General Assembly Session 59 meeting 51

The President

With regard to sub-item (b) of agenda item 39, "Special economic assistance to individual countries or regions", I would like to recall for the members of the General Assembly that, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 58/316 of 1 July 2004, the Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided at its 2nd plenary meeting, on 17 September 2004, to allocate this sub-item to the Second Committee.

I would also like to recall for members that, as indicated in the programme of work of the General Assembly and schedule of plenary meetings (document A/INF/59/3/Rev.1), sub-item (d) of agenda item 39, "Emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan", will be considered in a joint debate with agenda item 27, "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security", on Wednesday, 8 December 2004.

Mr. van den Berg (Netherlands)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Turkey, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country Iceland member of the European Economic Area, align themselves with this statement.

The issue of humanitarian coordination is at the core of the ongoing debate about improving the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian aid. The EU, along with others, has put coordination at the top of the humanitarian agenda. However, the EU believes that humanitarian coordination should not be limited to humanitarian actors alone. An effective response to today's humanitarian challenges requires us to broaden our view and to include political, military and development partners in our dialogue on humanitarian issues.

Turning to the issue of humanitarian coordination, in humanitarian crises more than in other situation, coordination is of paramount importance. Good coordination literally saves lives. I truly believe that we can congratulate ourselves on the progress made in this particular field in recent years. I refer to the Consolidated Appeals Process and the way in which the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has been taking the lead in coordination matters. The European Union wishes to reiterate here its commitment to both the Consolidated Appeals Process and OCHA.

Moreover, I would like to explicitly express our support for the Secretary-General's Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland, and his unwavering efforts not only to deal with humanitarian suffering but to make the rest of the world deal with it, too. His work in relation not only to the Darfur crisis but also to northern Uganda and Colombia are very good examples in that respect.

The Darfur crisis has not yet come to an end; time is running out for even more people. During the meeting of the Economic and Social Council, the European Union commended attempts by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to ensure access for humanitarian organizations and coordinated humanitarian action. We are currently seeing vastly improved access and far better coordinated action. However, the human suffering in Darfur is still terrible, and progress is too slow. The EU calls upon the Government of the Sudan and other parties to the conflict to better protect the civilian population. The European Union also urges the international community to do what we failed to do sufficiently in the beginning: make the relief operations possible financially.

As I said, coordination should be inclusive rather than restricted to only some stakeholders. In recent years, the discussion on humanitarian action and coordination has mainly been a debate between United Nations agencies and donor Governments. It is time for others to join the debate in a more systematic way, so as to strive for more effective aid delivery and for more sustainable results.

First, I would like to look at links between humanitarian assistance and development cooperation. Developments in many countries and regions force us to do so. We have to make the transition from emergency aid to development in countries such as Afghanistan, Liberia and Angola, in order to give the people of those countries a new perspective. Although we realize that more needs to be done, when it comes to transition the European Union welcomes the work done by the Joint Working Group on Transition Issues of the United Nations Development Group and the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs. Even more than during the relief phase, during transition national Governments should be given the opportunity and means to assume their responsibilities, and civil society should be given the chance and capacities to make its own positive contribution to the rebuilding of post-conflict countries. If Governments and non-government actors play those roles, the United Nations role should be limited to support and capacity-building.

Clearly, more funding is required for transition and reconstruction purposes, if only to prevent countries from reverting to conflict. Well-established funding mechanisms, which exist for humanitarian and development purposes are lacking here. The European Union is aware of that and is working on ways to improve its performance in countries in transition. The European Commission's concept for linking relief to development will provide guidance in that regard.

Humanitarian coordination must not only include national and local Governments; equally important is that the affected populations themselves are better listened to by not only just the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), but also by their own Governments. Until now, in too many cases we have all focused on working for, rather than working with, the people. By better listening to and coordinating with Governments, NGOs and affected populations, and by building local capacities, we can ensure better ownership and participation and increase the chances for sustainable results.

