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ECOSOC
20 July 2000
33rd meeting
Afternoon


If primary responsibility for assisting internally displaced persons rested with national governments, then the most important need was for dialogue between national actors and international partners, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) told the Economic and Social Council this afternoon, as it met to continue considering special economic, humanitarian and disaster-relief assistance in the humanitarian segment of its 2000 substantive session.

All external actors relied on wider national systems for back-up and support, the WHO's Xavier Leus continued. The condition of being an internally displaced person was incompatible with health, since it strained local health systems. Further, public health could not be separated from human security. Complex emergencies were a dynamic process of progressive health loss. Prevention was better than cure, and human displacement could be avoided by supporting sustainable development and placing health high on the recovery agenda.

Nat Colletta, Manager of the Post-Conflict Unit of the World Bank, said there were now more internally displaced persons than refugees because of complex emergencies caused by conflict. The immediate needs presented by the situation of internally displaced persons required everyone to pull together and build strategic partnerships that integrated compassionate humanitarian action with sustainable development.

The representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said governments and humanitarian players needed to start discussing a legal void. Victims of natural disasters and preventable diseases should be protected the way victims of military conflicts were protected by the Geneva conventions. An internationally accepted Disaster Relief Law was needed to lay pioneering legal foundations and tools for strengthening disaster response around the world.

A large number of actors had appeared on the scene of natural disasters and complex emergencies, the representative of Pakistan said. There had been an overall increase in resources for humanitarian assistance, and that was commendable. Those resources, however, should be utilized through multilateral channels. Emergency assistance should not be at the expense of resources for development activities.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Bulgaria, China, Japan, Nigeria, Canada, Mozambique, Ecuador, Viet Nam, Russian Federation, Belarus, Egypt, Republic of Korea, Australia and Venezuela.

Representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) also made statements.

Before ending today's meeting, the Council took action on an oral decision discussed in informal consultations concerning a resumed 2000 session of the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. By that decision, the Council authorized the Committee to hold a resumed 2000 session for a half-day on Friday, 21 July, to consider replies received from the non-governmental organizations whose consultative status was recommended for suspension. The Council adopted the oral draft decision without a vote.

The Council will meet again at 10 a.m. tomorrow, 21 July, to continue its discussion of special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance during the humanitarian affairs segment of its 2000 substantive session.

Council Work Programme

The Economic and Social Council met this afternoon to continue its general discussion of special economic, humanitarian and disaster relief assistance as part of the humanitarian affairs segment of its 2000 substantive session.

Statements

ALEXANDER PRAMATARSKI, Minister for the Protection of the Population against Natural and Manmade Disaster of Bulgaria, said a positive development was the improvement and strengthening of the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) as an instrument of inter-agency coordination. Nevertheless, he expressed concern about the collision of mandates and duplication of efforts among the respective agencies. In order to avoid that, adequate steps were needed to further strengthen the role of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in order to improve effective cooperation in the framework of the Economic and Social Council.

He said the primary responsibility for the coordination and implementation of humanitarian assistance in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters lay with affected States. Therefore an important measure for strengthening efforts in humanitarian and disaster relief was the improvement of national capacities, especially of civil institutions, to respond to the full range and the different types of crises. The safety of humanitarian personnel was a necessary precondition for carrying out effective humanitarian operations. He urged quick implementation of the proposals and recommendations by the Secretary-General on the scope of the legal protection under the 1994 Convention on the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel.

Strengthening regional and subregional cooperation should be extremely productive, he said. It should develop both on a bilateral and multilateral basis. Bulgaria also attached great importance to the initiative of the European Coordinating Programme, launched at the request of the countries of the region and with the assistance of OCHA. The main purpose of the Programme was to improve reaction capacities and to provide the necessary coordination for prompt coping with the consequences of emergency situations that might occur in Europe. The role of technology in mitigating the effects of disasters was also important, he said.

