natural disaster of the reporting period was Typhoon Bopha, which hit eastern Mind-anao in the Philippines on 4 December 2012. Gov-ernment sources reported that at least 1,900 people were killed or missing and nearly 233,000 homes were damaged. Over 6.2 million people were affected, in-cluding nearly 1 million who were displaced. Despite Bopha having three times the wind speed and twice the rainfall of Washi, it was widely believed that be-cause of preparedness measures, including early warn-ing, pre-emptive evacuations and pre-positioning of essential stocks and response personnel, more lives were saved than during Tropical Storm Washi in 2011. Hurricane Sandy was the costliest disaster during the reporting period. After striking the Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica in the Caribbean, Sandy made landfall on the eastern seaboard of the United States, where it caused over $50 billion in damages in Octo-ber 2012. Drought, compounded by chronic poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, low agricultural pro-duction and high food prices, affected more than 18 million people across the Sahel in 2012, including an estimated 1.1 million children who, as a result, were at risk of severe acute malnutrition. Flooding caused loss of life and destruction in many countries, including Nigeria, Pakistan, India and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Earthquakes also devastated com-munities in Iran in August 2012, in Guatemala and Mexico in November of the same year, and in China in April 2013.

The report identified three main future disaster risk drivers: global environmental change (climate change and environmental degradation), demo-graphic trends (e.g., population growth) and rapid unplanned urbanization, which, if combined, would affect where and how humanitarian assistance would be provided. To be more effective in the light of the changing drivers of disaster risk and the protracted nature of many crises, humanitarian actors, Govern-ments and the development sector needed to work in ways that reduced and managed the risk of disasters, rather than simply responding to the impacts once they emerged. Disasters would not be prevented or mitigated until activities for disaster risk reduction, and especially preparedness, received higher prior-ity; and until Governments and humanitarian ac-tors carried out risk management systematically and comprehensively. Governments and humanitarian

to resolve issues of food access, availability and con-sumption for 500,000 of the most vulnerable peo-ple and rehabilitate 73,440 children suffering from acute malnutrition; to meet the immediate needs of 358,000 idps and provide return solutions to at least 150,000 people in camps, with 71,400 residual victims of Hurricane Sandy receiving assistance; to provide treatment to 118,000 potential victims of cholera; and to establish and operationalize disaster response plans and national coordination structures.

In the first half of the year, humanitarian aid helped hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Haitians. De-spite those efforts, over a million Haitians remained exposed to future shocks, including 81,600 acutely malnourished children under five (of whom 20,000 suffered from severe acute malnutrition) and 320,000 idps in camps facing deteriorating living conditions. For the remainder of the year, the Humanitarian Ac-tion Plan would focus on 935,500 people, including 800,000 in urgent need of food assistance, employ-ment opportunities and agricultural support; 120,000 displaced people awaiting return solutions; 100,000 potential victims of cholera; and at least 225,000 peo-ple potentially affected by hurricanes.

Disaster response

In 2013, 352 disasters were recorded, which af-fected 97 million people in 109 countries and caused $118 billion in damages. The number of disasters was roughly the same as in 2012, though the number of affected people decreased from 124.5 million in 2012 to 97 million in 2013, partially due to preparedness work and the role of national disaster management agencies.

China had the largest number of people affected by natural disasters (27.5 million), followed by the Phil-ippines (25.7 million), India (16.7 million), Viet Nam (4.1 million) and Thailand (3.5 million). The five cost-liest disasters took place in Europe, due to the floods in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland ($15.2 billion); in the coun-tries affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan—Phil-ippines, Viet Nam, China and Taiwan—($10.5 bil-lion); in China, due to the April earthquake in the Sichuan Province ($6.8 billion); in Canada, due to floods and severe storms ($5.7 billion); and in China and Japan, due to Typhoon Fitow ($5.7 billion). The overall number of large-scale natural disasters slowly decreased, but disasters associated with the effects of climate change, such as storms and floods, increased by roughly 10 occurrences a year when compared with 2012. The 2013 data also showed that floods were the most reported types of disaster, whether for information, prevention or updates in a crisis.



The General Assembly, in resolution 68/75 of 11 December (see p. 572), noted the progress made within the UN-spider framework, and encouraged Member States to provide the programme with ad-ditional resources.


On 13 December [meeting 67], the General As-sembly adopted resolution 68/103 [draft: A/68/L.27 & Add.1] without vote [agenda item 70 (a)].

International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters,

from relief to development

The General Assembly,Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991,

the annex to which contains the guiding principles for the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanita-rian assistance of the United Nations system, as well as all its resolutions on international cooperation on humanita-rian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development, and recalling the resolutions of the humanita-rian segments of the substantive sessions of the Economic and Social Council,

Reaffirming also the principles of humanity, neutral-ity, impartiality and independence for the provision of humanitarian assistance,

Reaffirming further the Hyogo Declaration, the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters and the com-mon statement of the special session on the Indian Ocean disaster: risk reduction for a safer future, as adopted by the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, held in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan, from 18 to 22 January 2005, and bearing in mind that the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action is coming to an end in 2015,

Taking note with appreciation of the results of the mid-term review of the Hyogo Framework for Action, and not-ing the results of the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Geneva from 19 to 23 May 2013, and recognizing it as the main forum at the global level for strategic advice coordination and partner-ship development for disaster risk reduction,

Recognizing that the Third World Conference on Disas-ter Risk Reduction will be held in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015, to review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action and to adopt a framework for disas-ter risk reduction beyond 2015,

Emphasizing the fundamentally civilian character of humanitarian assistance,

Emphasizing also that the affected State has the primary responsibility in the initiation, organization, coordination and implementation of humanitarian assistance within its territory and in the facilitation of the work of humanita-rian organizations in mitigating the consequences of natu-ral disasters,

Emphasizing further the primary responsibility of each State to undertake disaster risk reduction, includ-ing through the implementation of and follow-up to the Hyogo Framework for Action, as well as response and early

and development actors also needed to build resil-ience, namely the ability of communities and indi-viduals to endure, manage and bounce back from stresses and shocks. It was a long-term, development-oriented process that required the sustained com-mitment of all relevant actors. During the reporting period, a number of initiatives focused on strength-ening resilience, including the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction and Resil-ience, which was endorsed by the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination in April 2013; the Political Champions Group for Disaster Resilience, a high-level group launched by the United Kingdom and the United Nations De-velopment Programme; and the Resilience Dialogue series taking place at the margins of the annual and spring meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.

The Secretary-General urged Members States, the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations, inter alia, to build their capacity and increase efforts to strengthen the resilience of people and systems to all shocks and stresses; to explore ways of further aligning the planning and implementation of humanitarian and development assistance; and to integrate risk management and the building of re-silience to disasters into the post 2015-development agenda. He encouraged Member States to provide timely, flexible, predictable and multi-year funding; and to put in place appropriate customs measures to strengthen the effectiveness of preparedness for and the response to natural disasters.

UN-SPIDER programme. The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (see p. 567) sub-mitted a report [A/AC.105/1057] on the 2013 activities of the United Nations Platform for Space-based In-formation for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-spider) under the revised workplan for the biennium 2012–2013. Major accomplish-ments included providing technical advisory sup-port to 28 countries; organizing advisory missions in Ghana, Indonesia, Malawi and Viet Nam; and further improving the UN-spider knowledge portal. UN-spider also organized international and regional workshops, expert meetings and training courses, including a workshop focused on space-based tech-nologies for disaster risk management (Khartoum, Sudan, 5–9 May); the United Nations/Germany Expert Meeting on the Uses of Space-based Infor-mation in Early Warning Systems (Bonn, Germany, 25–26 June); the international training programme on flood risk mapping, modelling and assessment us-ing space technology (Dehradun, India, 22–26 July); and the United Nations/China International Confer-ence on Space-Based Technologies for Disaster Man-agement: Disaster Risk Identification and Response (Beijing, 23–25 October).



risk management and for adaptation to climate variability and change, and looking forward to its implementation,

Welcoming the important role played by Member States, including developing countries, that have granted necessary and continued generous assistance to countries and peoples stricken by natural disasters,

Recognizing the significant role played by national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, as part of the Interna-tional Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, disaster response, rehabili-tation and development,

Emphasizing the need to address vulnerability and to integrate disaster risk reduction, including preparedness, into all phases of natural disaster management, post-natural disaster recovery and development planning, through close collaboration of all relevant actors and sectors,

Reaffirming that strengthening resilience contributes to withstanding, adapting to and quickly recovering from disasters,

Recognizing that efforts to achieve economic growth, sustainable development and internationally agreed develop-ment goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, can be adversely affected by natural disasters, and noting the positive contribution that those efforts can make in strengthening the resilience of populations to such disasters,

Recognizing also the clear relationship between emer-gency response, rehabilitation and development, and reaffirming that, in order to ensure a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation and development, emergency assistance must be provided in ways that will be supportive of short- and medium-term recovery leading to long-term development and that certain emergency measures should be seen as a step towards sustainable development,

Emphasizing, in this context, the important role of de-velopment organizations and other relevant stakeholders in supporting national efforts to mitigate the consequences of natural disasters,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;2. Expresses its deep concern at the increasing impact of

natural disasters, resulting in massive losses of life and prop-erty worldwide, in particular in vulnerable societies lack-ing adequate capacity to mitigate effectively the long-term negative social, economic and environmental consequences of natural disasters;

3. Calls upon Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to accelerate the full implementation of the Hyogo Declaration and the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, in particular those commitments related to assistance for developing countries that are prone to natural disasters and for disaster-stricken States in the transition phase towards sustainable physical, social and economic re-covery, for risk-reduction activities in post-disaster recovery and for rehabilitation processes;

4. Emphasizes the need to promote and strengthen disaster preparedness activities at all levels, in particular in hazard-prone areas, and encourages Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to increase funding and coopera-tion for disaster risk reduction activities, including disaster preparedness;

recovery efforts, in order to minimize the impact of natural disasters, while recognizing the importance of international cooperation in support of the efforts of affected countries which may have limited capacities in this regard,

Expressing its deep concern at the increasing challenges to Member States and to the United Nations humanitarian response capacity to deal with the consequences of natural disasters, given the effects of global challenges, including the impact of climate change, the ongoing adverse impact of the global financial and economic crisis and the negative impact of volatile food prices on food security and nutri-tion, and other key factors that exacerbate the vulnerability of populations and exposure to natural hazards and the impact of natural disasters,

Expressing its deep concern also that rural and urban poor communities in the developing world are the hardest hit by the effects of increased disaster risk,

Acknowledging the impacts of rapid urbanization in the context of natural disasters and that urban disaster prepar-edness and responses require appropriate disaster risk re-duction strategies, including in urban planning, and early recovery strategies implemented from the initial stage of relief operations, as well as mitigation, rehabilitation and sustainable development strategies,

Noting that local communities are the first responders in most disasters, underlining the critical role played by in-country capacities in disaster risk reduction, includ-ing preparedness, as well as response and recovery, and acknowledging the need to support efforts of Member States to develop and enhance national and local capacities which are fundamental to improving the overall delivery of humanitarian assistance,

Recognizing the high numbers of persons affected by natural disasters, including in this respect internally dis-placed persons, and the need to address the humanitarian and development needs arising from internal displacement throughout the world owing to natural disasters, and en-couraging all relevant actors to consider making use of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement when dealing with situations of internal displacement,

Reaffirming the importance of international cooperation in support of the efforts of the affected States in dealing with natural disasters in all their phases, in particular in preparedness, response and the early recovery phase, and of strengthening the response capacity of countries affected by disaster,

Recognizing the progress made by the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Manage-ment and Emergency Response (UN-spider) in its mis-sion, encouraging Member States to provide all support necessary, on a voluntary basis, to UN-spider, including financial support, to enable it to carry out its workplan for 2014–2015, and reiterating the importance of enhancing international coordination and cooperation at the global level in disaster management and emergency response through greater access to and use of space-based services for all countries and by facilitating capacity-building and institutional strengthening for disaster management, in particular in developing countries,

Noting the progress in the establishment of the Global Framework for Climate Services to develop and provide science-based climate information and prediction for climate



12. Also urges Member States to improve their response to early warning information in order to ensure that early warning leads to early action, and encourages all stakehold-ers to support the efforts of Member States in this regard;

13. Encourages Member States to consider elaborating and presenting to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction secretariat their national platforms for disaster reduction in accordance with the Hyogo Framework for Ac-tion, and also encourages States to cooperate with each other to reach this objective;

14. Recognizes the importance of applying a multi-hazard approach to preparedness, and encourages Member States, taking into account their specific circumstances, and the United Nations system to continue to apply the ap-proach to their preparedness activities, including by giving due regard to, inter alia, secondary environmental hazards stemming from industrial and technological accidents;

15. Stresses that, to increase further the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance, particular international coopera-tion efforts should be undertaken to enhance and broaden further the utilization of national and local capacities and, where appropriate, of regional and subregional capacities for disaster preparedness and response, which may be made available in closer proximity to the site of a disaster, and more efficiently and at lower cost;

16. Also stresses, in this context, the importance of strengthening international cooperation, particularly through the effective use of multilateral mechanisms, in the timely provision of humanitarian assistance through all phases of a disaster, from relief and recovery to development, including the provision of adequate resources;

17. Encourages all relevant stakeholders, including Member States, to take appropriate measures to reduce and discourage the sending of unsolicited, unneeded or inap-propriate relief goods in response to disasters;

18. Encourages all Member States to facilitate, to the extent possible, the transit of emergency humanitarian as-sistance and development assistance, provided in the context of international efforts, including in the phase from relief to development, in full accordance with the provisions of resolution 46/182 and the annex thereto, and in full respect of the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, im-partiality and independence, and their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law;

19. Encourages Member States to put in place, as ap-propriate, customs measures to improve effectiveness in re-sponding to natural disasters;

20. Reaffirms the leading role of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs as the focal point within the overall United Nations system for advocacy for and coordination of humanitarian assistance among United Nations humanitarian organizations and other humanita-rian partners;

21. Welcomes the important contribution of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination system to the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance in supporting Member States, upon their request, and the United Nations system in preparedness and humanitarian response, and encourages the continued incorporation into this mecha-nism of experts from developing countries that are prone to natural disasters;

22. Also welcomes the important contribution of the In-ternational Search and Rescue Advisory Group to the effec-

5. Encourages Member States to provide dedicated financial contributions to preparedness, response and re-covery efforts in a harmonized, flexible and complementary approach that fully utilizes and helps to coordinate humanita-rian and development funding options and potential;

6. Calls upon all States to adopt, where required, and to continue to implement effectively, necessary legislative and other appropriate measures to mitigate the effects of natural disasters and integrate disaster risk reduction strate-gies into development planning, as well as to incorporate a gender perspective into policies, planning and funding, and in this regard requests the international community to continue to assist developing countries as well as countries with economies in transition, as appropriate;