The voices of NGOs, international as well as national, can and should be better listened to, for instance in the framework of the consolidated appeals process and the Common Humanitarian Action Plan. NGOs have often been present in crisis areas longer than the United Nations and may have a better knowledge of tailor-made solutions for the population at risk. The European Union wants to build on NGO experience and wants to further include them in humanitarian coordination. One way of doing so might be to ensure that discussions within United Nations country teams include all Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) partners whenever appropriate.

United Nations integrated missions are one of the symbols of improved and broadened coordination. The European Union accepts the concept of integrated missions as a more coherent and efficient approach to crises. However, it is clear that such missions include the risk of United Nations humanitarian action being perceived as part of a larger political agenda. The United Nations and its Member States must therefore organize integrated missions in such a way that there can be no misunderstanding about the independent, impartial and neutral character of the humanitarian part of a mission.

The security of humanitarian workers is at stake more than ever before. We have to find answers to the new security threats that we encounter in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. The changing security environment and the United Nations response to new security challenges are extremely important for the future of humanitarian assistance. We have seen an unprecedented increase in attacks on relief workers and in the number of casualties, and the United Nations and NGOs have been forced to suspend their operations in various countries.

The European Union welcomes the opportunity to discuss that issue in the General Assembly. We acknowledge that, although the situation is more threatening in some crises than in others, new threats need to be taken into account worldwide. We therefore welcome the work done by the United Nations to reassess the changing security situation and to come up with new answers. However, the EU would urge that risk management not turn into risk aversion. Risk aversion will lead to a reduction of the United Nations response capacity and, hence, affect its credibility.

It is our firm belief that respect for international humanitarian law is not only the best way to forestall the suffering of innocent people in conflict, but also the best protection for relief workers. For the safety of relief workers, it is essential that humanitarian action and responsibility be clearly separated from military or political actors. Member States should therefore ensure coherence between their humanitarian and military policies and actions, both inside the United Nations as well as outside, and should in general further the debate between humanitarian and military actors. In that respect, we welcome the new IASC reference paper on the civil-military relationship in complex emergencies.

I should now like to say a few words on financing. The 2004 mid-year report of the OCHA highlights a number of sobering trends in that respect. Thus far in 2004, less humanitarian financing seems to have been made available than during the previous two years. Unfortunately, a new major crisis was required to increase the overall level of funding. We call upon all countries and Governments to help alleviate humanitarian suffering and to transform their pledges into payments.

Even more important, from a coordination point of view, is the uneven distribution of funding, with some appeals being better funded than others or one sector being better covered than others. That uneven distribution justifies the United Nations call for more unearmarked funding, which in turn justifies our call for better and comparable needs assessments. The European Union, which is participating in the good humanitarian donorship process, is deliberately looking for ways to fund according to needs. In order to attract more funding, United Nations agencies should better coordinate, prioritize and ensure quality.

Every year natural disasters cause more victims and suffering than man-made crises. Moreover, there is reason to believe that in the future there will be an increase in natural disasters such as floods and droughts. For those reasons and others, the European Union welcomes the renewed attention given to disaster response by the Emergency Relief Coordinator. We also support the work of the secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, especially its endeavours to prepare for the Kobe conference on disaster reduction. We believe that the decision to focus the conference on capacity-building, preparedness, coping mechanisms and ownership is a right one, because that will best limit damage and loss of lives in the long run. It is time to divert attention from disaster relief to disaster reduction, and to give an important role to national and local Governments and to people in disaster-prone areas themselves.

The European Union recognizes that the international community is failing to invest sufficiently in disaster preparedness and disaster reduction. Investing in those areas might prove to be more cost effective than investing in disaster response. However, such investment should be accompanied by Governments giving priority to disaster-reduction policies as well as to the implementation of those policies.

On the issue of disaster response, the European Union reaffirms the leading role played by OCHA, the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Standby Team and the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group. A collaboration arrangement between the existing United Nations instruments and a new European Union disaster response mechanism has recently been worked out. We look forward to seeing it implemented in the field.

