UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Statement by the Hon Warren Snowdon MP,
Parliamentary Adviser to the
Australian Delegation to the United Nations
Item 41: Strengthening of the Coordination of the United Nations Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance of the United Nations, including Special Economic Assistance.
New York
20 October 2003
Mr President,
Tragic events over the past twelve months - disasters, conflicts and terrorist attacks - have cut short lives of many civilians and injured many others. The resultant widespread grief, distress and displacement has created enormous humanitarian challenges for the United Nations and the international community. We should be thankful that there are people who, to meet the humanitarian needs throughout the world, work selflessly and not infrequently put their own safety, security and well-being at risk. This risk has been unfortunately and tragically underlined in Iraq.
The Australian Government condemned in the strongest terms the attack on the UN headquarters in Baghdad. In that context I want to pause to pay tribute to the Secretary-General’s senior representative in Baghdad, Sergio Vieira De Mello, and his colleagues and express our condolences, sympathy and concern at the senseless loss of life and injury. Australia deplores attacks on humanitarian personnel wherever they occur, and we call upon all parties to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel to affected civilian populations. There should be no impunity for perpetrators of such attacks who must be promptly brought to justice.
Mr President,
Strengthened coordination of the UN’s humanitarian and disaster relief assistance will help to improve its impact and quality on the ground. Australia strongly supports OCHA's role and to its efforts to facilitate coordination of the UN’s responses to natural disasters and complex emergencies.
In particular, Australia welcomes the UN’s decision to establish the Joint Logistics Centre, which has provided important logistics support to humanitarian agencies operating in Iraq and to which Australia has provided financial support. Initiatives such as these significantly improve inter-agency coordination efforts during critical phases of humanitarian response.
Mr President,
There remains, however, ample scope for UN organisations to improve collaboration with each other and with OCHA, both at Headquarters and in the field. In this regard we welcome further efforts by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the Transitional Working Group under Carol Bellamy and the UN Development Group under Mark Malloch-Brown to strengthen coordination frameworks for humanitarian assistance and ensure effective transition to development assistance. Australia, through participation in the Montreux process and the Working Group on OCHA, will remain engaged in efforts to further enhance these frameworks.
Mr President,
Australia attaches particular importance to the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, so we were pleased to support a workshop for Pacific States organised by OCHA in June. This workshop successfully raised awareness of global initiatives relating to conflict and improved understanding by these States of their responsibilities and obligations under international law.
We welcome the steps taken by the UN over the past year to enhance protection of women and children and to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse. Let us also recognise the capacities of women as effective agents for preventing conflict, rather than just focus on their vulnerabilities.
More generally, we think that aid programs are well placed to address many of the root causes of conflict and instability and to support durable solutions for those affected. In Australia’s case, a specific “Peace, Conflict and Development Policy” guides our approach and defines the aid program’s role - within broader Government efforts - in preventing, managing and reducing conflict, in building peace, and in assisting post-conflict recovery.
Australia also endorsed the conclusions of the June meeting in Stockholm on Good Humanitarian Donorship and we will seek to apply these principles and good practices within the overall policies set for our aid program.
Mr President,
Over the past twelve months Australia has responded to many calls for humanitarian assistance, not only in the Asia-Pacific region but also beyond it. Several responses deserve particular mention:
In Solomon Islands, Australia, working with New Zealand and other Pacific Island Forum Partners, has intervened at Solomon Islands Government invitation, to restore law and order. The humanitarian dimension of the intervention is aimed at assisting those people displaced through conflict, ethnic tension and the breakdown in law and order. Australia is providing an additional AUD $25 million economic assistance package for Solomon Islands.
In Timor-Leste, since 2000, Australia has provided AUD $150 million in reconstruction and development assistance, targeting key sectors such as governance, water supply and sanitation, food security and income generation for rural committees, health and education. Australia is also providing AUD $1 million to the World Food Programme appeal for emergency food aid assistance. We commend the re-establishment of the World Food Programme in Timor-Leste as an important step in the ongoing monitoring of food security and enhanced capacity building for Timor-Leste. We encourage further long-term involvement from the broader donor community in WFP's endeavours.
Australia has committed more than AUD $100 million to the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the Iraqi people. Australia provided prompt assistance to key international humanitarian agencies in their preparations and early support to the UN Flash Appeal and associated agencies, including a commitment of $6m to the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, provision of water supply and sanitation services, disease prevention and treatment programs, food distribution, the provision of child protection services and the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance.
Although Australia’s aid program is focused primarily on our region - the Asia Pacific - we remain committed to helping meet humanitarian needs across the globe. As part of its global commitment, Australia continues to support the needs of Palestinian communities affected by the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict, providing almost $3.5 million in humanitarian assistance through UN agencies in 2002-2003. Assistance includes contributions to food aid, food security and psycho-social programs, and has been delivered primarily through the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA), World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Finally, let me record Australia's appreciation for the efforts of the former Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mr Kenzo Oshima. We were pleased to host Mr Oshima in Australia last year for the launch of the 2003 UN Inter-Agency Consolidated Appeals. We look forward to working with his successor, Mr Jan Egeland. Australia will continue to engage strongly with OCHA and other effective agencies in order to improve the impact and quality of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance.
Thank you Mr President.