SHEN GUOFANG (China) said it was clear from the theme of the current humanitarian segment that the important role of science and technology in disaster mitigation and prevention should be given greater emphasis. But the yawning gap in technological and scientific development between the developed and developing countries had to be acknowledged. The latter did not have at their disposal such advanced means of communications as global positioning systems, geographic information systems, and remote sensing and space technology. To help them set up, access and use those advanced technologies for preparedness, capacity-building needed to become an important element in support and cooperation programmes offered by the international community.

He said effective ways of international cooperation, increased technological exchanges and training for common development needed to be explored. The international community should further realize that international cooperation in early warning and disaster mitigation needed to focus more on the early warning, preparedness and relief capacities of the disaster-stricken countries. That would allow those States to prepare for possible emergencies beforehand and rapidly respond to situations where disasters struck, thus minimizing loss.

He said the problem of internally displaced persons was essentially a domestic one. Any kind of assistance should be provided at the request of the Government concerned, and be undertaken with its full participation and cooperation so as to achieve expected results.

KIYOTAKA AKASAKA (Japan) said his country, vulnerable to natural disasters, had developed technologies in search for ways to mitigate their effects. Prevention and rescue were two wheels of the same cart, and both had to be effectively coordinated.

His country realized that small island developing States were exposed by their geography to natural hazards. Japan would, therefore, provide $1 million to implement the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project to promote information technology in the Pacific, and would consider coordinating that project and SIDSNet, the network for small island States. Japan valued human security, and intended to continue to respond to the concerns of countries, particularly geographically disadvantaged countries, with regard to natural disasters.

Protecting and assisting a displaced population was the responsibility of the country within which the population had been displaced, he said. When a government was not in a position to fully shoulder that responsibility, the international community, at its request or with its consent, should come in to help. When the situation did not allow the government to make such a request or give its consent, the international community, utilizing the forum of the United Nations, should discuss ways of assisting. It was encouraging that efforts towards more coordination were under way, and he welcomed the IASC’s decision to designate the Emergency Relief Coordinator as responsible in pursuit of enhanced accountability in international response. A new layer of bureaucracy in the name of coordination was neither wanted nor needed, he said.

O. OLUWU, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency of Nigeria, speaking on behalf of the "Group of 77" developing countries and China, said natural disasters and conflicts could occur anywhere in the world. It was unfortunate that the majority of those disasters and conflicts had been happening mostly in developing countries.

Given the huge socio-economic problems which developing countries had to contend with, the Economic and Social Council should call upon all States to undertake joint efforts to create an enabling environment for the promotion of economic growth and sustainable development, and to ensure respect for all human rights and fundamental freedom, she said, with the aim of contributing durable peace and to the prevention and mitigation of humanitarian emergencies. Apart from the primary response of the governments of affected countries, international cooperation, provided in accordance with international law and national laws, was essential.

The Group of 77 and China believed strongly that good coordination of humanitarian responses among all agencies was essential for the target beneficiary to receive assistance on time and at no extra cost, she said.

The value of the latest forms of information technology in the mitigation of the effects of natural disasters or in averting their occurrence, could not be disputed. The time had come for appropriate modalities to be established for transfer of the relevant technology to enable developing countries to respond more effectively to disasters. Such transfer of knowledge on humanitarian grounds would not only promote natural disaster reduction and reduce future appeals for international humanitarian assistance; it would also be of tremendous benefit to the humanity shared by developed and developing countries shared and cherished under the umbrella and Charter of the United Nations.

HUNTER McGILL (Canada) said that enhancing early warning and disaster preparedness activities should be an essential part of sustainable development strategies, including national development plans. While there was a need to improve coordination and cooperation for more effective emergency response, lack of coordination was not the only obstacle to effectiveness. Often, the inability or unwillingness of an affected State to provide secure access to populations in need limited the international community's capacity to respond.

The primary responsibility to populations in need lay with the State concerned, particularly when it came to the internally displaced, he said. Humanitarian, human rights and development organizations as well as States had struggled with how best to approach the specific challenges facing internally displaced persons, especially given the diversity of needs and actors.