Mr. Al-Nasser (Qatar)

On behalf of the Group of 77 and China, we would like to express to the Secretary-General our deep appreciation for the documents submitted under sub-items (a) and (c) of agenda item 39, entitled, "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance", and in particular the report contained in document A/59/374, entitled "International cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development".

The Group of 77 and China are of the opinion that the report in document A/59/374 constitutes a good basis for our discussion. The report was submitted pursuant to resolution 58/25, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the progress made in improving the international response to natural disasters and to update the activities of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group in response to resolution 57/150 and other subsequent United Nations resolutions on the issue.

The problems posed by natural disasters are of crucial importance to developing countries, given the long-term nature of those disasters and their adverse impact on affected populations and on the environment and on the social and economic development of affected countries. It is therefore crucial that we examine the measures that must be taken to improve the response capacity of affected countries and the assistance that the international community can provide in that regard.

In that connection, I would like to emphasize that the guidelines contained in the annex to resolution 46/182, adopted on 19 December 1991, constitute the main pillars for humanitarian assistance for the Group of 77 and China. As set out in that resolution, the principles of neutrality, humanity and impartiality are the guidelines for all measures undertaken in providing humanitarian assistance in natural disasters. It is essential that humanitarian assistance not be politicized and that it be provided at the request of concerned Governments. Those principles have been, and continue to be, the basis for all responses to humanitarian emergency requests for assistance. They should therefore constitute the criteria by which we measure the effectiveness of the assistance of the United Nations and other actors.

In that context, the primary responsibility for the organization and delivery of humanitarian assistance should fall on the States concerned. It is also fundamental to build strong capacities at the regional and national levels in order to strengthen cooperation between the United Nations and other humanitarian assistance organizations. The States whose populations are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance as a result of natural disasters should endeavour to facilitate the work of humanitarian organizations, in particular by safeguarding the delivery of food, shelter and medical help.

As the Secretary-General has pointed out in his report, the strengthening of the national response capacity remains one of the most effective means of carrying out rapid assessments of situations and coordinating the initial response, given that local responders are better able to overcome many obstacles that can hinder rapid response in such disasters. While it may not be possible to prevent natural disasters, early warning and preparedness could help mitigate their impact, particularly in terms of the human suffering caused by natural disasters.

The use of space-based and remote-sensing technologies is particularly important in preventing, managing and mitigating natural disasters. There is therefore an urgent need to promote access to and transfer of technology related to early warning systems to developing countries affected by natural disasters. It is also of paramount importance to strengthen national capacities, to transfer appropriate technologies and to develop early warning systems to avoid or minimize the impact of natural disasters.

The Group of 77 and China would like to emphasize the need to ensure more equitable distribution of humanitarian assistance across humanitarian emergencies, including those of a protracted nature. We have noted that the assistance provided in emergency situations that enjoyed wide media coverage has been abundant. By contrast, as soon as the media lights fade, resources tend to become scarce. That is particularly so in certain areas when the more difficult task of recovery and reconstruction begins. In that regard, the Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate the importance of strengthening international cooperation, particularly through the effective use of multilateral mechanisms, to provide humanitarian assistance during all phases of a disaster, from relief to mitigation to development, including through the provision of adequate resources. The Group of 77 and China would also like to underscore the importance of the international community's fully taking into account the specific needs of least developed countries facing natural disasters.

The Group of 77 and China once again reaffirm that voluntary contributions for humanitarian assistance should not impact negatively on the resources allocated to international cooperation for development.

In accordance with the practice in previous sessions, the Group of 77 and China will submit a draft resolution on international cooperation in humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, from relief to development. The Group of 77 is very pleased at the growing support that that draft resolution has received and looks forward to the growing international consensus around that issue this year. That consensus constitutes a message of hope to those affected by natural disasters every year.

Ms. Rouse (Grenada)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) on this agenda item. CARICOM, while aligning itself with the statement made by the representative of Qatar on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, would like to make the following additional remarks.