7. Acknowledges that climate change, among other factors, contributes to environmental degradation and to the increase in the intensity and frequency of climate and extreme weather events, both of which amplify disaster risk, and in this regard encourages Member States, as well as relevant international, regional and subregional organiza-tions, in accordance with their specific mandates, to sup-port adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change and to strengthen disaster risk reduction and early warning sys-tems in order to minimize the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters, including through the provision of technology and support for capacity-building in develop-ing countries;

8. Welcomes the growing number of initiatives un-dertaken at the regional and national levels to promote the implementation of the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Re-lief and Initial Recovery Assistance, encourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to take further steps to review and strengthen operational and le-gal frameworks for international disaster relief, taking into account the Guidelines, as appropriate, and welcomes the recent efforts of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat and the Inter-Parliamentary Union to develop a model act on the subject;

9. Also welcomes the effective cooperation among the affected States, relevant bodies of the United Nations sys-tem, donor countries, regional and international financial institutions and other relevant organizations, such as the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and civil society, in the coordination and delivery of emergency relief, and stresses the need to continue such cooperation and delivery throughout relief operations and medium- and long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, in a manner that reduces vulnerability to future natural hazards;

10. Reiterates the commitment to support, as a matter of priority, the efforts of countries, in particular developing countries, to strengthen their capacities at all levels in order to reduce risks, prepare for and respond rapidly to natural disasters and mitigate their impact;

11. Urges Member States to develop, update and strengthen early warning systems, disaster preparedness and risk reduction measures at all levels, in accordance with the Hyogo Framework for Action, taking into account their own circumstances and capacities and in coordination with relevant actors, as appropriate, and encourages the interna-tional community and relevant United Nations entities to continue to support national efforts in this regard;



entiated impacts of natural disasters on the affected popula-tion, including through the collection and analysis of data disaggregated, inter alia, by sex, age and disability, using, inter alia, the existing information provided by States, and through the development of tools, methods and procedures that will result in more timely and useful initial needs as-sessments that lead to targeted and more effective assistance;

30. Calls upon United Nations humanitarian organiza-tions, in consultation with Member States, as appropriate, to strengthen the evidence base for effective humanitarian assistance by further developing common mechanisms to improve the quality, transparency and reliability of, and make further progress towards, common humanitarian needs assessments, to assess their performance in assistance and to ensure the most effective use of humanitarian re-sources by these organizations;

31. Encourages Member States to take steps to develop or to improve data collection and analysis and to facilitate the exchange of information with humanitarian organiza-tions of the United Nations, in order to support prepared-ness efforts and to improve the effectiveness of a needs-based humanitarian response, and encourages the United Nations system, as appropriate, and other relevant actors to continue to assist developing countries in their efforts to build local and national capacities for data collection and analysis;

32. Encourages Member States, regional organizations, the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations to continue to improve the identification, mapping and analysis of risks and vulnerabilities, includ-ing the local impact of future disaster risk drivers, and the development and implementation of appropriate strategies and programmes to address them, and in this regard encour-ages all the relevant stakeholders to support Governments in capacity development, including at the regional and local levels, through the sharing of expertise and tools and the provision of necessary resources, as appropriate, to ensure that effective disaster management plans and capacities are in place in accordance with national priorities for disaster risk management;

33. Stresses the importance of the full and equal partici-pation of women in decision-making and of gender main-streaming in developing and implementing disaster risk re-duction, preparedness, response and recovery strategies, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to continue ensuring that gender mainstreaming is better taken into ac-count in all aspects of humanitarian responses and activities;

34. Encourages Governments, local authorities, the United Nations system and regional organizations, and invites donors and other assisting countries, to address the vulnerabilities and capacities of women and girls through gender-responsive programming, including means to ad-dress sexual and gender-based violence and various forms of exploitation in post-disaster environments, and the alloca-tion of resources in their disaster risk reduction, response and recovery efforts in coordination with the Governments of affected countries;

35. Encourages Member States and relevant regional and international organizations to identify and improve the dissemination of best practices for improving disaster preparedness, response and early recovery and to scale up successful local initiatives, as appropriate;

36. Requests the United Nations humanitarian and development organizations to improve their coordination

tiveness of international urban search and rescue assistance, and encourages Member States to continue to support the Advisory Group, in line with General Assembly resolution 57/150 of 16 December 2002;

23. Urges Member States, the United Nations system and other humanitarian actors to consider the specific and differentiated consequences of natural disasters both in rural and urban areas when designing and implementing disaster risk reduction, prevention and mitigation, preparedness, humanitarian assistance and early recovery strategies, giv-ing special emphasis to addressing the needs of those living in rural and urban poor areas prone to natural disasters;

24. Welcomes the efforts of the Office for the Coordina-tion of Humanitarian Affairs to build partnerships with re-gional organizations and the private sector, and encourages Member States and the United Nations system to continue to strengthen partnerships at the global, regional, national and local levels in support of national efforts in situations of natural disasters, in order to cooperate effectively in provid-ing humanitarian assistance to those in need and ensure that their collaborative efforts adhere to the principles of human-ity, neutrality, impartiality and independence;

25. Recognizes that information and telecommuni-cations technology can play an important role in disaster response, encourages Member States to develop emergency response telecommunications capacities and encourages the international community to assist the efforts of developing countries in this area, where needed, including in the recov-ery phase, and in this regard encourages Member States that have not acceded to or ratified the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations to consider doing so;

26. Encourages the further use of space-based and ground-based remote-sensing technologies, including as provided by the United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Re-sponse (UN-spider), as well as the sharing of geographical data, for the prevention, mitigation and management of nat-ural disasters, where appropriate, and invites Member States to continue to provide their support to the consolidation of the United Nations capability in the area of satellite-derived geographical information for early warning, preparedness, response and early recovery;

27. Recognizes the opportunities for new technolo-gies, when utilized in a coordinated fashion and based on humanitarian principles, potentially to improve the effec-tiveness and accountability of humanitarian response, and encourages Member States, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners to consider engaging, inter alia, with the volunteer and technical communities in order to make use of the variety of data and information available during emergencies and disaster risk efforts;

28. Encourages Member States, relevant United Na-tions organizations and international financial institutions to enhance the global capacity for sustainable post-disaster recovery in areas such as coordination with traditional and non-traditional partners, identification and dissemination of lessons learned, development of common tools and mecha-nisms for recovery needs assessment, strategy development and programming, and incorporation of risk reduction into all re-covery processes, and welcomes the ongoing efforts to this end;

29. Encourages Member States and the United Nations system to support national initiatives that address the differ-



current commitments to humanitarian programming and not to the detriment of resources made available for inter-national cooperation for development;

45. Strongly encourages giving appropriate considera-tion to disaster risk reduction and the building of resilience to disasters within the post-2015 development agenda and promoting a complementary and coherent approach be-tween that agenda and the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;

46. Invites Member States, the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions to consider voluntary contributions to other humanitarian funding mechanisms;

47. Welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to hold the first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, in 2016, aimed at sharing knowledge and best prac-tices in the humanitarian field to improve the coordination, capacity and effectiveness of humanitarian response, and requests the Office for the Coordination of Humanita-rian Affairs to ensure an inclusive, consultative transparent preparatory process;

48. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to im-prove the international response to natural disasters and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session and to include in his report recommendations on how to ensure that humanitarian assistance is provided in ways supportive of the transition from relief to development.

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [YUN 1999, p. 860] was built upon the experience of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (1990–1999) [YUN 1987, p. 459] and embodied the prin-ciples articulated in a number of major documents adopted during the Decade. The Strategy reflected a major shift from the traditional emphasis on disas-ter response to one on disaster reduction. The United Nations Office of Disaster Risk Reduction acted as the secretariat of the International Strategy and was mandated by the General Assembly to ensure its im-plementation.

Global Assessment Report. The 2013 Global As-sessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction—the third biennial report coordinated by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction—highlighted the interdependence of the public and private sectors and why business competitiveness, sustainability and resil-ience would depend on governments’ ability to man-age disaster risk through effective policies. Economic globalization had enabled critical gains in business productivity and efficiency, but those gains had been at the expense of an increased disaster risk in many business sectors and in the global economy as a whole. The major disasters that struck Japan and Thailand in 2011 and the United States in 2012 revealed how much catastrophes could impact businesses. Earth-quakes, floods and storms could damage exposed

of disaster recovery efforts, from relief to development, inter alia, by strengthening institutional, coordination and stra-tegic planning efforts in disaster preparedness, resilience-building and recovery, in support of national authorities, and by ensuring that development actors participate in strategic planning at an early stage;

37. Encourages the United Nations and humanitarian and development organizations to support national, sub-national and local governments and communities in their responsibility to develop long-term strategies and multi-year operational plans for preparedness that are embedded within disaster risk reduction and resilience strategies in line with the Hyogo Framework for Action;

38. Calls upon the United Nations system and other humanitarian actors to improve the dissemination of tools and services to support enhanced disaster risk reduction, in particular preparedness, and early recovery;

39. Calls upon relevant United Nations humanitarian and development organizations, in consultation with Mem-ber States, to strengthen tools and mechanisms to ensure that early recovery needs and support are integrated into the planning and implementation of disaster preparedness, humanitarian response and development cooperation ac-tivities, as appropriate;

40. Encourages the United Nations system and humanitarian organizations to continue their efforts to mainstream early recovery into humanitarian pro-gramming, acknowledges that early recovery is an impor-tant step towards resilience-building and should receive further funding, and encourages the provision of timely, flexible and predictable funding for early recovery, includ-ing through established and complementary humanitarian and development instruments;

41. Stresses the need to strengthen resilience at all levels, and in this regard encourages Member States, the United Nations system and other relevant actors to support efforts, as appropriate, to integrate resilience in humanita-rian and development programming;

42. Encourages the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian and development actors to support humanitarian coordinators and resident coordinators, in order to strengthen their capacity, inter alia, to support the host Government in implementing preparedness measures and to coordinate preparedness activities of country teams in support of national efforts, and encourages the United Nations system and other relevant humanitarian actors to further strengthen the ability to quickly and flexibly deploy humanitarian professionals to support Governments and country teams in the immediate aftermath of a disaster;

43. Emphasizes the need to mobilize adequate, flex-ible and sustainable resources for recovery, preparedness and disaster risk reduction activities in order to ensure pre-dictable and timely access to resources for humanitarian assistance in emergencies resulting from disasters associated with natural hazards;

44. Welcomes the achievements of the Central Emer-gency Response Fund and its contribution to the promo-tion and enhancement of early humanitarian response, calls upon all Member States, and invites the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions, to consider in-creasing voluntary contributions to the Fund, including, when possible, through multi-year and early commitments, and emphasizes that contributions should be additional to



for Coordination, at its spring session (Madrid, Spain 6 April), endorsed the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience, which set out commitments to support accelerated risk reduc-tion and efforts to build resilience, and would be in-strumental in implementing the guidance of the Gen-eral Assembly on its quadrennial policy review of UN operational activities for development.

In regard to the preparation for the third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduc-tion, subject to a decision of the General Assembly, the Conference would take place in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015. The Government of Switzerland offered to sponsor and provide support to the prepar-atory meetings in Geneva. The Conference would review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action [YUN 2005, p. 1016] and adopt a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction.

The Secretary-General recommended that Member States collect data on losses and damages, strengthen the resilience of schools and hospitals, and ensure that any new critical infrastructure was disaster-resilient. He also recommended that Member States identify and address the causes of risk accumulation; address disaster risk reduction in the post-2015 development agenda and the sustainable development goals; and consider providing predictable resources and support to the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction as it led the consultations towards agreement on a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction and supported the preparation of the third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. The Secretary-General also recommended that the preparatory process for the third United Na-tions World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction be built upon the contributions of the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and the regional platforms.


On 20 December [meeting 71], the General Assem-bly, on the recommendation of the Second (Economic and Financial) Committee [A/68/438/Add.3], adopted resolution 68/211 without vote [agenda item 19 (c)].

International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolutions 54/219 of 22 December 1999,

56/195 of 21 December 2001, 60/195 of 22 December 2005, 64/200 of 21 December 2009, 65/157 of 20 De-cember 2010, 66/199 of 22 December 2011 and 67/209 of 21 December 2012, and taking into consideration all other relevant resolutions,

Reaffirming the outcome document of the United Na-tions Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, in particular the decisions related to disaster risk reduction,

and vulnerable factories, offices and other facilities and resources, interrupting and paralyzing output and business processes. Businesses depended on in-frastructure and urban systems operated by utilities and the public sector; and damages to transport and energy networks, ports and airports or to neighbour-hoods where employees lived interrupted business and imposed additional costs. Thus, losses to public infrastructure and services, to the workforce and to ecosystems ultimately threatened the sustainability of all businesses and, in the medium to long term, became a shared risk. The report found that disaster risk reduction was a compelling shared value proposi-tion for business and that it needed to be recognized in the formulation of the revised international frame-works for development and disaster risk reduction to be adopted in 2015. It was also pertinent for future international negotiations around the challenge of climate change.

Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, the main global forum for the coordination of strategic advice and partnership development for disaster re-duction, held its fourth session (Geneva, 21–23 May), bringing together over 3,000 participants from 172 countries. It provided substantive inputs into the de-velopment of a successor framework to the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Re-silience of Nations and Communities to Disasters [YUN 2005, p. 1016], and called for governments to ensure that disaster risk reduction was overtly recog-nized in the post-2015 development agenda.

The session featured a high-level dialogue focused on how to lead the way to resilience; an informal ple-nary session on a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction; three plenary sessions on strengthening the private sector to enhance the resilience of societies, community resilience, and the relationship between governments and disaster risk reduction; and 13 fea-tured events and over 25 side events.

Report of Secretary-General. In response to General Assembly resolution 67/209 [YUN 2012, p. 920], the Secretary-General in August [A/68/320] reported on progress on the implementation of the Interna-tional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction for the period from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013. The report focused on coordination initiatives and guidance on disaster risk reduction and on preparations for the third United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction.