He said that affected countries had primary responsibility for ensuring the internally displaced were able to enjoy the same rights as they would have had if they had not been displaced, and that all their needs were addressed through all the phases of displacement. The international community's response should aim to support and complement national efforts. Emphasis on protection, security and access must be paramount.

NAT COLLETTA, Manager of the Post-Conflict Unit of the World Bank, said the number of complex emergencies had been rising in recent years, due in part to conflicts that had caused the numbers of internally displaced persons to outstrip refugees. In the face of such immediate need, all actors had to pull together and build strategic partnerships for integrating compassionate humanitarian action with sustainable development.

In that regard, he said, the Bank had begun to redefine its role providing a technical and financial bridge between saving lives and creating sustainable livelihoods -- within the complex set of elements needed for quick, sustainable responses. The Bank had increased its collaboration with all stakeholders, and had strengthened coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance by linking it to development. Meeting the special needs of internally displaced persons helped bridge the gap between relief and development, since it dealt with providing assistance to war-affected populations. The Bank was also promoting proactive ways of integrating disaster prevention and mitigation into its development work.

Other World Bank initiatives with regard to conflict situations included a Post-Conflict Fund, knowledge sharing and research, he said. To guide projects in conflict-affected countries, the Bank had drawn up a draft Operational Policy on Conflict and Development. It summarized the impact of conflict on development assistance, and committed the Bank to a more vigorous approach to engaging with conflict-affected countries. New operational instruments had been developed, such as a Watching Brief process that allowed monitoring during periods of conflict, and rapid reengagement once conditions permitted.

CARLOS DOS SANTOS (Mozambique) said his country was located in an area vulnerable to natural disasters, where heavy rains, cyclones and drought caused by climate change occurred on a regular basis. As the severe flood disaster of 1999 unfolded, the Government took the necessary measures to address the situation, in coordination with the international community and civil society. The regional and international solidarity and assistance displayed during the catastrophe had been overwhelming. He conveyed his country’s sincere gratitude for the moral support, solidarity and friendship, and for the human, material and financial aid.

The United Nations system had been instrumental in generating the necessary political will and support to the situation in his country, he said. It had been very successful, not only by effectively coordinating with the Government, the international community and civil society, but above all for having been able to work as one entity. The system had been able to avoid inter-agency competition for resources and areas of involvement, thus maximizing the efficient use of resources and expertise.

Heavy rain and flooding were likely to return to Mozambique and southern Africa, as that region was frequently ravaged by the forces of nature. There was, therefore, a need to create or strengthen national, regional and international mechanisms for the prevention and management of natural disasters, including early warning systems, he said.

MARIO ALEMAN (Ecuador) said the international community must have a mechanism to prevent natural disasters and provide rapid and coordinated responses. The approach must be multi-sectoral, inter-agency and linked to the environment. The prevention of natural disaster was an integral part of the sustainable development strategies and national development plans of vulnerable countries and communities.

He said prevention was the cornerstone of disaster management and one of the basic elements of design strategies in the twenty-first century. The Secretariat must devise an international strategy for the reduction of natural disasters. Also, responses to natural disasters were complementary and non-exclusive. Coordination was, therefore, necessary to avoid the duplication of efforts and resources.

NGUYEN THI THANH HA (Viet Nam), associating herself with the statement of the Group of 77 and China, said that as a developing and disaster-prone country, Viet Nam recognized the value of United Nations-coordinated assistance and the important role of technology in supporting government efforts at prevention, mitigation and response to natural disasters. Viet Nam called for further efforts to make available to disaster-prone developing countries the technologies and appropriate training that would enable them to strengthen their prevention, mitigation and response capacity.