CARICOM would like to thank the Secretary-General for his reports on this agenda item and also Mr. Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, for his presentation to the General Committee yesterday.

The Caribbean region has been devastated by hurricanes in the past few months. From Trinidad and Tobago in the south to the Bahamas in the north, hardly any State has been left untouched. The Bahamas and Cuba were each struck by more than one hurricane, while Jamaica suffered extensive property damage and economic losses. However, the two countries in our region that were most severely affected were Grenada and Haiti.

In Haiti, extensive flooding caused by Hurricane Jeanne in Gonaives resulted in the loss of more than 1,900 lives and affected 90 per cent of the population in that city. Gonaives became completely cut off, and there were widespread shortages of food, water, shelter and other basic necessities of life. Fortunately, as we all know, the United Nations already had a strong presence in Haiti, and the various agencies were able to mobilize themselves quickly and provide essential supplies of food and water as well as emergency shelter for the affected population.

Grenada suffered major destruction as a result of the passage of Hurricane Ivan on 7 September and experienced a most horrifying period thereafter. Neighbouring Caribbean nations reached out helping hands to Grenada, but the magnitude of the devastation in that country is beyond the capacity of the Caribbean to address satisfactorily by itself.

In a matter of hours, Grenada went from being a middle-income developing country with a well-run administrative State machinery to a ravaged land. It is ironic as well as lamentable that it took this disastrous hurricane season to reinforce the point that the small island developing States have been making for some time -- namely the need for special and differential treatment because of, among other things, our vulnerability to natural disasters.

The United Nations agencies in the Caribbean responded quickly and efficiently to the regional emergencies. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) performed its coordinating role commendably, while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also reacted to the immediate needs of the people.

The Flash Appeal organized at United Nations Headquarters on 24 September, targeted at helping Haiti and Grenada, was instrumental in highlighting the problems as well as procuring assistance for these two nation-States.

We are hopeful that the monies pledged to both countries by the Flash Appeal as well as the donors' conference in Washington, D.C., will be disbursed as quickly as practicable. When the fabric of a country is destroyed, help is needed immediately -- not only to provide emergency aid to the population, but also to start the reconstruction process. CARICOM proposes that the United Nations should seek to enhance the means of accessing and utilizing funds promised by the donor community to countries in crisis.

We believe, based on the Grenada experience, that it is crucial for the United Nations agencies in the region to have a mechanism that will enable a more timely implementation of programmes and a more rapid disbursement of funds.

Given the importance of this issue, we would also like to call for enhanced cooperation and collaboration between the United Nations agencies in the Caribbean and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), which is the agency responsible for disaster management in the Caribbean.

The United Nations and its agencies have provided, over time, critical help for CARICOM countries affected by natural disasters. UNDP has supported disaster mitigation, capacity-building and institutional strengthening in support of Montserrat's post-emergency resettlement programme. CARICOM is grateful for the support received over time, and this statement is intended to reflect not only that gratitude but also the hope that the suggested mechanism of enhanced cooperation and collaboration with our regional agencies will benefit the peoples in our region.

Mr. Wali (Nigeria)

Let me start by expressing my country's profound condolences to the Palestinian people on the untimely death of their leader, Chairman Yasser Arafat. May the Almighty God be with the Palestinian people, and may light perpetual shine upon their fallen hero.

Turning to the issue before us today, and speaking on behalf of the African Union, I should like to welcome the ongoing efforts of the United Nations aimed at strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance. For us in Africa, the unenviable record of conflicts on the continent underscores the importance attached to policy coherence and coordination among both donors and United Nations agencies in the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The pivotal role of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) cannot be overemphasized.

We in Africa continue to lament the existence of a serious gap between relief and development, which must be addressed in order to ensure a smooth transition from humanitarian emergency assistance to post-conflict reconstruction and development. We continue to lament also the lack of adequate local capacities to ensure that the long-term needs of the affected population continue to be addressed.

