Under-Secretary-General, Excellencies, distinguished guests

Australia regards the Central Emergency Response Fund as a success story. This success demonstrates the important role the UN can play in ensuring timely, well-targeted humanitarian assistance, responding toboth sudden onset emergencies and to chronic needs in ‘forgotten crises’.

Five years ago this month, the effects of the Indian Ocean tsunami graphically demonstrated to us all the need for the international community to be better prepared to respond to humanitarian crises.

Since then, great progress has been made in strengthening humanitarian coordination.

The humanitarian ‘cluster’ approach has been successful in enhancing coordination, prioritisation and partnership in key thematic areas. Humanitarian Coordinators are making an important contribution as the leaders of the UN humanitarian system in-country. Progress has been made in building stronger partnerships between governments, the UN, regional organisations, the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement, NGOs, and communities. And the CERF has become firmly established as a crucial element of the international humanitarian system.

Despite the progress made over the last five years in strengthening humanitarian response, there is no room for complacency. We will need to do more to ensure humanitarian assistance is timely, well coordinated and accountable.

Before outlining why I think we need to do more, and some steps we need to take, I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the critical contribution Under Secretary-General John Holmes, and his team at OCHA, have made and continue to make in contributing to a more effective international humanitarian system.

But Mr Chairman,

We need to do more because we continue to see rising demands for humanitarian assistance. Millions of people in countries affected by conflict remain dependent on international assistance to meet their basic needs. Rates of internal displacement are at an all time high. We see increased impacts of climate-related hazards including droughts, floods and cyclones, linked to climate change. And this increased demand for humanitarian assistance is occurring at a time when development budgets are under pressure. We need to become even more efficient and even more effective.

Mr Chairman,

The CERF is one of the most important tools for the international community in efficiently and effectively responding to humanitarian needs. This is illustrated by the increasing number of contributors to CERF from both developing and developed countries, and from the private sector. It is particularly pleasing to see pledges from countries that have been beneficiaries of the Fund themselves.

This broad donor base helps ensure the long-term financial security of the CERF, and demonstrates the strong support for the CERF across the membership of the UN. In these difficult economic times, it is particularly important that contributors to the Fund make efforts to increase their pledges, and to provide multi-year pledges where possible. Greater and more predictable funding will enable earlier and better planned humanitarian assistance and more attention to the protracted and sometimes forgotten crises.

Mr Chairman,

This is a vital next step in increasing efficiency and effectiveness.

In this context, I am pleased to announce that Australia will provide funding to the CERF of a total of 60 million Australian dollars over the next four years (this is around 55 million US dollars). This multi-year commitment will start with a 12 million Australian dollar contribution to be paid early in 2010.

When disaster strikes, or when conflict leads to suffering, the UN must be there to help.
Australia’s pledge of predictable and increasing levels of funding for the CERF demonstrates our strong commitment to supporting the UN’s important role in crisis situations.

Thank you.