She expressed concern over the geographically and sectorally uneven donor response to natural disasters. In certain cases, even the mere provision of humanitarian assistance had been hindered. There was a need to elaborate a legal framework for rules and procedures to guide international humanitarian assistance in response to natural disasters, environmental and other emergencies. Such a framework should be developed and agreed upon through an intergovernmental body.

NIKOLAI TCHOULKOV (Russian Federation) said the instruments and mechanisms used to mitigate the consequences of emergency situations might need certain adjustments, but the principles on which humanitarian assistance was provided must remain unchanged. He stressed the absolute importance of adhering to the fundamental principles of neutrality, humanity and impartiality, political non-conditionality, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and provision of assistance on the basis of consent of the Government of the affected country and in accordance with international and national laws.

Attempts to question or dilute those principles, irrespective of the humanitarian considerations advanced to justify such attempts, could only lead to growing mistrust and the undermining of cooperation, he said. It was important to ensure that the humanitarian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council should function in a businesslike and constructive atmosphere, and should focus specifically on coordination aspects of humanitarian activities. Political debate of those issues should be left to the General Assembly.

He supported the established international practice of assistance to internally displaced persons provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian agencies. In those cases, the consent of a State of origin and the authorization of the Secretary-General were indispensable preconditions for such activities. He also believed that the collaborative approach of the IASC to the issue of assistance to internally displaced persons was the most reasonable and relevant strategy.

The issue of assistance to internally displaced persons was a complex and sensitive one. Up until now, there was not even a common definition of the issue. Under those conditions, the international community should concentrate as much as possible on the use of the existing potential -- first and foremost by improving coordination of the action of humanitarian agencies and by strengthening their cooperation with concerned States.

SHAMSHAD AHMAD (Pakistan) said coordination activities had been complicated due to the emergence of a large number of actors on the scene of natural disasters and complex emergencies. That had also impacted on the flow of resources for international humanitarian assistance through multilateral channels. While the overall increase in resources for humanitarian assistance was commendable, those resources should be utilized through multilateral channels. Moreover, that increase should not be at the expense of resources for development activities.

Humanitarian assistance activities should be focused and apolitical. A comprehensive approach to each specific situation might be desirable, but the independence and impartiality of humanitarian interventions by the United Nations could be questioned if they became closely associated with political processes or with functions other than humanitarian activities. Technology could also play a vital role in helping governments and international organizations in not only effectively responding to disasters, but also in augmenting efforts aimed at disaster prevention and mitigation.

He said the question of dealing with internally displaced persons was delicate and required deft handling. The recommendations made by the Secretary-General on the issue were treading in uncharted waters, and therefore needed to be carefully considered in the relevant intergovernmental forums. Responses to the CAP had not been encouraging in the last few years, and were often selective and uneven. Those responses were largely determined either by political considerations or by media attention. Pakistan believed that responses to the CAP should be based purely on humanitarian considerations and the need for assistance. The needs of Africa could not be ignored for political expediency.

He said his country was host to 2.6 million Afghan refugees. The limited resources of the Government had, however, seriously curtailed its ability to address their needs. He called on the international community to respond to appeals issued for humanitarian assistance to the Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The world owed it to them.

ALYAKSANDR SYCHOV (Belarus) said that neighbouring countries were most often the best source of timely humanitarian assistance in emergencies. On that assumption, Belarus had been working to conclude bilateral agreements with its neighbours on early prevention of emergencies and mitigation of their consequences. His country was also negotiating a draft agreement with the United Nations on measures for accelerate transportation of humanitarian relief and personnel equipment in cases of disasters and emergencies.

Technological disasters were a kind of new-generation catastrophe, he said. They entailed grave, unpredictable and long-lasting humanitarian consequences, including health, socio-psychological and economic ones. As a result of the Chernobyl disaster, as many as 1,350,000 people had been displaced, accounting for over 13 per cent of Belarus' population. Notwithstanding the Government's steps to clean up the environment so that those people could live a normal life, the need for international assistance and support was still persisting, he said.