During the review period, the International Strategy coordinated several initiatives, including consultations on a post-2015 framework for disas-ter risk reduction, and convened the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. The United Nations System Chief Executives Board



have been held in Jordan, Indonesia, New Caledonia, Chile, Croatia and Norway and which have provided a critical contribution to the consultations on the post-2015 frame-work for disaster risk reduction and the preparations for the fourth session of the Global Platform, and looks forward to the upcoming regional platforms scheduled in 2014 in Ecuador, Thailand, Spain, Belgium, Nigeria, Fiji and Egypt;

5. Strongly encourages giving appropriate consideration to disaster risk reduction and the building of resilience to disasters within the post-2015 development agenda;

6. Reiterates its strong encouragement for the promotion of a complementary and coherent approach to the relation-ship between the post-2015 framework for disaster risk re-duction and the post-2015 development agenda;

7. Stresses the need to foster better understanding and knowledge of the causes of disasters, as well as to build re-silience and strengthen coping capacities, in particular in developing countries, through, inter alia, the exchange of best practices, technology transfer, as mutually agreed, and technical knowledge, educational and training programmes for disaster risk reduction, access to relevant data and in-formation, the strengthening of institutional arrangements, the promotion of community participation, recognizing that women play a vital role in disaster risk reduction, owner-ship through community-based disaster risk management approaches and a people-centred, holistic approach, in or-der to build an inclusive society, and to protect livelihoods and productive assets, including livestock, working animals, tools and seeds;

8. Recognizes the importance of the development of strategies at the national, subregional, regional and inter-national levels, including government-led strategies, in particular in developing countries, to achieve disaster risk reduction, reiterates the need to further develop regional initiatives and risk reduction capacities of regional mecha-nisms, where they exist, and to strengthen them within na-tional disaster management planning, and requests the re-gional commissions, within their mandates, to support the efforts of States in this regard, in close coordination with the implementing entities of the United Nations system;

9. Welcomes the United Nations Plan of Action on Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience as an important contribution in the implementation of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of 2012, while requesting the secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduc-tion as the coordinator of the Plan of Action to report on progress, bearing in mind agreed reporting provisions of the quadrennial comprehensive policy review;

10. Reiterates its deep appreciation for the offer of the Government of Japan to host the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, decides that the Conference will be held in Sendai, Japan, from 14 to 18 March 2015, and notes with appreciation the generous pledge made by the Government of Japan to cover costs of the Third World Conference and by the Government of Switzerland to host and to cover the costs of two meetings of the preparatory committee for the Conference;

11. Agrees that the Third World Conference will be convened at the highest possible level and will include a high-level segment;

12. Decides that the Third World Conference will result in a concise, focused, forward-looking and action-oriented outcome document and will have the following objectives:

Recalling the Rio Declaration on Environment and De-velopment, Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Im-plementation of Agenda 21, the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implemen-tation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Plan of Implementation),

Recalling also the outcome document of the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millen-nium Development Goals and the outcome document of the special event to follow up efforts made towards achiev-ing the Millennium Development Goals,

Stressing the importance of stronger interlinkages among disaster risk reduction, recovery and long-term develop-ment planning, calling for more coordinated and compre-hensive strategies that integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation considerations into public and private investment, decision-making and the planning of humanitarian and development actions in order to reduce risk, increase resilience and provide a smoother transition between relief, recovery and development, and in this re-gard recognizing the need to integrate gender and disabil-ity perspectives into the design and implementation of all phases of disaster risk management,

Emphasizing the added value of Governments at all lev-els, as well as relevant subregional, regional and interna-tional organizations, in committing adequate, timely and predictable resources for disaster risk reduction in order to enhance resilience of cities and communities to disasters, according to their own circumstances and capacities,

Recognizing that developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, remain most vulnerable to natural disasters and the impact of climate change and that they need adequate in-ternational assistance for the development and strengthen-ing of their capacities in the areas of disaster prevention and building resilience,

Recalling that the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which will be held in Japan in 2015, will review the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters and adopt a post-2015 frame-work for disaster risk reduction,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of General Assembly resolution 67/209;

2. Stresses the importance of the continued substantive consideration of the issue of disaster risk reduction, and encourages all States and relevant United Nations bodies to take into consideration the important role of disaster risk reduction activities for, inter alia, the achievement of sustainable development and poverty eradication;

3. Welcomes the deliberations and results of the fourth session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, held in Geneva from 19 to 23 May 2013, as the main forum at the global level for strategic advice, coordination and partnership development for disaster risk reduction and the review of progress on the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters;

4. Stresses the importance of regional coordination in the framework of the preparatory process in order to pro-mote broad participation in the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, welcomes in this regard the deliberations of the regional platforms and meetings which



including major groups, parliaments, civil society, the In-ternational Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, non-governmental organizations, national platforms for disaster risk reduction, focal points for the Hyogo Framework for Action, local government representatives, scientific institu-tions and the private sector, as well as organizations of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organiza-tions, at the Third World Conference and its preparatory process, and at the same time requests the Secretary-General to ensure appropriate involvement of resident coordinators and country teams in preparations for the Conference, in particular in country- and regional-level preparations;

19. Decides that non-governmental organizations and other major groups whose work is relevant to the subject of the Third World Conference that are not currently accredited by the Economic and Social Council as non-governmental organizations, as well as those accredited to the third In-ternational Conference on Small Island Developing States, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the In-ternational Meeting to Review the Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, the United Nations Confer-ence on Sustainable Development, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, the four sessions of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and regional platforms and ministerial meetings on disaster risk reduction, may submit applications to participate as observers in the Conference, as well as its preparatory meetings, subject to the approval of the Preparatory Committee;

20. Stresses the importance of mainstreaming gender and disability perspectives in disaster risk management to strengthen the resilience of communities and reduce social vulnerabilities to disasters, and recognizes the need for the inclusive participation and contribution of women, as well as vulnerable people within groups such as children, older persons and persons with disabilities, to the Third World Conference and its preparatory process;

21. Recognizes the substantial loss of life and of the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries as a result of disasters;

22. Requests the organizations of the United Nations system, and invites the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization and other relevant international and regional organizations, within their respective man-dates, to provide necessary support and to actively contrib-ute to the preparatory process and to the Third World Con-ference itself through inter-agency cooperation and effective participation and coherence within the United Nations system, as well as the efficient use of resources, so that the objectives of the Conference can be addressed;

23. Decides that the additional costs of the preparatory process and the Third World Conference itself should be funded through extrabudgetary resources, without nega-tively affecting programmed activities;

24. Requests the Secretariat to provide conference serv-ices for the preparatory process and the Third World Confer-ence itself, the costs thereof to be borne by the host country, on the understanding that the Secretariat will ensure that its existing human resources are utilized to the maximum extent possible, without further charge to the host country;

25. Acknowledges the importance of the work of the United Nations in disaster risk reduction, the growing de-mands on the secretariat of the International Strategy for

(a) To complete the assessment and review of the im-plementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action;

(b) To consider the experience gained through the regional and national strategies/institutions and plans for disaster risk reduction and their recommendations as well as relevant regional agreements under the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action;

(c) To adopt a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;

(d) To identify modalities of cooperation based on commitments to implement a post-2015 framework for dis-aster risk reduction;

(e) To determine modalities for periodic review of the implementation of a post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;

13. Also decides to establish the Open-ended Inter-governmental Preparatory Committee for the Third World Conference to review the organizational and substantive preparations for the Conference, approve the programme of work of the Conference and propose rules of procedure for adoption by the Conference, and further decides that the Preparatory Committee will meet in Geneva in July and November 2014, for two days each time, and that it will hold a meeting at Sendai to be decided by the Preparatory Committee, as necessary;

14. Further decides to establish a Bureau consisting of two members of each regional group, and that Japan will serve as an ex officio member of the Bureau of the Open-ended Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee;

15. Invites regional groups to nominate their candidates for the 10-member Bureau of the Open-ended Intergovern-mental Preparatory Committee no later than mid-February 2014, so that they can be involved in the preparations for the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee in advance;

16. Decides that the Third World Conference and the meetings of its Preparatory Committee shall provide for the full and effective participation of all States Members of the United Nations and members of specialized agencies, that the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council, as well as the supplementary arrangements established for the Commission on Sustain-able Development by the Council in its decisions 1993/215 of 12 February 1993 and 1995/201 of 8 February 1995, shall apply to the meetings of the Preparatory Committee, as ap-plicable, and that the Preparatory Committee shall consider and adopt the provisional rules of procedure of the Confer-ence, taking into consideration the established practice of the General Assembly, except as otherwise provided in the present resolution;

17. Urges international and bilateral donors, as well as the private sector, financial institutions, foundations and other donors in a position to do so, to support the prepara-tions for the Third World Conference through voluntary contributions to the trust fund in support of global prepara-tions for the Conference and to support the participation of representatives of developing countries in the meetings of the Preparatory Committee and in the Conference it-self, priority being given to the least developed countries and small island developing States, including coverage of economy-class air tickets, daily subsistence allowance and terminal expenses;

18. Recognizes, in this context, the importance of the contributions and participation of all relevant stakeholders,



eral Assembly endorsed that approach and proclaimed 2006–2016—the third decade since the Chernobyl accident—as the Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions. The UN action plan on Chernobyl to 2016 was agreed by the relevant organizations of the UN system as a practical frame-work for cooperation during the Decade. The Govern-ments of the three most affected countries put signifi-cant effort into overcoming the legacy of Chernobyl, working with organizations and bodies of the UN system to improve people’s livelihoods. The Interna-tional Chernobyl Research and Information Network project had been working to provide information to lo-cal populations in accessible, non-technical language. At the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the construc-tion of a new safe confinement over the shelter facil-ity around the damaged reactor was in its final phase.

The report highlighted the role of the United Na-tions Development Programme (undp) in coordinat-ing inter-agency efforts on the implementation of the Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions. The undp Administrator con-tinued to serve as the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl, facilitating the joint effort of 12 organizations of the UN system, Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The Of-fice of Coordination of International Cooperation on Chernobyl functioned as part of the undp Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Inde-pendent States, and managed day-to-day coordination responsibilities. An example of a joint UN initiative was the International Chernobyl Research and In-formation Network programme, aimed at enhancing human security in the Chernobyl-affected areas of Be-larus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. The organ-izations involved—the International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea), undp, the United Nations Children’s Fund (unicef) and the World Health Organization (who)—worked on disseminating information to the residents of Chernobyl-affected areas about the conse-quences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the form of practical advice on healthy lifestyles.

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the Chernobyl acci-dent was marked by the visit of the Secretary-General to the site of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and an international conference on the theme “25 Years after the Chernobyl Disaster: Safety for the Future”, held in Kyiv in April 2011. The undp Goodwill Ambas-sador Maria Sharapova initiated a new project in 2012 aimed at sports recovery in the Chernobyl-affected areas of Belarus and the Russian Federation, giving local youth the opportunity to practice lawn tennis, athletics and other sports. The thirtieth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear accident would coincide with the completion of the UN action plan on Chernobyl in 2016. In the remaining years, undp would continue to lead the dialogue with organizations of the UN sys-

Disaster Reduction and the need for increased, timely, stable and predictable resources for the implementation of the International Strategy, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to consider how best to support the im-plementation of the natural disaster reduction strategy, tak-ing into account the important role played by the secretariat of the Strategy, with a view to ensuring adequate resources for its operation;

26. Expresses its appreciation to those countries that have provided financial support for the activities of the sec-retariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction by making voluntary contributions to its trust fund;

27. Invites voluntary commitments by all stakeholders and their networks to implement the Hyogo Framework for Action as well as to support the development of the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;

28. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the out-come of the Third World Conference to the attention of relevant international organizations, processes and forums;

29. Encourages the further implementation of all pri-orities for action of the Hyogo Framework for Action and, in particular, the carrying out of periodic risk assessments, the establishment of reliable disaster statistics, inter alia, a disaster loss database, and the dissemination of and ensured access to and availability of risk information, and, in order to assess outcomes, requests the Secretary-General to lead a review process on the 10 years of implementation of the Hyogo Framework;

30. Notes the importance of the periodic reviews of the Hyogo Framework for Action, and requests the Secretary-General to formulate proposals for effective periodic review mechanisms for the post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;

31. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-ninth session, under the item entitled “Sustainable de-velopment”, the sub-item entitled “International Strategy for Disaster Reduction”;

32. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution.

Chernobyl aftermath

Report of Secretary-General. In response to General Assembly resolution 65/131 [YUN 2010, p. 934], the Secretary-General in October submitted a report [A/68/498] on optimizing the international effort to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster [YUN 1986, p. 584]. The re-port recorded the activities undertaken by the funds, programmes and specialized agencies of the UN sys-tem to promote recovery from the Chernobyl disaster.

Since the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant on 26 April 1986, the affected regions of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine had been supported by a broad range of UN initiatives. In place of the emer-gency humanitarian assistance delivered in the 1990s, the United Nations had opted for a “development approach”, namely, the creation of new livelihoods, better economic opportunities and the restoration of community self-reliance and self-sufficiency. The Gen-



Stressing the exceptional Chernobyl-related needs, in particular in the areas of health, environment and research, in the context of the transition from the emergency to the recovery phase of mitigation of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster,

Noting the coordinating role for Chernobyl issues of the United Nations Development Programme,

Welcoming with appreciation the progress of engineering projects in transforming the damaged reactor site into a sta-ble and environmentally safe condition, noting in particular that the design and construction of a new, safe confinement for the reactor will require significant funds to complete,

Stressing the need for further coordination by the United Nations Development Programme and improved resource mobilization by the United Nations system to support the activities aimed at the recovery of Chernobyl-affected ter-ritories, inter alia, community-based development projects, support to investment promotion and the creation of new jobs and small businesses, advocacy work and the provision of relevant policy advice as requested, and the widest pos-sible dissemination of the findings of the Chernobyl Forum through the International Chernobyl Research and Infor-mation Network,

Emphasizing the significance of the upcoming thirtieth anniversary of the accident for developing approaches to the organization of further international cooperation on Cher-nobyl after 2016,

Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General con-cerning the implementation of resolution 65/131, as well as relevant parts of the reports of the agencies and organiza-tions of the United Nations system,

1. Welcomes the contribution made by States and by organizations of the United Nations system to the develop-ment of cooperation to mitigate and minimize the conse-quences of the Chernobyl disaster, the activities of regional and other organizations and those of non-governmental organizations, as well as bilateral activities;

2. Notes with appreciation the efforts undertaken by the agencies of the United Nations system and other interna-tional organizations that are members of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Chernobyl to continue implementing a developmental approach to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, in particular through the development of specific projects, and stresses the need for the Inter-Agency Task Force to continue its activities to that end, including through coordinating efforts in the field of resource mobilization;

3. Acknowledges the difficulties faced by the most af-fected countries in minimizing the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, and invites States, in particular donor States, and all relevant agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations system, in particular the Bretton Woods institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations, to continue to provide support to the ongoing efforts of Bela-rus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine to mitigate the con-sequences of the Chernobyl disaster, including through the allocation of adequate funds to support medical, social, eco-nomic and environmental programmes related to the disaster;

4. Reaffirms that the United Nations should continue to play an important catalytic and coordinating role in the strengthening of international cooperation to study, mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster;

tem and Member States on the future of inter-agency cooperation in respect of the human consequences of the Chernobyl accident and other man-made disasters.


On 13 December [meeting 67], the General Assem-bly adopted resolution 68/99 [draft: A/68/L.21 & Add.1] without vote [agenda item 70 (d)].