The past decade has witnessed increasingly violent conflicts and complex humanitarian challenges. In the face of these realities, the African Union has undertaken institutional and political reforms to address those challenges on the continent in the framework of its Constitutive Act and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The efforts of the African Union in Burundi and, more recently, in the Darfur region of the Sudan, through the establishment of the Ceasefire Commission and the expanded African mission in the Sudan, are clear demonstrations of the renewed commitment of African leaders for the African Union to assert itself on the continent.

It is therefore with great anticipation that we await the release in a few weeks of the report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, with the expectation that many of the issues highlighted in today's debate will be duly addressed.

In discussing this important agenda item, one cannot but be reminded of the tragic events which unfolded in Rwanda in 1994 and which clearly required emergency humanitarian intervention on the part of the international community. The consequences of our failed efforts continue to haunt us even today through the eyes of the survivors, such as orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence, as well as people afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

Last year, in this very Hall, the Assembly, through a well-celebrated commemorative ceremony, renewed the hope of both victims and survivors by sending a clear message that the international community has not forgotten, and will not forget, the tragic events of Rwanda, and that, more importantly, that the international community will ensure that such heinous acts will never again be repeated in Africa or in any other part of the world.

It will be recalled that it was on the basis of an African Union resolution that this world body unanimously adopted resolution 58/234, by which it designated 7 April as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. In the same resolution the Assembly

"Encourages all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant international organizations to consider promoting implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Independent Inquiry into the actions of the United Nations during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda".

Building on that General Assembly resolution, the Executive Council of the African Union, at its session in Addis Ababa last July, adopted Decision EX.CL/Dec.l54(V) in which it requested the African Union and the United Nations to implement the recommendations contained in the reports of the International Panel of Eminent Personalities commissioned by the Organization of African Unity, and those contained in the report of the Independent Inquiry into the actions of the United Nations during the 1994 Rwanda genocide, commissioned by the Secretary-General -- also known as the "Carlsson report".

It is therefore in that connection that I wish to bring to the fore of this debate today, under this agenda item -- which we in the African Union believe to be the most appropriate forum -- and to advocate the plight of the survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, particularly the orphans, widows and victims of sexual violence. The African Union is convinced that effective and well-resourced programmes to assist the survivors would not only restore their dignity but would help promote reconciliation and healing in Rwanda.

At this juncture I should like to express, on behalf of the African Union, appreciation to the donor community and United Nations agencies for the assistance provided to the Government and people of Rwanda since the 1994 genocide.

The African Union intends to table a resolution under this agenda item in the weeks ahead, aimed at ensuring that adequate assistance is directed towards support for the genocide survivors in Rwanda. The African Union would appreciate the support of the international community, as was the case last year.

Mr. Zhang Yishan (China)

The Chinese delegation would like to thank the representative of Qatar for the statement he delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. The Chinese delegation also wishes to thank the Secretary-General for the reports he has submitted under this item and contained in documents A/59/93, A/59/332 and A/59/374, among others. China also takes this opportunity to express its appreciation to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which under the leadership of Under-Secretary-General Jan Egeland has made great efforts to coordinate the humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.

My delegation has observed that in his report on strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations (A/59/93), the Secretary-General cited many facts and figures in his overview and assessment of such assistance for the past year. The report noted that natural disasters remain a global threat and that frequent armed conflicts and the plight of tens of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons, coupled with the threat posed by the rampant spread of HIV/AIDS, have made humanitarian assistance even more challenging.

The increase in recent years in the diversity of humanitarian actors, including armed forces, non-governmental organizations and private sector entities, highlights the need to strengthen coordination. It should be emphasized that in providing humanitarian assistance to the affected countries, the United Nations and the international community should be guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality established in the annex to General Assembly resolution 46/182, and that such assistance should be provided at the request and with the consent of the affected country, whose wishes, culture and customs should be respected.