While entirely supporting the need for States and international organizations to coordinate their efforts in preventing and combating emergencies, he also noted the need for international cooperation in building capacities, including technical ones, to respond to emergencies. That should include personnel training as well as consultative and technical assistance to national agencies. The equitable combination of those two components would help provide better protection of the world population against calamities whose number and scope continued to grow.

IHAB GAMALELDIN (Egypt) said that if it was to preserve any credibility, humanitarian assistance should be provided solely on the basis of humanitarian considerations and should be devoid of political content. The United Nations needed to respond to crises in a prompt coordinated manner that was commensurate with human needs and not on the basis of media attention. He emphasized the importance of ensuring a coordinated response to humanitarian emergencies through the CAP process, which was the central coordinating tool. The CAP should be developed and implemented with the full involvement and participation of host governments. He stressed the necessity of financial contributions to the CAP process. The low responses mentioned by the Secretary-General must be avoided. Also, contributions to humanitarian crises should not be to the detriment of international development cooperation.

He said the transfer of technology must be a priority in enabling developing countries to cope with emergencies. The sharing of such technology was key. Egypt condemned attacks on humanitarian personnel but also believed that such personnel, in the execution of their functions, should respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of host States. The issue of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was important and sensitive, and should be addressed carefully. While the international community should help countries by providing financial resources to governments so that they could assist IDPs, the responsibility for such persons was primarily the responsibility of those governments. The IASC had produced a policy paper on the protection of internally displaced persons that contained questionable ideas and required clarification.

NILS KASTBERG, Director, Office of Emergency Programmes of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), said a collaborative, multi-actor approach was the only way to provide effective protection and appropriate assistance to civilians, especially displaced women and children. IASC’s strength lay in its inclusiveness, which allowed involvement of such major partners as non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and donor organizations.

Describing significant projects UNICEF had undertaken through the global Peace and Security Agenda for Children launched last year, she said national and international humanitarian groups could accomplish remarkable results when they had common priorities and effective coordination. She called for the inclusion of child-protection advisers as part of all peace operations, greater allocation of resources to "forgotten emergencies" that had left the spotlight, a better funding balance between emergencies and caution on the part of donors to avoid transitional gaps as countries moved towards normalization.

CHARLES MBULI BOLIKO, representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), welcomed the identification of emerging challenges in natural disasters and complex emergency response, as well as the prominence given to the role of technology in mitigating and responding to natural disasters. He concurred with the focus on strengthening the coordination of international efforts in response to the needs of people displaced by conflict. Issues of internal displacement were cross cutting and needed to be addressed in a system-wide manner.

In recent years, the frequency of droughts, floods and storms had increased dramatically, as had the human suffering caused by civil strife. The humanitarian assistance community should give higher priority to prevention as a means of reducing the occurrence and cost of future emergencies, he said.

His organization had increasingly been involved in humanitarian and relief emergencies, endeavouring to facilitate linkage between relief and rehabilitation and thereby helping to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, particularly in the rural areas of the developing world. The FAO had initiated the Special Programme for Food Security, which was aimed at reducing vulnerability and improving sustainable productivity of staple food in low-income food-deficit countries. Through better water control, sustainable intensification of crop production, diversification of production and removal of socio-economic constraints, the impact of disasters could be alleviated, he said.

Technology could now play a very valuable role in helping to respond to disasters and to support humanitarian assistance operations. It was important, he said, to develop the capacity for early warning on natural calamities in order to take precautionary measures. Capacity-building -- including institutions, social structure and human resources and access to timely monitoring and early warning systems -- was essential. However, early warning systems only alerted. They did not provide the ability to prevent disasters. Along with the capacity for early warning, the capacity for early rehabilitation of production capacity must be built up.

XAVIER LEUS, Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), recalled that his organization was a technical agency devoted to improving the world's health by concerning itself with health and disease dynamics as linked with instability, disasters and complex emergencies in vulnerable States. Technology allowed for better monitoring, perception and awareness. It promised a global leap in coordinating crisis management, because epidemiological surveillance for early warning and rapid decision-making had shown that poor management was a major cause of death in emergency situations.

