inter-agency standing committee (iasc)

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Slide 116/01/2007

IASCIASC

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

by

Marilena Viviani, Chief, IASC Secretariat Nairobi, 8 October 2007

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IASCIASC


What is the IASC…..

- International Aloe Science Council

- International Association Skateboard Comp.

- Italian Australian Social Club

- International Association of Statistical Computing International Air Services Commission- Irish Association of Seafood Companies

-International Arctic Science Committee- Inter Agency Standing Committee

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IASCIASC


Inter-Agency Standing Committee

By the end of this session, you will know….

How the humanitarian community is organized with the Inter Agency Standing Committee, the IASC

Key humanitarian issues in the IASC

Civil Military Coordination issues in the IASC

You will also hear a lot of other new acronyms…

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee What is the IASC?

Established by GA Resolution 46 182 in June 1992 (IASC, DHA, ERC)

The IASC is formed by the executive heads of 17 lead organisations and is the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination relating to humanitarian assistance

Its broad based Full Members and Standing Invitees bring together UN humanitarian agencies, IOM, World Bank, NGOs consortia and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement represented by ICRC and IFRC.

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NGOs NetworksNGOs Networks

• ICVA (S.I.)• INTERACTION (S.I.)• SCHR (S.I.)

Red Cross/Red Red Cross/Red CrescentCrescent

• ICRC (S.I.) • IFRC (S.I.)

UN AgenciesUN Agencies

• FAO (Full Member)• OCHA (F.M.) • OHCHR (S.I.)• UNDP (F.M.)• UNFPA (F.M.)• UNHCR (F.M.)• UNICEF (F.M.)• WFP (F.M.) • WHO (F.M.)

Inter Agency Standing committee

Full Members Standing Invitees

UN OtherUN Other

• SRSG on Human Rights of IDPs (S.I.)

IASC: diversity of players.

IntergovernmenIntergovernmental tal OrganisationsOrganisations

• IOM (Standing Invitee)• WORLD BANK (S.I.)

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee Objectives of the IASC

Dialogue: Forum for humanitarian dialogue among humanitarian actors.

Policy-development: system wide policies and humanitarian guidelines for humanitarian operations

Advocacy: Platform for the humanitarian community to advocate collectively for common principles and values

Operational discussions and decision-making: for the humanitarian community to articulate crisis-specific strategies.

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee Structure of IASC

IASC Principals: Executive level consultations and meetings (2/year) on strategic decisions or policy issues, chaired by John Holmes, ERC, Emergency Relief Coordinator (USG OCHA).

IASC Working Group (IASC-WG): Senior representatives of the agencies, regular consultations and meetings (3/year), on policy options and technical and strategic challenges for emergency operations. Chaired by Director OCHA Geneva.

IASC Subsidiary Bodies: Technical officers, for technical recommendations to the IASC-WG, chaired by agencies.

IASC Weekly (NY and Geneva): Information sharing, at OCHA.

IASC Secretariat (Geneva and New York), hosted by OCHA

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee IASC Subsidiary Bodies and Chairs, other initiatives Sub Working Groups, Task Forces and other IASC initiatives:

- Consolidated Appeals Process (OCHA)

- Emergency Telecommunications (OCHA)

- Preparedness and Contingency Planning (WFP and UNICEF )

- Gender Mainstreaming and Humanitarian Action (UNFPA and WHO)

- Mental Health/Psychosocial support in Emergency Settings (WHO,

InterAction)

- HIV in Humanitarian Situations (UNAIDS and Médecins du Monde)

- Safe Access to Firewood and Alternative Energy in Humanitarian Settings

(WFP, UNHCR and Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and

Children).

- Good Humanitarian Donorship (OCHA Geneva)

- Reference Group on Human Rights and Humanitarian Assistance (OHCHR)

- IASC Task Team on Clusters (OCHA)

- IASC Humanitarian Coordinator Group (OCHA)

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee Recent Products

Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial support in Emergency Settings.

Women, Girls, Boys & Men, Different Needs – Equal Opportunities, a Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action.

Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response.

Strengthening the Humanitarian Coordinator’s System: What is our goal and how do we get there? (Action Plan).

Protecting Persons Affected by Natural Disasters - IASC Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters.

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Inter-Agency Standing Committee Priorities for 2007

Humanitarian Reform

– Implementation of the Cluster Guidance Note, Enhancing Predictability

of Funding, Humanitarian Coordination

Humanitarian Space

– Integrated Missions, Implementation on “Saving Lives” framework

Disaster Risk Reduction

– Capacity building for emergency response at reg., nat. and local level

Recovery and Transition

– Early Recovery “Network” at field level and greater harmonization of

early recovery mechanisms at the global level.

Global Humanitarian Platform, Consolidated Appeal Process, Early Warning-Early Action.

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IASC in the field

Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator

Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs) are appointed by the ERC, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, in consultation with the IASC Principals.

Pool of HCs established by the IASC, as part of the IASC HC Strengthening Project for urgent deployment (Humanitarian reform)

IASC Humanitarian Country Teams in the field, headed by the HC, open to all humanitarian organizations and driven by priorities identified at the field level (Information sharing or decision making models)

Ongoing discussion with a new initiative GHP Global Humanitarian Platform, since July 2006 with IASC Principals and key NGOs CEOs to establish Humanitarian Community Partnership Teams based on agreed upon Principles of Partnership.

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IASC relevant policies on Civil Military Coordination

IASC Principles on military-civilian relations (1995), with operating principles and establishment of OCHA (DHA) division

Use of Military or Armed Escorts for Humanitarian Convoys (2001). Non binding guidelines

Guidelines on The Use of Military and Civil Defence Assets To support UN Humanitarian Activities in Complex emergencies (2003).

Civil-Military Relationship in Complex Emergencies (2004), an IASC Reference Paper to complement the Guidelines of 2003.

Concept paper on UN Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination, 2005, on the identification, training and deployment of personnel

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Security

« Saving lives together », a framework for improving Security Arrangements among IGOs, NGOs and UN in the field, November 2006, prepared by former Task Force on Collaborative Approaches to Security led by Inter Action and UNICEF. A revision of former Menu of Options for UN/NGO/IGO Security Collaboration by the IASC (2001).

UNDSS USG invited to participate in the IASC Principals Meetings, in 2006 and 2007, to address security issues at the highest level in the IASC.

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Ongoing CivMil IASC discussions

With DPKO: to ensure humanitarian concerns will be included in the Integrated Mission Planning Process and selection of countries.

ICRC, ICVA, OCHA, UNHCR and UNICEF working on a matrix of current humanitarian actors and activities, beyond « humanitarian space ».

IASC was invited by DPKO to provide comments on the draft corporate “Capstone Doctrine,” which will be used to explain key tenets of peacekeeping to middle and senior managers.

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Some final thoughts…

Demands on humanitarians are increasing and expectations will also increase, need to show results and relevance!

Emergence of new actors, new players, what will be the future of humanitarian action compared to today’s world?

Preservation of humanitarian space or of humanitarian action?

Preparedness for more natural disasters and impact of climate change on humanitarian work, how to develop local capacity ?

Humanitarian financing and competition for resources if the system is too fragmented and not coordinated.

Need to increase donor and partnership base, with all humanitarian actors, to remove perception that humanitarian assistance is part of a “Western world”.

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www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc

IASC Website

Thank you

inter-agency standing committee (iasc)

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