Strengthening of international cooperation and coordination of efforts to study, mitigate and

minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster

The General Assembly,Reaffirming its resolutions 45/190 of 21 December 1990,

46/150 of 18 December 1991, 47/165 of 18 December 1992, 48/206 of 21 December 1993, 50/134 of 20 December 1995, 52/172 of 16 December 1997, 54/97 of 8 December 1999, 56/109 of 14 December 2001, 58/119 of 17 December 2003, 60/14 of 14 November 2005, 62/9 of 20 November 2007 and 65/131 of 15 December 2010, as well as its resolution 55/171 of 14 December 2000 on closure of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, and taking note of the decisions adopted by the organs, organizations and programmes of the United Nations system in the implementation of those resolutions,

Recalling Economic and Social Council resolutions 1990/50 of 13 July 1990, 1991/51 of 26 July 1991 and 1992/38 of 30 July 1992 and Council decision 1993/232 of 22 July 1993,

Conscious of the long-term nature of the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was a major technological catastrophe in terms of its scope and complexity and created humanitarian, environmental, social, economic and health consequences and problems of common concern, requiring for their solution wide and ac-tive international cooperation and coordination of efforts in this field at the international and national levels,

Expressing profound concern at the ongoing effects of the consequences of the accident on the lives and health of peo-ple, in particular children, in the affected areas of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, as well as in other af-fected countries,

Noting the consensus reached among members of the Chernobyl Forum on the environmental, health and socio-economic effects of the Chernobyl disaster, in particular in providing a message of reassurance and practical advice to communities living in territories affected by the Chernobyl disaster,

Acknowledging the importance of the national efforts being undertaken by the Governments of Belarus, the Rus-sian Federation and Ukraine to mitigate and minimize the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster,

Recognizing the contribution of civil society organiza-tions, including the national Red Cross Societies of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in re-sponse to the Chernobyl disaster and in support of the ef-forts of the affected countries,

Welcoming with appreciation the developmental approach to tackling the problems caused by the Chernobyl disaster aimed at normalizing the situation of the individuals and communities concerned in the medium and long term,



in order to empower them to maximize social and economic recovery and sustainable development in all its aspects;

13. Stresses the importance of the full implementation of the third decade after the Chernobyl disaster, 2006–2016, the Decade of Recovery and Sustainable Development of the Affected Regions, proclaimed in its resolution 62/9, which is focused on achieving the goal of a return to normal life for the affected communities as far as is possible within this time frame;

14. Requests the United Nations Development Pro-gramme to coordinate, within existing resources, the ef-forts of the United Nations system and with other relevant actors on the implementation of the Decade and to keep post-Chernobyl recovery issues high on the inter-agency and international agendas;

15. Welcomes with appreciation the participation and input of the international community at the international conference entitled “25 Years after the Chernobyl Disaster: Safety for the Future”, held from 20 to 22 April 2011 in Kyiv, initiated by Ukraine and co-sponsored by Belarus and the Russian Federation;

16. Notes the international high-level representation at the Kyiv Summit on the Safe and Innovative Use of Nuclear Energy, held on 19 April 2011 and initiated by the Govern-ment of Ukraine;

17. Welcomes the initiatives of the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine to host in-ternational events to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, and invites organizations of the United Nations system, donor countries and other development agencies to contribute to their effective realization;

18. Calls upon the relevant United Nations bodies, the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system to actively engage in and fund, within exist-ing resources, the preparations for these events;

19. Encourages Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, major groups, the pri-vate sector and other donors to contribute to the relevant preparatory processes;

20. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure, as ap-propriate, the full involvement of resident coordinators and country teams in Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine in preparations for the above-mentioned events;

21. Requests the President of the General Assembly to convene, on 26 April 2016, a special commemorative meet-ing of the Assembly in observance of the thirtieth anniver-sary of the Chernobyl catastrophe;

22. Requests the Secretary-General to continue his efforts in the implementation of the relevant General As-sembly resolutions and, through existing coordination mechanisms, in particular the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl, to continue to maintain close cooperation and to lead the dialogue with the agencies of the United Nations system and Member States on the future of inter-agency cooperation on the Chernobyl disaster, as well as with regional and other relevant organiza-tions, while implementing specific Chernobyl-related pro-grammes and projects;

23. Requests the United Nations Coordinator of In-ternational Cooperation on Chernobyl to organize, within existing resources, in collaboration with the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, organiza-

5. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Na-tions Coordinator of International Cooperation on Cherno-byl, in her capacity as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme and as Chair of the United Na-tions Development Group, to continue to take appropriate practical measures to strengthen coordination of the inter-national efforts in that area;

6. Welcomes the efforts of the Government of Ukraine and inputs and contributions made by the States, interna-tional organizations and financial institutions that partici-pated in the Chernobyl pledging conference to complete the construction of the shelter facility and related nuclear safety projects at Chernobyl, in accordance with international standards, so as to transform the site into a stable and en-vironmentally safe condition, and urges all parties to ensure that a strong, long-standing, high-level commitment remains in place to ensure the successful completion of this vital work;

7. Also welcomes the activities of the United Nations Development Programme Goodwill Ambassador, star ten-nis player Ms. Maria Sharapova, who serves as an advocate for post-Chernobyl recovery efforts, and praises her personal commitment in supporting a number of recovery projects that aid local communities in Belarus, the Russian Federa-tion and Ukraine;

8. Notes with satisfaction the completion of the Co-operation for Rehabilitation Programme in Belarus and the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme in Ukraine, aimed at promoting better living conditions in and the sustainable development of the affected territories;

9. Welcomes the results of a three-year project imple-mented by the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Population Fund aimed at enhancing human well-being and safety in the Chernobyl-affected areas and the area-based development project in the Chernobyl-affected areas in Be-larus, as well as the nationwide extension of the area-based development approach that was piloted in the Chernobyl-affected region of Ukraine;

10. Notes with satisfaction assistance rendered by the International Atomic Energy Agency to Belarus, the Rus-sian Federation and Ukraine on remediation of agricultural and urban environments, cost-effective agricultural coun-termeasures and the monitoring of human exposure in areas affected by the Chernobyl disaster;

11. Also notes with satisfaction the progress made by the Governments of the affected countries in implement-ing national strategies to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, calls upon United Nations agencies and multilateral and bilateral donors to continue to align their assistance with the priorities of the national strategies of the affected States, and stresses the importance of working to-gether on their implementation in a common effort in the spirit of cooperation;

12. Welcomes the achievements of the International Chernobyl Research and Information Network, aimed at providing scientific information on the consequences of the accident, with practical advice for local communities in the affected territories of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine through dissemination of the findings of the Cher-nobyl Forum, including by providing accurate information on the impact of radiation in accessible, non-technical lan-guage in the form of practical messages on healthy and pro-ductive lifestyles to the populations affected by the accident



strument for channelling mine action funds. There was, however, a widespread perception that a conflict of interest existed regarding the double and incompat-ible role of the United Nations Mine Action Service (unmas) as both the Trust Fund administrator and a direct beneficiary of the Fund. Delays in disburse-ment of vtf funds had also been a cause of concern among implementing partners. The Joint Inspection Unit indicated that the administration of the Trust Fund should be conferred to an independent entity, not involved in project management and/or imple-mentation activities, and a governance mechanism should be established.

The jiu recommended that the Secretary-General appoint a focal point for victim assistance within the UN system towards integrating victim assistance into national health systems; establish a global baseline of reliable data while building on ongoing efforts; initiate a transparent and inclusive process aimed at clarifying the terms of reference of unmas and the mandates of other actors; revise the terms of reference of vtf; and report on the implementation of the rec-ommendations at the General Assembly’s sixty-eighth (2013) session. Furthermore, the jiu recommended that unmas develop training materials to strengthen staff capacity, and develop an evaluation strategy.

Note of Secretary-General. In March [A/68/63/Add.1], the Secretary-General transmitted to the As-sembly his comments and those of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination re-garding the jiu report. The Secretary-General wel-comed the recommendations in the report, with the exception of recommendation 6, which suggested that the Secretary-General revise the terms of reference of vtf. The Secretary-General advised that it would not be appropriate to review the terms of reference of vtf in isolation. Since the Fund was a Secretariat trust fund, any revision to its terms of reference should be in accordance with the Financial Regulations and Rules of the United Nations.

Report of Secretary-General. Pursuant to Gen-eral Assembly resolution 66/69 [YUN 2011, p. 879], the Secretary-General in August submitted a report [A/68/305] covering the period from August 2011 to July 2013.

In regard to international instruments related to mine action, as at July, 161 countries had ratified or acceded to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction. Over 44.5 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines had been destroyed and 154 States parties no longer held stockpiles of anti-personnel mines. One hundred and fifteen States had ratified or acceded to the Con-vention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indis-

tions of the United Nations system, donor countries and other development agencies, a review of progress made dur-ing the Decade, as well as to consider further approaches to international cooperation on Chernobyl, and welcomes in this context the generous proposal of Belarus to host the relevant event in 2014;

24. Also requests the United Nations Coordinator of International Cooperation on Chernobyl to continue to collect, document and disseminate all experiences and les-sons learned from tackling the human consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident for application and replication in other nuclear disaster situations and to fully utilize those experiences in the areas of disaster risk reduction, prepared-ness, response and recovery worldwide;

25. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-first session, under a separate sub-item, a report containing a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of all aspects of the present resolution and, in particular, of the action plan on Chernobyl to 2016.

Mine actionJIU report. In February, the Secretary-General

transmitted a Joint Inspection Unit (jiu) report [A/68/63], entitled “Evaluation of the scope, organiza-tion, effectiveness and approach of the work of the United Nations in mine action”.

The Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action (iacg-ma) was the main mechanism support-ing inter-agency coordination of mine action activi-ties within the UN system, including 14 UN depart-ments, agencies, programmes and funds that played a role in mine action programmes in over 30 countries and three territories. There was, however, a need for stronger coordination. While the general division of roles and responsibilities within the iacg-ma was largely adequate, the broad definition of the roles and responsibilities of each iacg-ma member allowed for different interpretations as to when exactly one agen-cy’s mandate ended and another began. The effective-ness and efficiency of cooperation and coordination varied from case to case.

The principal framework for UN interventions in mine action was provided in the document entitled “Mine Action and Effective Coordination: The United Nations Inter-Agency Policy”, and in the United Na-tions Inter-Agency Mine Action Strategy: 2006–2010. In some instances, however, the actual activities un-dertaken by the relevant entities did not correspond exactly to the competencies and activities as reflected in the Policy, as was the case of the United Nations Of-fice for Disarmament Affairs. In regard to the Strategy, mine-action stakeholders recognized that progress had been made towards each of the Strategy’s objectives, but they were difficult to measure and did not meet the SMART criteria (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound).

With regard to funding, the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action (vtf) was a major in-



and an enabler of, peace, security, stability, humanita-rian relief and development. A UN monitoring and evaluation mechanism would be established for the implementation of the Strategy.

During the reporting period, funding for the mine action sector was consistent. The majority of funds were directed to a small number of States and territories and primarily allocated to mine clearance, which was only one of the five mine action pillars, along with mine risk education, victim assistance, stockpile destruction, and advocacy. Direct inter-national support for victim assistance programmes, however, declined by $13.6 million, a decrease of 30 per cent from 2010. During the reporting period, funding channelled through vtf managed by unmas amounted to $107 million. The top five donors were Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Australia. Allocations were di-rected to 24 countries and one territory.

The Secretary-General appealed to Member States to take seriously the threat posed by improvised ex-plosive devices, unsecured and unsafe ammunition stockpiles and the circulation of illicit small arms and light weapons. He was especially concerned by the continued use of anti-personnel mines by armed groups in Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Paki-stan, Thailand and Yemen in 2011 and 2012, and new mine and cluster munitions usage reported in Libya and Syria. He welcomed the United Nations Strategy on Mine Action 2013–2018 and the estab-lishment of a monitoring and evaluation mecha-nism to strengthen the efficiency, transparency and accountability of UN mine action.


On 11 December [meeting 65], the General Assem-bly, on the recommendation of the Fourth (Special Political and Decolonization) Committee [A/68/421], adopted resolution 68/72 without vote [agenda item 48].

Assistance in mine action

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 66/69 of 9 December 2011 and

all its previous resolutions on assistance in mine clearance and on assistance in mine action, all adopted without a vote,

Recalling also all relevant treaties and conventions and their review processes,

Noting with appreciation the extent to which the Inter-national Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action has been commemorated worldwide,

Reaffirming its deep concern at the tremendous humanita-rian and development problems caused by the presence of mines and explosive remnants of war, which have serious and lasting social and economic consequences for the popu-lations of countries affected by them,

Bearing in mind the serious threat that mines and explo-sive remnants of war, including cluster munitions, pose to the safety, health and lives of local civilian populations, as well as

criminate Effects. Ninety-eight States had consented to be bound by amended Protocol II on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices annexed to the Convention, and 82 States by Protocol V to the Convention on Ex-plosive Remnants of War. One hundred and twelve States had signed and 83 States had ratified the Con-vention on Cluster Munitions; and 14 States parties declared completion of their obligations on stockpile destruction, with some 744,231 cluster munitions and 85.8 million explosive sub-munitions destroyed.

In regard to strengthening the capacity of the United Nations in mine action, the Organization continued to provide an effective response in the im-mediate aftermath of conflict by rapidly deploying response teams of mine action personnel, coordinat-ing mine action interventions and building national capacities. Mine action was a critical component of peacekeeping and special political missions based on its explicit inclusion in mission mandates, and its contribution to the protection of civilians and the safe conduct of mandated peacekeeping, humanita-rian and developmental activities. During the report-ing period, mine action activities had been integrated into 10 peacekeeping missions and two special politi-cal missions, as well as in the United Nations Support Office for the African Union Mission in Somalia. As an enabler of development, humanitarian relief and the protection of civilians, mine action had contin-ued to be integrated in the Global Protection Cluster and in the Consolidated Appeals Processes/Common Humanitarian Action Plan for 2013.