Natural disasters and complex emergency situations have led to an increased demand for humanitarian assistance. Adequate funding is the prerequisite for carrying out assistance activities. The United Nations Inter-agency Consolidated Appeal Process has played an important role in humanitarian funding. However, we are concerned that in recent years there has been a steady decline in resources mobilized through that channel and hope that OCHA will step up its efforts in that respect. At the same time, we appeal once again to the donor countries that are able to do so to make greater contributions to humanitarian assistance.

The safety and security of United Nations humanitarian personnel has become a subject of growing concern. Since last year, United Nations personnel engaged in humanitarian assistance have continued to come under attack and have even been taken as hostages and detained for long periods. In the bomb attack on the United Nations office in Iraq last year, 24 United Nations personnel, including the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, made the ultimate sacrifice, while many others were injured. The United Nations suffered devastating losses in that incident. The Chinese delegation strongly condemns such terrorist acts.

In August this year, China acceded to the Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel. Following that, the Chinese Government has taken part in activities that promote the safety of United Nations personnel pursuant to the provisions of the Convention. China will work with other States parties in fulfilling its treaty obligations.

China is a disaster-prone country that is frequently hit by earthquakes, floods, droughts and other disasters, suffering heavy losses as a result. Last year, China suffered a direct economic loss of over $20 billion due to the effects of natural disasters. In spite of that, the Chinese Government has, within its capabilities and through bilateral channels, provided emergency and humanitarian relief goods such as food, medicines, mosquito nets, tents and blankets to developing countries affected by disasters. Last year, China's rescue team joined the search and rescue efforts in Bam, Iran, in the aftermath of an earthquake. These assistance activities have fully demonstrated our compassion for, and solidarity and friendship with, the affected Governments and peoples.

The Chinese delegation supports the proposal by the Secretary-General with regard to the transition from relief to development in humanitarian assistance for natural disasters. The proposal will help increase the capacity of the affected countries in their rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.

In areas such as disaster management and improving search and rescue capabilities, we are ready to share our experiences and information with other countries with a view to enhancing international cooperation in those fields.

In conclusion, the Chinese delegation would like to thank OCHA for the attention and assistance it has given to disaster-affected areas in China over the past year. We offer our support for the recent initiative by Mr. Egeland on building partnerships with Asian countries in order to enhance international cooperation in disaster relief.

Mr. Baum (Switzerland)

Switzerland attaches particular importance to the discussion on strengthening the coordination of humanitarian aid. All Member States and observers are thus given the opportunity to undertake a necessary exchange of views on the essential areas of United Nations action. We note that the general trends analysed by the Secretary-General in his report have been confirmed by the facts to date. Allow me to refer to some of the cases of greatest concern, in which awareness of the problem and the will to act remain slow, in the view of my delegation.

First, humanitarian organizations' unconditional access, without obstacles, to people in distress must be guaranteed. We must find ways of improving, in a tangible way and without delay, the protection of civilian populations, particularly women and children. We also need to strengthen cooperation between the various bodies of the United Nations, while at the same time respecting their individual mandates.

Secondly, with regard to the management of the security system of the United Nations as a whole, the report of the Secretary-General correctly stresses the shortcomings of the system currently in place, which does not allow the Organization to effectively deal with all of the challenges that it must face. We would like to point out that it is, first and foremost, the host Government that must ensure that security is sufficient. Moreover, we see that the humanitarian imperative to ease suffering wherever it occurs has led agencies and humanitarian organizations to increase their exposure to risk, at the cost of the unacceptable loss of many lives. In this respect, we stress the importance of basic and ongoing training in matters of security at all levels and throughout the United Nations system, and we would urge that security system management be included in the regular budget of the Organization. We would also urge that attacks against humanitarian staff be condemned with the utmost firmness, and that those guilty be punished according to national provisions and international obligations, such as the provisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Thirdly, we are convinced that one of the most effective ways to improve in a sustainable way the protection of civilian populations, as well as the security of staff, property and buildings of humanitarian organizations, involves respecting, without exception, the provisions of international humanitarian law. Both State and non-State parties must at all times respect and ensure the respect of every provision of the Geneva Conventions. Switzerland calls upon all States that have not yet done so to ratify the additional protocols to the above-mentioned conventions, as well as the Rome Statute of the ICC.

