United Nations High-Level Humanitarian Event on Anticipatory Action: A Commitment to Act Before Crises

Statement by Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

9 September 2021

Anticipatory action – which is to say, long-term and preventive action – is the key to warding off the world's worst crises, saving lives and protecting human rights.

That is an urgent task.

In July the Secretary-General warned of "a bloody surge in humanitarian crises around the world," with civilians in conflict zones paying the highest price.

He was referencing bloodshed in the Tigray region of Ethiopia; continued massive numbers of preventable deaths in Yemen and Syria; conflict across Myanmar; a sudden surge of conflict-related displacement in Mozambique; the long-term disastrous humanitarian situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel region, South Sudan and Venezuela, and others.

Seven weeks later, we're seeing a greatly aggravated humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

Following a series of very severe natural disasters, we're seeing even more countries where nature loss and the climate crisis are forcing people to leave their homes, and placing them in need of humanitarian assistance. Those affected are disproportionately the world’s most vulnerable people – people who have the least resources to withstand climate shocks.

And I still haven't even mentioned COVID-19, which in the past 18 months has magnified humanitarian needs in every world region.

We urgently need to become more effective at addressing the root causes of crises, with early warning, decisive action, and increased investment in disaster risk management, adaptation, risk reduction and preparedness.

For example, the heightened vulnerability of women and girls in every kind of crisis – conflict, climate or COVID – has been politically, economically and socially constructed. Preventive steps can and must be taken to ensure that they and others are not placed systematically in situations of vulnerability.

There must be an all-of-UN effort, in line with the Secretary-General's Call to action for human rights.

We need to come together to help policy-makers across the world deliver on their human rights commitments to their people, and take steps to ensure their societies are participatory, inclusive, sustainable and fair.

Thank you