Coordinated mine action programmes and policies within the iacg-ma framework had been strengthened under the chairmanship of unmas. The Strategy of the United Nations on Mine Ac-tion 2013–2018 was people-driven and reiterated the continuous strong commitment of the Organization to saving lives and creating conditions conducive to sustainable peace, security, development and respect for human rights. The strength of the Strategy resided in the fact that it was the product of an inclusive consultative process led by unmas and involving all members of iacg-ma, affected and donor countries, and practitioners such as the International Commit-tee of the Red Cross, non-governmental organiza-tions and civil society. The Strategy acknowledged the evolution of the scope of the concept of mine action, demonstrating the adaptive capacity of the Organization to new situations for an effective re-sponse to people’s needs. The Strategy’s four strategic objectives were to save lives and reduce the negative socioeconomic impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war; to support mine action assistance efforts for victims; to reinforce the UN commitment to enhancing effective national capacities; and to re-flect the significance of mine action as a precursor to,



other relevant organizations and institutions involved in mine action, to support mine-affected States, as appropri-ate, by providing:

(a) Assistance to countries affected by mines and ex-plosive remnants of war for the establishment and develop-ment of national mine-action capacities, including, where appropriate, in the fulfilment of the relevant international obligations of those countries;

(b) Support for national programmes, where appropri-ate, in cooperation with the relevant bodies of the United Nations system and relevant regional, governmental and non-governmental organizations, to reduce the risks posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war, taking into con-sideration the different needs of women, girls, boys and men;

(c) Reliable, predictable, timely and, where possi-ble, multi-annual contributions for mine-action activi-ties, including through national mine-action efforts and mine-action programmes of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations, including those relating to rapid response, victim assistance and mine risk education, especially at the local level, as well as through relevant na-tional, regional and global trust funds, including the Volun-tary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Action;

(d) Necessary information and technical, financial and material assistance to locate, remove, destroy and otherwise render ineffective minefields, mines, booby traps, other devices and explosive remnants of war, in accordance with international law, as soon as possible;

(e) Technological assistance (i) to countries affected by mines and explosive remnants of war; and (ii) to pro-mote user-oriented scientific research on and development of mine-action techniques and technology that are effective, sustainable, appropriate and environmentally sound;

4. Encourages efforts to conduct all mine-action ac-tivities in accordance with the International Mine Action Standards or national standards compliant with those Standards, and emphasizes the importance of ensuring the accuracy and objectivity of reporting information as well as of using state-of-the-art technologies and an information man-agement system, such as the Information Management Sys-tem for Mine Action, to help facilitate mine-action activities;

5. Urges all mine-affected States, pursuant to applica-ble international law, to identify all areas, as appropriate, under their jurisdiction or control containing mines and other explosive remnants of war in the most efficient manner possible and to employ land release techniques, including non-technical survey, technical survey and clearance when appropriate;

6. Encourages mine-affected States, with support from relevant development partners as appropriate, to proactively mainstream mine action and victim assistance require-ments and their linkage with health care and disabilities agendas into development plans and processes to ensure that development priorities include mine action and that mine action and victim assistance requirements are predict-ably funded;

7. Encourages all relevant multilateral, regional and na-tional programmes and bodies to include activities related to mine action, including clearance, in their peacebuild-ing, humanitarian, rehabilitation, reconstruction and de-velopment assistance activities, where appropriate, bearing in mind the need to ensure national and local ownership,

of personnel participating in humanitarian, peacekeeping, re-habilitation and mine clearance programmes and operations,

Deeply alarmed by the number of mines that continue to be laid each year as well as the presence of a decreasing but still very large number of, and area of square kilometres contaminated by, mines and explosive remnants of war as a result of armed conflicts, and therefore remaining con-vinced of the necessity and urgency of strengthening mine-action efforts by the international community with a view to eliminating the threat and the humanitarian impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war to civilians as soon as possible,

Recognizing that, in addition to the primary role of States, the United Nations has a significant role to play in the field of assistance in mine action through the members of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action, including the United Nations Mine Action Service, consid-ering mine action to be an important and integrated compo-nent of United Nations humanitarian assistance and devel-opment activities, and noting the integration of mine action in numerous United Nations peacekeeping operations,

Noting with appreciation the enhanced cooperation and coordination of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action with non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders through meetings of the Committee on Mine Action, and its active involvement in the humanita-rian coordination mechanism,

Recognizing the importance of the full and effective partici-pation of both women and men in mine action programmes,

Recognizing also the valuable mine-action efforts of na-tional, regional and international mine-action practition-ers, including United Nations personnel and peacekeepers, enabling local communities and mine survivors to resume normal lives and reclaim their livelihoods by regaining ac-cess to previously contaminated lands,

Stressing the pressing need to urge non-State actors to halt immediately and unconditionally new deployments of mines, improvised explosive devices and other associated explosive devices,

Taking note of the report of the Joint Inspection Unit on the evaluation of the scope, organization, effectiveness and approach of the work of the United Nations in mine action and the related note by the Secretary-General,

Taking note also of the recommendations of the Joint Inspection Unit, in particular with regard to the elabora-tion of the Strategy of the United Nations on Mine Action 2013–2018, and encouraging the members of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action to continue their work and further improve the efforts of the United Nations in the field of mine action,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;2. Calls, in particular, for the continuation of the ef-

forts of States, with the assistance of the United Nations and relevant organizations involved in mine action, as ap-propriate, to foster the establishment and development of national mine-action capacities in countries in which mines and explosive remnants of war constitute a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the local civilian population or an impediment to social and economic development ef-forts at the national and local levels;

3. Urges all States, in particular those that have the capacity to do so, as well as the United Nations system and



ment of the Organization of African Unity [YUN 2001, p. 900], should be the framework within which the international community should concentrate its ef-forts for Africa’s development. During 2013, efforts continued to focus on UN and international support for nepad and its implementation.

Implementation and support for NEPADReport of Secretary-General. In an April report

[E/AC.51/2013/6], the Secretary-General provided an overview of the activities undertaken by the UN sys-tem in support of nepad since June 2012. The report was organized around the nine clusters established under the Regional Coordination Mechanism of the UN agencies working in Africa, convened by the Eco-nomic Commission for Africa: infrastructure devel-opment; governance; peace and security; agriculture, food security and rural development; industry, trade and market access; environment, population and ur-banization; social and human development; science and technology; and communication, advocacy and outreach. It also assessed four selected policy issues in the implementation of nepad, namely, strengthening of the cluster system and enhanced United Nations/African Union (au) cooperation; support for the mo-bilization of financial resources for the implementa-tion of the New Partnership; cross-cutting issues; and institutional support.

The Secretary-General observed that the UN sys-tem continued to provide substantial support to pri-ority areas of nepad through the nine clusters of the Regional Coordination Mechanism and the funding of programmes and projects, capacity-building and institution-building, resource mobilization and advo-cacy, and humanitarian relief. He recommended that the United Nations strengthen support through the Regional Coordination Mechanism for those areas identified as priorities for the African Union Com-mission during the period 2012–2016, which include agriculture and food security, peace and stability, and the participation of women and young people. He also indicated that the UN system should strengthen its support for Africa’s infrastructure development, and its efforts to assist African countries in achieving the target of allocating 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture; align the planning, programming and budget cycles of country programmes with national planning and budgeting cycles and with regional and subregional programmes; and adopt a strategy to en-sure that nepad priorities were fully reflected in the post-2015 development agenda. Furthermore, in line with General Assembly resolution 66/287 [YUN 2012, p. 92], the UN system should take all measures neces-sary to strengthen the United Nations Interdepart-mental Task Force on African Affairs to ensure fur-ther coherence and an integrated approach for United Nations support for Africa, including in following up

sustainability and capacity-building, as well as to include a gender and age-appropriate perspective in all aspects of such activities;

8. Encourages Member States, as appropriate, and rel-evant organizations involved in mine action to continue efforts to ensure that mine-action programmes take into ac-count the needs of persons with disabilities and are gender- and age-sensitive, so that women, girls, boys and men can benefit equally from them, and encourages the participation of all stakeholders, as well as the further participation of women, in the programming of mine action;

9. Encourages Member States to support victims’ access to appropriate medical care, physical and sensory rehabilita-tion, psychosocial support, education and skills training and income-earning opportunities and to provide those services to all, regardless of gender, age or socioeconomic status;

10. Encourages the provision of capacity-building as-sistance to affected countries in order to integrate assistance for victims into their national policy frameworks on health care, social services and disability-inclusive development by relevant civil society organizations and other relevant entities with expertise in those matters, including the United Nations;

11. Stresses the importance of cooperation and coordi-nation in mine action, emphasizes the primary responsibility of national authorities in that regard, and also stresses the supporting role of the United Nations and other relevant organizations in that regard;

12. Recognizes the importance of explicitly incorpo-rating references to mine action, when appropriate, in cease-fire and peace agreements in the light of the potential that mine action can have as a peace and confidence-building mea-sure in post-conflict situations among the parties concerned;

13. Encourages the United Nations to continue to take measures to improve coordination, efficiency, transparency and accountability, in particular by implementing the Strategy of the United Nations on Mine Action 2013–2018;

14. Encourages those States and organizations in a posi-tion to do so to support measures by all relevant actors aimed at improving rapid response capacity as well as transparency and accountability;

15. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventieth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution and on follow-up to previous resolutions on assistance in mine clearance and on assistance in mine action;

16. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventieth session the item entitled “Assistance in mine action”.

Special economic assistance

African economic recovery and development

New Partnership for Africa’s Development

The General Assembly in 2002, by resolution 57/7 [YUN 2002, p. 910], endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendation [ibid., p. 909] that the New Partner-ship for Africa’s Development (nepad), adopted in 2001 by the Assembly of Heads of State and Govern-



commitments made towards Africa’s development. The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa was to serve as its secretariat.

In regard to actions initiated by African countries and organizations, the nepad Agency took many initiatives in the fields of infrastructure development, agriculture and food security, health, education, envi-ronment and tourism, information and communica-tion technology, science and technology, and gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women.

On the political front, the African Peer Review Mechanism [YUN 2003, p. 938] continued to strengthen and institutionalize good political, economic and cor-porate governance throughout the continent. Chad, the Niger and Tunisia joined the Mechanism, bring-ing its membership to 33 countries, representing more than 76 per cent of the African population.

In regard to the response of the international com-munity, the fifth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (Yokohama, Japan, 1–3 June), as part of the global partnership for development, fo-cused on the theme “Hand in hand with a more dy-namic Africa” and adopted two outcome documents: the Yokohama Declaration 2013 and the Yokohama Action Plan 2013–2017. Both documents aligned the Conference agenda for the following five years with continental priority objectives and initiatives of the au and nepad.

In his conclusions and recommendations, the Secretary-General reported that overall progress had been made in the previous 12 months in the imple-mentation of the nepad agenda. He noted that for-eign direct investment flows continued their upward trend, but official development assistance to Africa had declined considerably. The launch of a process to develop the Africa 2063 vision on the occasion of the commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Organization of African Unity served as an opportunity for African leaders to reiter-ate their commitment to the ideals of pan-Africanism and work to realize the dream of an African renais-sance, involving Africans in the design of projects for their benefit, such as the Programme for Infrastruc-ture Development in Africa. The Secretary-General underscored that greater efforts must be made to raise agricultural productivity in line with the Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security in Africa and to reprioritize public investment in agriculture so as to catalyse private investment. He also called for a greater attention to the quality of education and learn-ing achievements, and stronger efforts must be made to accelerate women’s empowerment.


On 15 August [meeting 94], the General Assembly adopted resolution 67/294 [draft: A/67/L.57/Rev.1 & Add.1] without vote [agenda item 63 (a)].

on the implementation of all global summit and con-ference outcomes related to Africa.

CPC action. The Committee for Programme and Coordination, at its fifty-third session (New York, 3–28 June) [A/68/16] considered the report of the Secretary-General on UN system support for nepad and recommended that the General Assem-bly endorse its conclusions and recommendations. It further recommended that the General Assembly re-quest the Secretary-General to include, in his future reports, detailed information related to the possible outcomes of the achievements of nepad targets. The Committee also recommended that the General As-sembly request the organizations of the UN system to continue coordinating closely with the nepad Plan-ning and Coordinating Agency (nepad Agency), as the technical body of the au, and other structures of the African Union Commission and the Partnership in order to further strengthen the implementation of the au/nepad African Action Plan 2010–2015.

Report of Secretary-General. In response to General Assembly resolution 66/286 [YUN 2012, p. 923], the Secretary-General submitted in July the eleventh consolidated report [A/68/222] on nepad implementa-tion and international support, which coincided with the fiftieth and tenth anniversaries of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (the predecessor of the au) and the African Peer Review Mechanism, respectively. In commemoration of those milestones, the African Heads of State and Government declared 2013 the Year of Pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance, with the African Union Commission organizing year-long celebrations.

Although there had been progress in the past year in accelerating growth and social development, chal-lenges persisted, including limited progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (mdgs). The report underscored the importance for African countries of increasing public investment in order to catalyse private-sector resources, including public-private partnerships for the implementation of nepad priority programmes, in particular for in-frastructure and agricultural development. Sustained international support was crucial for Africa to meet internationally agreed development goals, including the mdgs and the Africa 2063 vision. To that end, de-velopment partners should redouble efforts to deliver on their commitments to the continent’s development, including those on aid. In addition, urgent action was needed to end the impasse in the Doha round of trade negotiations by reaching agreement on specific issues, especially those of concern to Africa. All stakehold-ers needed to make a strong push towards the Goals in Africa, the only region that was unlikely to attain them by 2015. In that regard, the General Assembly, in its resolution 66/293 [YUN 2012, p. 927], had decided to establish a UN monitoring mechanism to review



reaffirmed in the Doha Declaration on Financing for Devel-opment, adopted as the outcome document of the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus, held in Doha from 29 November to 2 December 2008;

4. Recognizes the progress made in the implementation of the New Partnership as well as regional and international support for the New Partnership, while acknowledging that much needs to be done in its implementation;

5. Takes note of the Political Declaration on hiv and aids: Intensifying Our Efforts to Eliminate hiv and aids, adopted at the high-level meeting on hiv/aids on 10 June 2011, also takes note of the declaration of the extraordinary summit meeting of the Assembly of Heads of State and Gov-ernment of the Organization of African Unity on hiv/aids, tuberculosis and other related infectious diseases, held in Abuja from 24 to 27 April 2001, and reaffirms the resolve to provide assistance for prevention, treatment and care, with the aim of ensuring an hiv/aids-, malaria- and tuberculosis-free Africa by addressing the needs of all, in particular the needs of women, children and young people, and the urgent need to scale up significantly efforts towards achieving the goal of universal access to comprehensive hiv/aids preven-tion programmes, treatment, care and support in African countries, to accelerate and intensify efforts to expand ac-cess to affordable and quality medicines in Africa, includ-ing antiretroviral drugs, by encouraging pharmaceutical companies to make drugs available, and to ensure strength-ened global partnership and increased bilateral and multi-lateral assistance, where possible on a grant basis, to combat hiv/aids, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases in Africa through the strengthening of health systems;

6. Also takes note of the road map on shared responsi-bility and global solidarity for aids, tuberculosis and malaria response in Africa, from 2012 to 2015, adopted by the As-sembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union at its nineteenth ordinary session, held on 15 and 16 July 2012, notes the revitalization of aids Watch Af-rica as an African high-level platform to advocate action, accountability and resource mobilization for response to hiv/aids, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa, and requests, as appropriate, and in line with other international obliga-tions, development partners and the United Nations system to support efforts of African countries and organizations to reach the main objectives put forward in the African Un-ion road map, including achieving diversified sustainable financing, strengthening regulatory harmonization and lo-cal pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity and enhancing leadership and governance of the responses;