Technology, however, was not enough, he said. Early warnings could not save lives if action was not taken. Technology was also a mixed blessing. It originated specific hazards and vulnerabilities, as in biological and chemical warfare. Technology also led to confusion through sensational uncoordinated fashion media broadcasting. Media-driven, as well as supply-driven, donations could overburden emergency systems. Actions were urgently needed to compare and standardize existing tools within the United Nations system, for managing both information and resources.

Public health could not be separated from human security, he said. For the WHO, complex emergencies constituted a dynamic process of progressive loss of health. If primary responsibility for assisting internally displaced persons rested with national governments, then the most important need was for dialogue between national actors and international partners. All external actors relied on wider national systems for back-up and support. The condition of being an internally displaced person was incompatible with the very definition of health, since IDPs strained local health systems. Prevention was better than cure. The best option was to avoid human displacement by supporting sustainable development and placing health high on the recovery agenda.

SUH DAE-WON (Republic of Korea) said OCHA needed to be given adequate finances and personnel to implement its role as the lead agency in humanitarian assistance. All parties in complex emergency situations had to be persuaded to provide safe and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance for those in need. They had to allow aid workers to perform effectively and securely, ensure safe return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and finally, find durable solutions to the problems of internal displacement. In all those areas, a positive step would be to take initiatives that raised the awareness of all actors, including that of national and local authorities as well as agency field staff.

The United Nations system had made great progress in developing a holistic and strategic response to natural disasters and complex emergencies, he said. There should be an airing of problems encountered in applying the special administrative rules and procedures obtaining in emergencies. Also, additional concrete ideas should be offered on creating an International Convention concerning urban search and rescue teams. Finally, the usefulness of information and communication technologies (ICT) in responding to disasters should be publicized and promoted. All States should cooperate in establishing communication devices and facilities. They should share geographic data while steps were taken to standardize ICT or make their components complementary.

KERSTIN TRONE, Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), said the interface between population, development and humanitarian assistance had been recognized for some time. Reproductive health services were vital human rights, and health concerns of populations affected by both natural and man-made disasters must be addressed. Emergency situations posed particular dangers to women who were vulnerable and often forgotten during pregnancy, childbirth or post-partum recovery. They also exposed women to greater risk of sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS. Those needs should be addressed with the same attention as other aspects of emergency relief.

The UNFPA had worked in collaboration with United Nations, NGOs and government partners to provide support in programme countries facing crises, and had been an active advocate for women and youth in emergency situations. An example of interagency collaboration had been the production of a field manual on reproductive health in refugee situations, jointly published with the WHO and the UNHCR, and the creation of reproductive health kits for emergency situations.

In June, the UNFPA Executive Board had endorsed UNFPA’s role in emergency assistance. In all its operations in emergency appeals, the UNFPA was guided by its specific mandate to provide people with reproductive health care in whatever situation they might find themselves, and to help governments and agencies maintain or rehabilitate the statistical bases needed for development planning. The UNFPA had helped to improve the reproductive health of Burundian and Congolese refugees in the United Republic of Tanzania, for example, since 1996. In Angola, a programme had been launched to create awareness among young people of the importance of preventing unwanted pregnancies and the transmittal of sexual diseases, including HIV/AIDS. As another example, she mentioned UNFPA’s activities in Kosovo.

There was, however, a concern that in other countries many urgent needs went unfilled and that women often did not have access to even basic protection, health and social services, and that women and young peoples’ needs were sometimes not given the attention they deserved by the media and the international community. She was particularly worried about the increased transmission of HIV/AIDS in both complex conflict and natural disaster settings.

JAQUI DE LACY (Australia) said the increasing scale and complexity of emergencies placed considerable pressure on all humanitarian response organizations, and further highlighted the need for effective coordination among the relevant players. There remained significant scope for improvement in inter-agency cooperation. It was vital that United Nations relief agencies and donors come to a common understanding on the role of the OCHA or other designated lead agencies.