We would like to reiterate the singular nature of humanitarian action, which must remain based on universally recognized principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. In that respect, two concrete issues merit our attention.

First, protection and assistance activities must be planned, implemented and assessed by civilian humanitarian staff, and in that connection we invite these humanitarian staff with a specific protection mandate to strengthen that mandate. We also have to take due account of the specificity of humanitarian action in setting up the so-called integrated missions of the United Nations.

Switzerland attaches high priority to the qualitative improvement of the coordination of international humanitarian action by means of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, particularly by developing joint methodologies for assessing needs, by establishing strict behavioural norms for humanitarian staff and by integrating HIV/AIDS awareness in the agendas of humanitarian organizations. We particularly welcome the recent conclusion and current dissemination of the operational guidelines for resident coordinators and country teams for the implementation of a collaborative approach in dealing with internal displacement.

Finally, we support the Secretary-General's recommendations, according to which a direct conceptual link must be established between, on the one hand, the response in the case of natural and man-made disasters, and on the other, the strengthening of prevention and preparation activities in emergency situations. National authorities bear the primary responsibility in those efforts and that must be stressed, as must the need to involve all stakeholders in preparation and prevention, if we are to attain sustainable results. The World Conference on Disaster Reduction, which will be held in Kobe in January 2005, represents a unique opportunity to increase awareness at all levels.

Mr. Siv (United States)

I thank the Secretary-General for his thorough and wide-ranging reports on humanitarian assistance. He has recognized our successes as an international community and has also pointed out where we continue to fall short of expectations.

Last year, I optimistically spoke in the Assembly of a glimmer of hope for the future of the Sudan. While I still hope that peace is possible, I despair at the continuing humanitarian tragedy in Darfur. Villages have been burned and hundreds of thousands displaced. Women have been raped. Men, women and children have been killed. Civilians have been taken hostage. Both parties to the conflict have obstructed humanitarian access. The Sudanese Government has forcibly relocated civilians from camps for internally displaced persons. This is in direct contravention of international humanitarian law and Security Council resolutions 1556 (2004) and 1564 (2004).

United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and others are carrying out admirable work to save lives in Darfur. The United States has contributed over $300 million in humanitarian aid to Darfur and eastern Chad since the beginning of the conflict. This already exceeds our pledges for the entire fiscal year, and we will give more. We applaud the decision of the Security Council to meet in Nairobi to highlight the need for the conflicting parties in the Sudan to restore peace to the country. We continue to support the work of the African Union and its efforts to expand its monitoring presence in Darfur.

However, we must work together to provide far better protection for civilians. A lack of coordination among United Nations agencies on the ground in emergency situations continues to plague humanitarian efforts in the Sudan and elsewhere. We encourage the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and United Nations agencies to establish clear leadership in assisting and protecting internally displaced persons. We commend the establishment of the Inter-Agency Internal Displacement Division within OCHA. That will provide clear leadership in meeting the unique humanitarian needs of the internally displaced.

In addition to United States financial support for the Division, last month the United States Agency for International Development finalized its policy on assistance to internally displaced persons. It is our intention to ensure that that policy statement will both reaffirm our commitment to meeting the needs of such persons and enhance the coordination and reliability of the response, both within our Government and in the greater humanitarian community.

The United States applauds the work being done by humanitarian workers throughout the world, who bring hope and life to people in need. We lament the loss of two NGO staff in the Sudan during the past month. The United States appreciates the attempt by United Nations agencies to balance the crucial need to provide for the safety and security of humanitarian personnel with the need to reach victims of emergencies. That and other challenges have led my country to contribute to the independent evaluation of the impact of integrated humanitarian aid missions that is being jointly managed by OCHA and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. We look forward to learning from the results of that study in early 2005.

As we begin humanitarian negotiations during the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly, let us take steps aimed at alleviating humanitarian crises and reducing the effects of natural disasters throughout the world.