7. Recognizes that hiv/aids, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases pose severe risks for the entire world, in particular the African continent, and serious challenges to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals;

8. Invites development partners to continue to assist African countries in their efforts to strengthen national health systems, including by providing skilled health per-sonnel, reliable health information and data, research in-frastructure and laboratory capacity, and to expand surveil-lance systems in the health sector, including support for the efforts to prevent, protect against and combat outbreaks of diseases, including of neglected tropical diseases, and in this context reiterates its support for the Kampala Declaration

New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support

The General Assembly,Recalling its resolution 57/2 of 16 September 2002 on

the United Nations Declaration on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development,

Recalling also its resolution 57/7 of 4 November 2002 on the final review and appraisal of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s and support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and resolutions 58/233 of 23 December 2003, 59/254 of 23 December 2004, 60/222 of 23 December 2005, 61/229 of 22 December 2006, 62/179 of 19 December 2007, 63/267 of 31 March 2009, 64/258 of 16 March 2010, 65/284 of 22 June 2011 and 66/286 of 23 July 2012 entitled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in imple-mentation and international support”,

Recalling further the 2005 World Summit Outcome, including the recognition of the need to meet the special needs of Africa, and recalling also its resolution 60/265 of 30 June 2006,

Recalling the political declaration on Africa’s develop-ment needs, adopted at the high-level meeting on Africa’s development needs on 22 September 2008,

Recalling also the high-level plenary meeting of the Gen-eral Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals and its outcome document, including the recognition that more attention should be given to Africa, especially to those coun-tries most off track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,

Recalling further that significant challenges remain in achieving sustainable development in Africa, as emphasized in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”, including the importance of fulfilling all commitments to ad-vance action in areas critical to Africa’s sustainable development,

Recalling its resolution 66/293 of 17 September 2012, by which it established a United Nations monitoring mecha-nism to review commitments made towards Africa’s develop-ment, and looking forward to the first biennial report, to be submitted to the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session,

Stressing that addressing Africa’s special development needs should be given due attention in the post-2015 devel-opment agenda,

Bearing in mind that African countries have primary re-sponsibility for their own economic and social development and that the role of national policies and development strate-gies cannot be overemphasized, and bearing in mind also the need for their development efforts to be supported by an ena-bling international economic environment, and in this regard recalling the support given by the International Conference on Financing for Development to the New Partnership,

Reiterating the need for the international community to implement all commitments regarding the economic and social development of Africa,

1. Welcomes the tenth consolidated report of the Secretary-General;

2. Reaffirms its full support for the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development;

3. Reaffirms its commitment to the full implementation of the political declaration on Africa’s development needs, as



16. Emphasizes that economic development, including industrial development, and targeted policies to enhance pro-ductive capacities in Africa can generate employment and income for the poor and, therefore, be an engine for poverty eradication and for achieving internationally agreed develop-ment goals, including the Millennium Development Goals;

17. Reaffirms the need to enhance the voice and par-ticipation of developing countries, including African coun-tries, in international economic decision-making and norm-setting, notes the steps taken in this regard, and emphasizes in this context the need to avoid further marginalization of the African continent;

IActions by African countries and organizations

18. Welcomes the progress made by African countries in fulfilling their commitments in the implementation of the New Partnership to deepen democracy, human rights, good governance and sound economic management, and encour-ages African countries, with the participation of stakehold-ers, including civil society and the private sector, to continue their efforts towards achieving development goals, develop-ing and strengthening institutions for governance, creating an environment conducive to involving the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in the New Partnership implementation process, developing public-private partnerships for financing infrastructure projects and attracting foreign direct investment for development;

19. Also welcomes the collaboration between the African Private Sector Forum and the United Nations Global Com-pact, and encourages the strengthening of this partnership in conjunction with the African Union Commission in sup-port of the development of the African private sector and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, in line with the relevant executive decisions of the African Union;

20. Notes with appreciation the efforts exerted by the African Union and the regional economic communities in the area of economic integration, as well as ongoing efforts by the African Union in the operationalization of the pro-vision contained in General Assembly resolutions 59/213 of 20 December 2004, 61/296 of 17 September 2007 and 63/310 of 14 September 2009, and stresses the key role of the United Nations system in supporting the African Union in the social, economic and political fields and in the area of peace and security;

21. Recognizes the important role that African regional economic communities can play in the implementation of the New Partnership, and in this regard encourages African countries and the international community to give regional economic communities the support necessary to strengthen their capacity;

22. Welcomes the decision by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at its eight-eenth ordinary session, on 29 and 30 January 2012, to strengthen intra-African trade, which plays an important role in promoting economic growth and development, and calls upon the United Nations system and development partners to support the efforts of African countries, the Afri-can Union and regional economic communities to enhance intra-African trade;

23. Also welcomes the commendable progress that has been achieved in implementing the African Peer Review

and Agenda for Global Action and follow-up conferences to respond to the serious health workforce crisis in Africa;

9. Stresses the importance of improving maternal and child health, and in this regard welcomes the declaration of the African Union summit on maternal, infant and child health and development, held in Kampala from 19 to 27 July 2010, and acknowledges the Campaign on Acceler-ated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa;

10. Expresses deep concern about the ongoing adverse impacts of the global financial and economic crisis, exces-sively volatile energy and food prices and ongoing concerns over food security and nutrition, as well as the increasing challenges posed by climate change, drought, land degrada-tion, desertification, the loss of biodiversity and floods, and the serious challenges these impacts pose to the fight against poverty and hunger, which could pose serious additional challenges to the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in Africa;

11. Expresses grave concern that Africa is among the hardest hit by the impact of the world financial and economic crisis, recognizes that, while global growth is returning, there is a need to sustain the recovery, which is fragile and uneven, and therefore reaffirms the need to continue to support the special needs of Africa and take action to mitigate the multi-dimensional impacts of the crisis on the continent;

12. Notes that the rapid economic growth of some de-veloping countries has had a positive impact on the efforts of the African continent to restore growth, despite the fact that those developing countries continue to face develop-ment challenges;

13. Expresses concern at Africa’s disproportionately low share in the volume of international trade, which stands at approximately 3 per cent, also expresses concern that, de-spite an overall increase in the nominal volume and share of official development assistance to Africa, such assistance will likely rise by just 1 per cent a year in real terms, com-pared to the average 13 per cent rate of growth over the past three years, and further expresses concern at the increased debt burden of some African countries, the rising unemploy-ment rate and the fall in capital inflows to the continent as a result of the world financial and economic crisis, which have a negative impact on the hard-earned socioeconomic and political gains that Africa has achieved in recent years;

14. Notes that foreign direct investment is a major source of financing for development, that it has a critical role in achieving development objectives and inclusive eco-nomic growth, including through the promotion of job crea-tion and poverty eradication, and that it contributes to the active participation of the African economies in the global economy and facilitates regional economic cooperation and integration, and in this regard calls upon developed coun-tries to continue to devise source-country measures to en-courage and facilitate the flow of foreign direct investment, inter alia, through the provision of export credits and other lending instruments, risk guarantees and business develop-ment services;

15. Calls upon developing countries and countries with economies in transition to continue their efforts to create a domestic environment conducive to attracting investments by, inter alia, achieving a transparent, stable and predictable investment climate with proper contract enforcement and respect for property rights;



ments on official development assistance and increased flows of foreign direct investment, and transfer of technology on mutually agreed terms;

32. Expresses deep concern about the continuing negative effects of desertification, land degradation and drought on the African continent and, in particular, the critical situa-tion in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa region, which has experienced one of the worst droughts in history, and under-lines the need for short-, medium- and long-term measures, and in this regard calls for the effective implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa, including its 10-year strategic plan and framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention (2008–2018), to address the situation;

33. Recognizes that Africa, which contributes the least to climate change, is one of the regions most vulnerable and most exposed to its adverse impacts, and in this regard calls upon the international community, in particular developed countries, to continue to support Africa in its adaptation and sustainable development efforts through, inter alia, the transfer and deployment of technology, capacity-building and the provision of adequate and predictable new resources, in line with existing commitments;

34. Reiterates the important role of trade as an engine of sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and sustainable development, in particular its contribution to boosting job creation, given high youth unemployment in Africa, and to the attainment of the Millennium Develop-ment Goals, emphasizes the need to resist protectionist ten-dencies and to rectify any trade-distorting measures already taken that are inconsistent with World Trade Organization rules, while recognizing the right of countries, in particular developing countries, to fully utilize their flexibilities con-sistent with their commitments and obligations as members of the World Trade Organization, and recognizes that the early and successful conclusion of the Doha Round of trade negotiations with a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and development-oriented outcome would provide much-needed impetus to international trade and contribute to economic growth and development;

35. Also reiterates the need for all countries and relevant multilateral institutions to continue efforts to enhance co-herence in their trade policies towards African countries, and acknowledges the importance of efforts to fully inte-grate African countries into the international trading sys-tem and to build their capacity to compete through such initiatives as aid for trade and, given the world economic and financial crisis, the provision of assistance to address the adjustment challenges of trade liberalization;

36. Calls for a comprehensive and sustainable solu-tion to the external debt problems of African countries, and recognizes the important role, on a case-by-case basis, of debt relief, including debt cancellation, as appropriate, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and debt restruc-turing, as debt crisis prevention and management tools for mitigating the impact of the world financial and economic crisis in developing countries;

37. Welcomes the efforts of some developed countries which are on target to meet the commitments made in terms of increased official development assistance;

38. Expresses deep concern at the fact that the commit-ment to double aid to Africa by 2010, as articulated at the

Mechanism, in particular the completion of the peer review process in 15 countries, and welcomes the progress in imple-menting the national programmes of action resulting from those reviews, and in this regard urges African States that have not yet done so to consider joining the Mechanism process and to strengthen the Mechanism process for its ef-ficient performance;

24. Welcomes and appreciates the continuing and in-creasing efforts of African countries in mainstreaming a gender perspective and the empowerment of women in the implementation of the New Partnership;

25. Encourages African countries to accelerate the achievement of the objective of food security in Africa, wel-comes the commitment made by African leaders to raise the share of agriculture and rural development in their budget expenditures and ensure better governance to effectively manage the resources allocated, and in this regard reaffirms its support for, inter alia, the Comprehensive Africa Agricul-ture Development Programme, under the strong leadership of African countries, in accordance with the targets set by the New Partnership;

26. Also encourages African countries to strengthen and expand local and transit infrastructure and to continue sharing best practices with a view to strengthening regional integration, and in this regard notes with appreciation the work of the high-level subcommittee of the African Union on the Presidential Infrastructure Champion Initiative, which seeks to further strengthen the development of in-frastructure on the African continent in collaboration with relevant development partners;

27. Further encourages African countries to maintain the trend of increasing investment in infrastructure develop-ment and improving the efficiency of existing infrastructure investment, in the context of the Programme for Infrastruc-ture Development in Africa which calls for the creation of an enabling environment for adequate investments and the adoption of the sector reforms needed to produce the ex-pected results;

28. Encourages African countries to continue their ef-forts in investing in education, science, technology and inno-vation to enhance value addition and industrial development;

IIResponse of the international community

29. Welcomes the efforts by development partners to strengthen cooperation with the New Partnership;

30. Also welcomes the various important initiatives es-tablished between African countries and their development partners, as well as other initiatives, emphasizes the impor-tance of coordination in such initiatives on Africa and the need for their effective implementation, and in this regard recognizes the important role that North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation can play in supporting Africa’s development efforts, including in the implementa-tion of the New Partnership, while bearing in mind that South-South cooperation is not a substitute for but rather a complement to North-South cooperation;

31. Urges continued support of measures to address the challenges of poverty eradication and hunger, job creation and sustainable development in Africa, including, as appro-priate, debt relief, improved market access, support for the private sector and entrepreneurship, fulfilment of commit-



help African countries to attract investments and promote policies conducive to attracting domestic and foreign invest-ment, for example by encouraging private financial flows, to promote investment by their private sectors in Africa, to en-courage and facilitate the transfer of the technology needed to African countries on favourable terms, including on con-cessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed, and to assist in strengthening human and institutional capacities for the implementation of the New Partnership, consistent with its priorities and objectives and with a view to further-ing Africa’s development at all levels;

46. Stresses that the prevention, management and reso-lution of conflict and post-conflict consolidation are essen-tial for the achievement of the objectives of the New Part-nership, and welcomes in this regard the cooperation and support granted by the United Nations and development partners to the African regional and subregional organiza-tions in the implementation of the New Partnership;

47. Welcomes the continued efforts of the United Na-tions Peacebuilding Commission in assisting post-conflict countries in Africa, particularly the six African countries for which the Commission has established country-specific configurations;

48. Urges the international community to give due at-tention to Africa’s priorities, including the New Partnership, in the formulation of the post-2015 development agenda;

49. Requests the United Nations system to continue to provide assistance to the Planning and Coordinating Agency of the New Partnership and to African countries in developing projects and programmes within the scope of the priorities of the New Partnership and to place greater emphasis on monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of the effectiveness of its activities in support of the New Partnership;

50. Emphasizes African ownership of the African Peer Review Mechanism process, and invites the international community to support the efforts of African countries, at their request, in implementing their respective national pro-grammes of action arising from the process;

51. Invites the Secretary-General, as a follow-up to the 2005 World Summit, to urge the United Nations develop-ment system to assist African countries in implementing quick-impact initiatives through, inter alia, the Millen-nium Villages Project, and requests the Secretary-General to include in his report an assessment of those quick-impact initiatives;

52. Requests the Secretary-General to promote greater coherence in the work of the United Nations system in sup-port of the New Partnership, on the basis of the agreed clus-ters of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa, and in this regard calls upon the United Nations system to continue to mainstream the special needs of Africa in all its normative and operational activities;

53. Welcomes the establishment of a United Nations monitoring mechanism to review commitments made re-lated to Africa’s development, and invites Member States and all relevant entities of the United Nations system, in-cluding funds, programmes, specialized agencies and re-gional commissions, in particular the Economic Commis-sion for Africa, and all relevant international and regional organizations to contribute to the effectiveness and reliabil-ity of the review process by cooperating in the collection of data and the evaluation performance;

Summit of the Group of Eight held at Gleneagles from 6 to 8 July 2005, was not entirely reached, and in this regard stresses the need to make rapid progress in order to fulfil the Gleneagles and other donors’ substantial commitments to increase aid through a variety of means;

39. Underlines the fact that the fulfilment of all official development assistance commitments is crucial, including the commitments by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national product for of-ficial development assistance to developing countries by 2015, as well as the target of 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of gross national product for official development assistance to least developed countries, and urges developed countries that have not yet done so to fulfil their commitments for official development assistance to developing countries;

40. Considers that innovative mechanisms of financing can make a positive contribution towards assisting devel-oping countries in mobilizing additional resources for fi-nancing for development on a voluntary basis and that such financing should supplement and not be a substitute for tra-ditional sources of financing, and, while highlighting the considerable progress on innovative sources of financing for development achieved to date, stresses the importance of scaling up present initiatives and developing new mecha-nisms, as appropriate;