There was a need for effective allocation of resources between humanitarian/disaster relief and long-term reconstruction efforts as a means of stemming continued refugee flows, she said. The conflict prevention and post-conflict reconstruction network represented a useful forum for bilateral donors and multilateral agencies in the critical transition period. Australia supported efforts to bridge the gap between emergency humanitarian assistance and sustainable development, with particular focus on "low-donor interest" situations.

She said that while sovereignty issues made IDPs a sensitive subject, the millions displaced each year by natural, environmental and technological disasters, violence and armed conflict deserved effective and timely assistance, irrespective of whether they crossed an international border.

MARIO AGUZZI (Venezuela) said he deeply regretted that during the reporting period, complex emergencies had increased. In December 1999, his country was ravaged by a natural disaster in which countless lives and homes were lost. Nevertheless, messages of solidarity and material and human assistance were sent from all over. What happened had imparted a number of important lessons. Venezuela must improve its disaster-measuring systems, and disaster reduction was now a part of the country’s primary programmes. Teams were asked to design strategies for addressing natural disasters. While it was now recognized that it was important to focus on prevention and mitigation, it was also dear that the management of emergencies could not be neglected.

He said his Government had faced problems with a coordinated three-phase plan of action. While progress had been made, there was still a long way to go. Coordination should not be based on a one-size-fits-all solution to crises. Turning to the issue of IDPs, he said the State must be the first to provide aid. The international community was called upon to play an important role, however, since effective international assistance could help mitigate negative effects.

ENCHO GOSPODINOV, Observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said the emphasis on strengthening coordination of humanitarian response, and the role of technology in mitigating effects of disasters and humanitarian emergencies, reflected some of the Federation's major priorities and concerns. Three weeks ago, the Federation had launched its Annual World Disasters Report 2000, the latest sad catalogue of major human tragedies. Altogether, 623 disasters were reported in 1999, killing over 80,000 people and affecting the lives of over 212 million people worldwide. Damage caused by natural disasters exceeded $72 billion. In the same period, 13 million people died from preventable causes. They could have been alive today for a cost of only $5 per person. That was of concern, because of a steady decline in health spending at the very time diseases were spreading. Malaria, for example, had appeared in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan.

To combat such sad trends, he continued, more attention had to be paid to the forgotten disasters killing silently outside the focus of television cameras. Further, the time had come to combine the power of humanity with that of technology, to boost the experience of humanitarian players with the scientific and economic might of private companies. Finally, governments and humanitarian players needed to start discussion of the legal void to be filled. Victims of natural disasters and preventable diseases needed to be protected the way victims of military conflicts were protected by the Geneva conventions. An internationally accepted Disaster Relief Law was needed to lay pioneering legal foundations and tools for strengthening disaster response around the world.

G.O.P. OBASI, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said a unique feature of his organization was the method by which member countries contributed to its scientific and operational work through their national meteorological and hydrological services. The WMO World Weather Watch system, which had originated in 1961, coordinated the collection, processing and dissemination of high quality standardized meteorological, hydrological and oceanographic data from a constellation of 10 weather satellites, 10,000 land-based and 1,000 upper-air stations, over 7,000 ships, nearly 1,000 buoys and some 3,000 aircraft.

The WMO used that information, he said, for the mitigation of weather- and climate-related hazards through vulnerability assessment, early warning, support to awareness, preparedness and prevention. It also supported such mitigation activities through technology-transfer, capacity-building and research aimed at improving the accuracy, timeliness and lead-time of the occurrence, intensity and extent of hydrometeorological events. Great advances had been made in recent years. The challenge to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) was how to take advantage of those developments. The inter-agency ISDR Task Force had been created to address that question and to implement a strategy for combining prevention with sustainable development activities. Adequate consultation on key actions among partner agencies was vital.

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