41. Welcomes the increasing efforts to improve the quality of official development assistance and increase its development impact, recognizes the Development Coopera-tion Forum of the Economic and Social Council, notes other initiatives, such as the high-level forums on aid effectiveness, which produced, inter alia, the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, the Accra Agenda for Action and the Busan Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation, which make important contributions to the efforts of the countries that have made commitments to them, including through the adoption of the fundamental principles of national own-ership, alignment, harmonization and managing for results, and bears in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all formula that will guarantee effective assistance and that the specific situation of each country needs to be fully considered;

42. Requests the President of the General Assembly to convene at its sixty-eighth session a plenary meeting for the purpose of holding a high-level thematic debate, al-locating existing resources available for thematic debates, on the promotion of investment in Africa and its catalytic role in achieving Africa’s development objectives, including those of the New Partnership, particularly the eradication of poverty and the achievement of inclusive and sustained economic growth and development;

43. Recognizes the need for Africa’s development part-ners that are supporting agriculture and food security in Af-rica to align their efforts more specifically towards support-ing the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, using the Programme’s investment plans for alignment of external funding, and in this regard takes note of the Declaration of the World Summit on Food Security;

44. Also recognizes the need for Africa’s development partners to align their efforts in infrastructure investment towards supporting the Programme for Infrastructure De-velopment in Africa;

45. Invites all of Africa’s development partners, in par-ticular developed countries, to support African countries in promoting and maintaining macroeconomic stability, to



held in Ouagadougou on 8 and 9 September 2004, includ-ing relevant decisions of African Union summits related to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development,

Noting the full integration of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development into the structures and processes of the African Union and the establishment of the Planning and Coordinating Agency of the New Partnership as a tech-nical body of the African Union to replace the secretariat of the New Partnership,

Remaining concerned that, while Africa continues to make steady progress towards attainment of the targets of the Millennium Development Goals, this progress is, how-ever, not enough for all countries to attain all of the Goals by 2015, and in this regard emphasizing that concerted efforts and continued support are required to fulfil the commit-ments to address the special needs of Africa,

Expressing deep concern that attainment of the social development objectives may be hindered by the ongoing adverse impacts of the world financial and economic cri-sis, volatile energy and food prices and challenges posed by climate change,

Recognizing that capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and best practices are essential for the successful implemen-tation of the New Partnership, and recognizing also the need for continued support from the international community, partners of the New Partnership and United Nations agen-cies to continue to work towards sustained, inclusive and equitable economic growth and development on the African continent, and for greater synergy and effective coordination between the New Partnership and the international initia-tives related to Africa, such as the Tokyo International Con-ference on African Development, co-organized by the Af-rican Union Commission, the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank and the Government of Japan,

Bearing in mind that African countries have primary re-sponsibility for their own economic and social development, that the role of national policies and development strategies cannot be overemphasized and that the development efforts of such countries need to be supported by an enabling inter-national economic environment, and in this regard recall-ing the support given by the International Conference on Financing for Development to the New Partnership,

1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;2. Welcomes the progress made by African countries

in fulfilling their commitments in the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development to deepen democracy, human rights, good governance and sound eco-nomic management, and encourages African countries, with the participation of stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, to intensify their efforts in this regard by developing and strengthening institutions for governance and creating an environment conducive to attracting foreign direct investment for the development of the region;

3. Also welcomes the good progress that has been made in implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism, as reflected in particular by the number of countries that have signed up to participate in the Mechanism, the completion of the peer review process in some countries, the progress in implementing the recommendations of those reviews in those countries and the completion of the annual progress reports and self-assessment processes, the hosting of country support missions and the launching of national preparatory

54. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take measures to strengthen the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa in order to enable it to effectively fulfil its mandate, including monitoring and reporting on progress related to meeting the special needs of Africa and coordinating the interdepartmental task force on African affairs, to ensure a coherent and integrated approach for United Nations sup-port for Africa, including following up on the implementa-tion of all global summit and conference outcomes related to Africa, including the implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development;

55. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session on the basis of inputs from Governments, organizations of the United Nations system and other stakeholders in the New Partnership.

Social dimension of NEPADThe Commission for Social Development at its

fifty-first session (New York, 10 February 2012, 20 De-cember 2012 and 6–15 February 2013) [E/2013/26-E/CN.5/2013/15] recommended a resolution on the social dimensions of nepad for adoption by the Economic and Social Council.


On 25 July [meeting 47], the Economic and Social Council, on the recommendation of the Commission for Social Development [E/2013/26], adopted resolu-tion 2013/26 without vote [agenda item 14 (b)].

Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development

The Economic and Social Council,Recalling the outcomes of the World Summit for Social

Development, held in Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995, and of the twenty-fourth special session of the Gen-eral Assembly, entitled “World Summit for Social Develop-ment and beyond: achieving social development for all in a globalizing world”, held in Geneva from 26 June to 1 July 2000, reaffirming the United Nations Millennium Decla-ration of 8 September 2000 and the 2005 World Summit Outcome, and recalling the high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals and its outcome document, the United Nations Dec-laration on the New Partnership for Africa’s Development of 16 September 2002, General Assembly resolution 57/7 of 4 November 2002 on the final review and appraisal of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s and support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development and the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, entitled “The future we want”,

Recognizing the commitments made with regard to meet-ing the special needs of Africa at the 2005 World Summit and reaffirmed in the political declaration on Africa’s de-velopment needs adopted at the high-level meeting held at United Nations Headquarters on 22 September 2008, and noting the conclusions of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Employment and Poverty Alleviation in Africa,



are among the indispensable foundations for the realization of social and people-centred sustainable development;

10. Emphasizes that the increasingly unacceptable high levels of poverty and social exclusion faced by most African countries require a comprehensive approach to the develop-ment and implementation of social and economic policies, inter alia, to reduce poverty, to promote economic activity, growth and sustainable development in order to ensure em-ployment creation and decent work for all, to promote edu-cation, health and social protection and to enhance social in-clusion, political stability, democracy and good governance at all levels and the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms;

11. Notes with appreciation that the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the Multilateral Debt Relief Ini-tiative and bilateral donors have provided substantial debt relief to 32 countries that have reached the completion point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, which has considerably reduced their debt vulnerability and ena-bled them to increase their investments in social services;

12. Emphasizes that identifying and removing barriers to opportunity, as well as ensuring access to basic social pro-tection and social services, are necessary to break the cycle of poverty, inequality and social exclusion;

13. Encourages African countries to continue to prior-itize structural transformation, modernize smallholder agri-culture, add value to primary commodities, improve public and private institutions of economic and political gover-nance and invest in major public infrastructure projects and in education and health in order to promote inclusive growth, generate full and productive employment and de-cent work for all and reduce poverty;

14. Underlines the fact that the fulfilment of all official development assistance commitments is crucial, including the commitments by many developed countries to achieve the target of allocating 0.7 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to developing countries by 2015 and the target of allocating between 0.15 and 0.20 per cent of their gross national product for official development assistance to the least developed countries, and urges developed countries that have not yet done so to fulfil their commitments for official development assistance to developing countries;

15. Stresses the essential role that official development assistance plays in complementing, leveraging and sustain-ing financing for development efforts in developing coun-tries and in facilitating the achievement of development ob-jectives, including the internationally agreed development goals, in particular the Millennium Development Goals, and welcomes steps to improve the effectiveness and qual-ity of aid based on the fundamental principles of national ownership, alignment, harmonization, managing for results and mutual accountability;

16. Recognizes that, while social development is prima-rily the responsibility of Governments, international coop-eration and assistance are essential for the full achievement of that goal;

17. Also recognizes the contribution made by Member States to the implementation of the New Partnership in the context of South-South cooperation, and encourages the in-ternational community, including the international finan-cial institutions, to support the efforts of African countries, including through trilateral cooperation;

processes for the peer review in others, and urges African States that have not yet done so to join the Mechanism as a matter of priority and to strengthen the peer review process so as to ensure its efficient performance;

4. Recalls the first session of the African Union Con-ference of Ministers in charge of Social Development, held in Windhoek from 27 to 31 October 2008, and the second session of the Conference of Ministers, held in Khartoum from 21 to 25 November 2010 on the theme “Strengthening social policy action towards social inclusion”, welcomes the third session of the Conference of Ministers, held in Addis Ababa from 26 to 30 November 2012, and recalls in this regard the African Common Position on Social Integration and the Social Policy Framework for Africa, both of which were endorsed by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in February 2009, as well as the African Common Position on the Human Rights of Older Persons in Africa, the African Common Position on Good Practices in Family Policy Development and Implementation, for the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family (2014), and the renewed Continental Plan of Action on the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2010–2019), all of which were endorsed by the Heads of State and Government of the African Union in January 2013;

5. Welcomes the ministerial statement on the theme “Unleashing Africa’s potential as a pole of global growth”, adopted by the African Union Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance and the Economic Commission for Africa Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Plan-ning and Economic Development at their fifth joint meet-ing, held in Addis Ababa from 22 to 27 March 2012, and the consensus statement on the theme “Governing and har-nessing natural resources for Africa’s development” adopted at the eighth African Development Forum, held in Addis Ababa from 23 to 25 October 2012;

6. Also welcomes the efforts made by African countries and regional and subregional organizations, including the African Union, to mainstream a gender perspective and the empowerment of women and girls in the implementation of the New Partnership, including the implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa;

7. Emphasizes that the African Union and the regional economic communities have a critical role to play in the implementation of the New Partnership, and in this regard encourages African countries, with the assistance of their development partners, to increase and coordinate effectively their support for enhancing the capacities of these institu-tions and to promote regional cooperation and social and economic integration in Africa;

8. Also emphasizes that progress in the implementa-tion of the New Partnership depends also on a favourable national and international environment for Africa’s growth and development, including measures to promote a policy environment conducive to private sector development and entrepreneurship and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals;

9. Further emphasizes that democracy, respect for all hu-man rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development, transparent and accountable governance and administration in all sectors of society and effective participation by civil society, including non-governmental and community-based organizations, and the private sector



reducing inequalities, increasing employment and improv-ing real per capita incomes in both rural and urban areas;

25. Emphasizes the need, in particular for African countries, to enhance capacity-building for sustainable de-velopment, and in this regard calls for the strengthening of technical and scientific cooperation, including North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation, and re-iterates the importance of human resources development, including through training, the exchange of experience and expertise, knowledge transfer and technical assistance for capacity-building, which involves strengthening insti-tutional capacity, including planning, management and monitoring capacities;

26. Also emphasizes the importance of increasing inter-national cooperation to improve the quality of and access to education, in particular for African countries, including through building and strengthening education-related in-frastructure and increasing investment in education, and in this regard notes the Global Education First Initiative of the Secretary-General and its objectives and invites Member States to contribute to the Initiative, as appropriate, includ-ing through the allocation of adequate resources;

27. Urges African countries and development partners to tackle the high levels of youth unemployment through the development of education and training programmes that address illiteracy, enhance the employability and capabilities of young people, facilitate school-to-work transitions and ex-pand guaranteed employment schemes, where appropriate, with particular attention to disadvantaged young people in both rural and urban areas;

28. Recognizes that improving access to school for all girls and boys, especially the poorest and most vulnerable and marginalized, and their ability to receive a quality education, and improving the quality of education beyond primary school can have a positive impact in terms of empowerment and on social, economic and political participation and thus on the fight against poverty and hunger and can contribute directly to achieving the internationally agreed develop-ment goals, including the Millennium Development Goals;

29. Also recognizes that Africa’s youthful population creates significant opportunities for the continent’s devel-opment, and underlines in this regard the importance of African countries creating appropriate policy environments to take advantage of the continent’s demographic transition while adopting an inclusive results-based approach to devel-opment planning and implementation in accordance with national priorities and legislation;

30. Encourages Governments, international organiza-tions, other relevant institutions and stakeholders, as appro-priate, to provide relevant skills training for youth, high-quality health-care services and dynamic labour markets to employ a growing population;

31. Calls upon the international community to en-hance support and fulfil its commitments to take further action in areas critical to Africa’s economic and social devel-opment, and welcomes the efforts by development partners to strengthen cooperation with the New Partnership;

32. Encourages all development partners to implement principles of aid effectiveness, as recalled in the Doha Dec-laration on Financing for Development adopted on 2 De-cember 2008 by the Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus;

18. Welcomes the various important initiatives under-taken by Africa’s development partners in recent years, and in this regard emphasizes the importance of coordination in such initiatives on Africa through ensuring the effective im-plementation of existing commitments, including through the African Union/New Partnership for Africa’s Develop-ment African Action Plan 2010–2015: Advancing Regional and Continental Integration in Africa, which remains at the centre of the continent’s engagement with partners;

19. Recognizes the regional coordination mechanism of United Nations agencies and organizations working in Africa in support of the African Union and its New Part-nership for Africa’s Development Programme of Action, as well as the Planning and Coordinating Agency of the New Partnership, which aims to ensure coordination and coher-ence in the delivery of support for greater effectiveness and impact through increased joint programming and joint im-plementation of activities;

20. Urges continuous support for measures to address the challenges of poverty eradication and sustainable devel-opment in Africa, with special emphasis on the Millennium Development Goals related to poverty and hunger, health, education, the empowerment of women and gender equal-ity, including, as appropriate, debt relief, improved market access, support for the private sector and entrepreneurship, enhanced official development assistance, increased foreign direct investment and transfer of technology, on mutually agreed terms, the empowerment of women in all aspects, including economic and political aspects, the promotion of social protection systems and the conclusion of the Doha round of negotiations of the World Trade Organization;

21. Underlines the importance for African Govern-ments to build the productive capacity of agriculture, as a top priority, in order to increase rural incomes and ensure access to food for net food buyers, and stresses that greater efforts should be made to promote and implement sustain-able agriculture, increase access for smallholder farmers, in particular women, to necessary agricultural resources and improve access to infrastructure, information and markets, and that, furthermore, efforts should be made to promote small and medium-sized enterprises that contribute to job growth and increase incomes along the agricultural value stream;

22. Urges Governments, within the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Pro-gramme, to expand investment financing to agriculture to at least 10 per cent of the annual budget of the national public sector while at the same time ensuring necessary action in policy and institutional reforms for enhanced performance of the agriculture industry and systems;

23. Recognizes that the implementation of the com-mitments made by Governments during the First United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997–2006) has fallen short of expectations, and welcomes the procla-mation of the Second Decade (2008–2017) by the General Assembly in its resolution 62/205 of 19 December 2007 in order to support, in an efficient and coordinated manner, the internationally agreed development goals related to poverty eradication, including the Millennium Development Goals;

24. Urges African countries to pay close attention to inclusive, equitable and sustainable growth capable of be-ing employment-intensive, including through employment-intensive investment programmes, which should be aimed at



43. Invites engagement in intergovernmental efforts to continue to improve the coherence and effectiveness of the United Nations system in support of Africa and to examine the social dimensions of the New Partnership, in addition to previously agreed commitments related to Africa’s develop-ment needs that were made at major United Nations summits and conferences, and requests the United Nations system to assist the Economic Commission for Africa and relevant partners in ensuring that the post-2015 development agenda takes into account Africa’s social development priorities;

44. Decides that the Commission for Social Devel-opment should continue to give prominence to and raise awareness of the social dimensions of the New Partnership at its fifty-second session;

45. Requests the Secretary-General, in collaboration with the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and the Economic Commission for Africa, taking into considera-tion General Assembly resolutions 62/179 of 19 December 2007, 63/267 of 31 March 2009, 64/258 of 16 March 2010, 65/284 of 22 June 2011 and 66/286 of 23 July 2012, enti-tled “New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support”, to submit to the Commission for Social Development, for its con-sideration at its fifty-second session, a report on the social dimensions of the New Partnership, including, in coopera-tion with relevant United Nations bodies, an overview of current processes related to the New Partnership, including recommendations on how to improve the effectiveness of the work of United Nations bodies while preserving the social dimensions of the New Partnership.

Report of Secretary-General. In response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2013/26 (see p. 901), the Secretary-General submitted a De-cember report [E/CN.5/2014/2] on the social dimension of nepad, with particular attention to poverty eradi-cation, food security, education, health, employment and gender equality.

Despite impressive economic growth, progress in poverty eradication in Africa continued to be much slower than in other developing regions. The proportion of people living on less than $1.25 per day in Africa declined from 46.8 per cent in 1990 to 40.8 per cent in 2010. Nevertheless, the absolute num-ber of extremely poor increased in Africa as a whole, as well as in sub-Saharan Africa, a trend unique to the continent. Sub-Saharan Africa would not meet the target of halving the proportion of people suffer-ing from hunger by 2015. Despite modest progress in reducing levels of undernourishment in recent years, the region still had the highest prevalence of under-nourishment in the world. Sub-Saharan Africa’s share of the world’s hungry increased from 17 per cent to 27 per cent between 1990–1992 and 2010–2012, mirroring the sharp increase in the subregion’s share of the global poor. Notwithstanding the negative impacts of the global financial and economic crisis, austerity measures in the eurozone, and civil unrest in Northern Africa, Africa had managed to sustain growth, increase employment and raise productivity.

33. Recognizes the need for Governments and the inter-national community to continue to make efforts to increase the flow of new and additional resources for financing for development from all sources, public and private, domestic and foreign, to support the development of African coun-tries, and welcomes the various important initiatives estab-lished between African countries and their development partners in this regard;

34. Acknowledges the activities of the Bretton Woods institutions and the African Development Bank in African countries, and invites those institutions to continue their support for the implementation of the priorities and objec-tives of the New Partnership;

35. Encourages Africa’s development partners to con-tinue to integrate the priorities, values and principles of the New Partnership into their development assistance programmes;

36. Encourages African countries and their develop-ment partners to place people at the centre of government development action, to secure core investment spending in health, education and social protection and to give particu-lar consideration to universal access to basic social security systems, recognizing that social protection floors can pro-vide a basis from which to address poverty and vulnerability;

37. Notes the growing collaboration among the enti-ties of the United Nations system in support of the New Partnership, and requests the Secretary-General to promote greater coherence in the work of the United Nations sys-tem in support of the New Partnership, on the basis of the agreed clusters;

38. Emphasizes the importance for the cluster working on communication, advocacy and outreach to continue to muster international support for the New Partnership and to urge the United Nations system to demonstrate more evi-dence of cross-sectoral synergies to promote a comprehensive approach with regard to successive phases of planning and implementation of social development programmes in Africa;

39. Invites the Secretary-General, as a follow-up to the 2005 World Summit, to urge the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to continue to assist African countries in implementing quick-impact initiatives, based on their national development priorities and strategies, to enable them to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and in this respect acknowledges commitments made by de-velopment partners;

40. Encourages the international community to sup-port African countries in addressing the challenges of cli-mate change by providing the financial and technological resources and capacity-building training needed to support adaptation and mitigation action;

41. Welcomes the appointment of the new Special Adviser on Africa, and requests the Secretary-General to continue to take measures to strengthen the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa in order to enable it to effectively fulfil its mandate, including monitoring and reporting on progress related to meeting the special needs of Africa;

42. Requests the Commission for Social Development to discuss in its annual programme of work those regional programmes that promote social development so as to en-able all regions to share experiences and best practices, with the agreement of concerned countries, and in this regard requests that the work programmes of the Commission in-clude priority areas of the New Partnership, as appropriate;



by widespread poverty and an absence of service de-livery systems, and without the public infrastructure required for growth in place, the country had not yet organized the Government, administration and legal systems required to tap and distribute wealth in a way that benefited the people as a whole. Humanitarian needs posed major challenges for the country and threatened to overshadow the longer-term develop-ment agenda. Conflict in the border region with the Sudan had resulted in growing numbers of Sudanese seeking refuge inside South Sudan. One and a half million people were estimated to be in need of food assistance. Intercommunal conflict, border tensions and seasonal flooding had temporarily displaced com-munities across the country, disrupting people’s liveli-hoods and damaging harvests and assets.

In the context of the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States [YUN 2011, p. 842], of which South Sudan was a pilot country, the United Nations realigned its programmes with the five peacebuilding and State-building goals of legitimate politics, security, justice, economic foundations and revenues and services. Meanwhile, the first year of implementation of the South Sudan United Nations Development Assist-ance Framework 2012–2013 [YUN 2012, p. 932] was heavily affected by austerity. Therefore, the United Nations supported the Government in developing its Core Functions under Austerity Initiative, which outlined the most important measures needed to keep the State functioning during the period. In regard to coordination within the UN system, the UN country team had strengthened its coordination and planning with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and had implemented joint programmes in support of youth employment, conflict prevention and peace-building. Furthermore, the Government was in dis-cussions with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international partners regard-ing managed budget support.

The Secretary-General underlined that there was an urgent need for predictable resources to support longer-term development and address State-building challenges in South Sudan. He noted that investment in Government capacity should continue to be consol-idated and expanded. The United Nations should con-tinue to build on its efforts to harmonize its processes, both within the UN system (“Delivering as one”) and with the Government and external partners. It was also essential that the integrated support provided to the Government of South Sudan by the UN system be complemented by strong policy support and guid-ance by the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council.

On 22 July, the Economic and Social Council, by decision 2013/231, took note of the report and requested that another report on the subject be sub-mitted to the Council at its substantive session in 2014.

The employment-to-population ratio had remained strong, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, with a ratio of 65.1 per cent.

Many African countries had performed very well in improving education coverage over the past decade. Primary enrolment reached 77 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa in 2011 and 97 per cent in Northern Africa. In 2011, however, 32 million more children remained out of school in sub-Saharan Africa than in 2000. Progress towards universal enrolment had varied across the continent. Progress in health had shown promise. Life expectancy increased by 5.5 years between 2000 and 2012, after stagnating from 1990 to 2000 as a result of the hiv/aids pandemic. Reductions in child mor-tality had also shown promise on the continent. The region also made progress towards achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in removing barriers to women’s economic and civic participation, and improving their access to education and health services. Major challenges remained, how-ever, in regard to increasing women’s participation in the formal sector.

The report concluded with a series of recommen-dations for the Commission for Social Development.

On 27 December (decision 68/550), the General Assembly decided that the agenda item on nepad: progress in implementation and international support, would remain for consideration during its resumed sixty-eighth (2014) session.

African countries emerging from conflict

Report of Secretary-General. In May, the Secretary-General presented his second report [E/2013/73] to the Economic and Social Council on the achievement of, and challenges faced by, the UN sys-tem in providing integrated, coherent and coordinated support to the Government of South Sudan following independence in July 2011. The report outlined how assistance to South Sudan was evolving in a context that required development partners to continuously adapt to emerging political, humanitarian and socio-economic challenges.

The second year of independence of South Sudan was marked by continued austerity measures, pro-tracted negotiations over outstanding issues with re-gard to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the Sudan and continued humanitarian needs. An agree-ment between the two nations on the implementation of the 2012 Cooperation Agreement [YUN 2012, p. 220] was signed in March, raising hopes for an oil revenue-sharing arrangement between the two countries and the resumption of oil production.

Despite achievements in establishing State struc-tures, the State-building challenges facing the country were extensive. South Sudan remained one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world. Challenged



sion, established following the earthquake, no longer existed. New modalities were in place to frame the relationship between the Government and its develop-ment partners. The strategic plan for the development of Haiti, which was the basis for that relationship, out-lined the long-term vision of the Government and the ambition that Haiti might become an emerging coun-try by 2030. To that end, the strategic plan would be translated in successive triennial investment plans fo-cused on growth acceleration and poverty reduction. The first plan for the period 2014–2016 was being finalized. New external aid coordination framework was launched in November 2012 in order to estab-lish better alignment between external development aid and national priorities, and to strengthen mutual accountability between Haitian stakeholders and the international community.

To sustain the recovery and reconstruction pro-cess and engage in long-term development, the Group encouraged Haiti’s development partners, inter alia, to respond to the call made by the UN system to fund the Humanitarian Action Plan for 2013; to increasingly use Government channels and simplify disbursement, procurement and other administrative procedures in order to accelerate as-sistance; and to support the Government of Haiti in its effort to strengthen disaster resilience. The UN system was called on to increase the clustering of ac-tivities among UN entities, thereby decreasing costs and increasing impact; and to develop a resource mobilization strategy. The Group also called on the Haitian authorities to gradually assume responsibility for activities launched by the United Nations or other development partners, and include them in the bud-gets of relevant ministries; to ensure the highest level of transparency in the use of international funds; and to accelerate the pace of reform in key sectors, such as energy and port administration, in order to boost the economy.


On 23 July [meeting 44], the Economic and Social Council adopted resolution 2013/15 [E/2013/L.31] without vote [agenda item 7 (d)].

Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti

The Economic and Social Council,Recalling its resolutions 2004/52 of 23 July 2004, 2005/46

of 27 July 2005, 2006/10 of 26 July 2006, 2007/13 of 25 July 2007, 2008/10 of 23 July 2008, 2009/4 of 23 July 2009, 2010/28 of 23 July 2010 and 2012/21 of 26 July 2012 and its decisions 2004/322 of 11 November 2004, 2009/211 of 20 April 2009, 2009/267 of 15 December 2009, 2011/207 of 17 February 2011, 2011/211 of 26 April 2011, 2011/268 of 28 July 2011 and 2013/209 of 15 February 2013,

1. Welcomes the report of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and the recommendations contained therein;

Other economic assistanceOn 27 December (decision 68/550), the General

Assembly decided that the agenda item on special eco-nomic assistance to individual countries and regions would remain for consideration during its resumed sixty-eighth (2014) session.

HaitiOn 15 February (decision 2013/209), the Eco-

nomic and Social Council, after considering a letter from Mexico, dated 24 July 2012 [YUN 2012, p. 933], decided to appoint the Permanent Representative of that country to the United Nations as an additional member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti.

Report of Ad Hoc Advisory Group. In July [E/2013/90], following its visits to Washington, D.C. on 29 April, and Haiti, from 28 to 31 May, the Eco-nomic and Social Council Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti presented its ninth report since its reactiva-tion in 2004 [YUN 2004, p. 939].

The report described the progress observed in Haiti, but also stressed the vulnerability the country continued to face. On the humanitarian front there was a reduction in the number of people newly af-fected by cholera, as well as in the mortality rates, which decreased to 1.2 per cent as at December 2012. Nearly 80 per cent of the 1.5 million persons displaced after the earthquake had returned to their neighbour-hoods or were relocated. The Advisory Group also noted progress in the reconstruction and building of infrastructure in the Port-au-Prince area and in some provinces. As at June 2013, however, the Humanita-rian Action Plan for 2013 (see p. 879) was not ad-equately funded.

One of the main factors that hindered reconstruc-tion and development was the lack of national capac-ity to absorb international assistance.

Owing to a lack of administrative capacity, the Government encountered difficulties in spending all donor funding, and the Group stressed the impor-tance of political stability to attract investors and re-tain them. In addition, as long as some reforms were not carried out, the Haitian economy would continue to be limited in its capacity to generate sustained and equitable growth and create jobs. The lack of a proper land registration system was cited as a critical issue in need for resolution. In rural areas, such a system would provide long-awaited legal security to small farmers and support the development of the agri-cultural sector, which had the potential to provide benefits in terms of both improved food security and employment creation.

Since the Group visited in 2012, the development assistance landscape in Haiti had changed signifi-cantly. The Interim Haiti Reconstruction Commis-



long-term development strategy of Haiti to promote so-cioeconomic recovery, reconstruction and stability, with particular attention to the need to ensure coherence and sustainability in international support for Haiti, based on the long-term national development priorities, building upon the Strategic Plan for the Development of Haiti, and stressing the need to avoid overlap and duplication with respect to existing mechanisms;

8. Expresses its satisfaction to the Secretary-General for the support provided to the Advisory Group, and requests him to continue to support the activities of the Group ad-equately and within existing resources;

9. Requests the Advisory Group, in accomplishing its mandate, to continue to cooperate with the Secretary-General and his Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, the United Nations Development Group, relevant United Na-tions funds, programmes and specialized agencies, the international financial institutions, regional organizations and institutions, including the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community and the Inter-American Development Bank, and other major stake-holders, and in this regard welcomes the continuation of the dialogue between the members of the Advisory Group and the Organization of American States;

10. Also requests the Advisory Group to submit a report on its work, with recommendations, as appropriate, to the Council for its consideration at its substantive session of 2014.

2. Notes the political, economic and rule of law pro-gress made since the devastating earthquake of 12 January 2010, and welcomes the support provided by the interna-tional community to this process;

3. Commends the ongoing implementation of the Stra-tegic Plan for the Development of Haiti by the Haitian authorities, and looks forward to continued support from donors and other partners, including the United Nations system and the international financial institutions, in con-nection with the implementation of this Plan;

4. Welcomes the External Aid Coordination Frame-work for the Development of Haiti, established as a plat-form to strengthen mutual accountability between the Haitian authorities and the donor community, and calls for its operationalization and full use by all relevant actors;

5. Calls upon donors to fulfil their commitments in support of the reconstruction and development of Haiti, in line with priorities set by the Government, and to respond to the call to fund the Humanitarian Action Plan for Haiti 2013, and expresses support for the continued effective in-volvement of the Government in preventing delays in the execution of already approved projects;

6. Invites donors to align their efforts with the Plan for the Elimination of Cholera in Haiti and to provide the necessary financial resources for its implementation;

7. Decides to extend the mandate of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti until the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council in July 2014, with the purpose of following closely and providing advice on the

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