Remarks by Mr. Jan Egeland USG for Humanitarian Affairs and ERC to the Executive Committee of the UNHCR

Geneva, Monday, 29 September 2003
Mr. Chairman, Excellencies, distinguished delegates and friends:

The High Commissioner for Refugees constitutes in his person and his staff a precious global instrument. The High Commissioner represents an all too scarce ability to take action for those who are most at risk and speaks up for those who are the most vulnerable. Visionary leaders after the First World War asked my countryman Fridtjof Nansen to become the very first High Commissioner for the then League of Nations. As a former Polar Explorer, Nansen cut through political, logistical and financial obstacles to assist and repatriate millions of refugees and displaced.

It was an equally visionary and much better organized institution that you, the Member States, created at the United Nations in the shape of UNHCR after World War II. For over fifty years, UNHCR has been a cornerstone of humanitarian action. From its very inception, it has been a passionate advocate for the rights of the forcibly displaced, the homeless and the stateless, the unfortunate victims of violence and strife. Today, its role remains as central to the collective humanitarian endeavour as ever.

UNHCR has always been a particular inspiration for me. As a field worker, NGO activist or government representative, I have seen the High Commissioner's representatives in action for more than 20 years.

More than anyone else, I associate this institution with your former Assistant High Commissioner, Sergio Vieira de Mello. Twelve years ago he called me for the first time. He asked us for a transport plane with crew and cargo for Albania that he needed, he said "tomorrow". Six weeks ago he called for the last time to give advice from Baghdad. No matter the context or the hour, no matter the political challenges he was grappling with or the human suffering he was endeavouring to alleviate, he remained calm, clear-sighted and courageous. He exemplified the best of the United Nations.

Mr. Chairman, the international community's moral - and legal - responsibility to address the needs in a principled and effective fashion remains as critical as it was in 1951. We should not allow the asylum regime to erode. Domestic media and politics driving our response to humanitarian crises should not be allowed to result in too many "forgotten emergencies". At the same time, the need for durable solutions is more pressing than ever. If we fail to address these challenges, we will further fuel regional and international instability.

As so well explained just now by High Commissioner Lubbers, the coming year will be particularly significant for UNHCR. As you debate the proposals to allow UNHCR better to fulfil its mandate and its obligations, I urge you to recall that the outcome of your deliberations is of paramount importance for all of us in the humanitarian community. Your conclusions will be vital for the vulnerable communities we serve together. This should not be seen just as a discussion on mere organizational change and management, but about creating the conditions to allow UNHCR to meet the needs of refugees in a more effective manner.

On the one hand, the High Commissioner is a critical component of the United Nations' integrated crisis response and assistance system. On the other hand, to the wider humanitarian community, UNHCR serves as standard-setter, leader and advocate.

As Emergency Relief Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, I am fully committed to using the tools and mechanisms available to me to support and assist UNHCR to fulfil its challenging role. Together, the UN agencies involved in humanitarian response - and UNHCR is at the forefront of these - must be more than the sum of our parts. We must stand tall and proud for the principles and standards enshrined in our mandates, and we must demonstrate leadership and integrity in the field as well as in the wider United Nations system.

• In practical terms, we should, as humanitarian agencies, forge a stronger common humanitarian agenda. There are a number of policy issues around which such an agenda could be based:First, access and protection. It is totally unacceptable that we do not have access to affected populations in the majority of crises where we are deployed. Together we must work with Member States and - where necessary - with armed groups to systematically address access. Vulnerable communities have the right to receive humanitarian assistance as we have the right and the obligation to provide it. We must commit to staying on in conflict zones and humanitarian need, taking all possible measures to prevent any dangers to staff. We must collectively hold the parties to conflicts accountable to their responsibilities under international law;
  
  
• Second, forgotten emergencies. The year is 2003, but still there are countless "forgotten refugees and displaced" and "forgotten communities" requiring aid, but neglected due to lack of attention and resources. Humanitarian assistance should be provided strictly on the basis of need. It hurts as much to be displaced in Congo as it does in Kosovo. It hurts as much to be wounded in Northern Uganda as it does in Northern Iraq. We must reaffirm multilateralism as the foundation of humanitarian action. A multilateral approach is one where responsibilities are shared and we acknowledge the tremendous burden shouldered by developing countries in responding to humanitarian crises. It means a refusal to bow to the pressures of politics by responding only where the world's attention is focused;
  
  
• Third, transitions. It is unacceptable that we let the majority of peace agreements collapse, engulfing traumatized populations in misery and persecution all over again. The goal of humanitarian action is to facilitate the delivery of protection, relief and hope to the suffering. But it cannot and should not be a substitute for political action and long-term development initiatives in support of sustainable peace. If humanitarian assistance is to be effective, it is imperative for those of us working in the humanitarian arena to collectively take forward the debate with the relevant political actors including the Security Council as well as the development community. UNHCR's Framework for Durable Solutions is an important contribution in this respect.

Just as we are now confronting the need to reflect on UNHCR's mandate towards refugees, it behoves us also to address how we can better meet the needs of the internally displaced. The challenges remain profound. More than 25 million people displaced by violence and persecution remain within the borders of their own countries. Their plight is one of utter misery and insecurity.

The so called "collaborative approach" to internal displacement of recent years is a promising framework, but we must work harder to ensure a more effective implementation of protection and assistance. The Humanitarian Coordinators at field level must have clear mandates, sufficient resources and strong motivation to facilitate and take action for the internally displaced. Much has been achieved, yet much more needs to be done. The Representative of the Secretary-General for IDPs, Francis Deng, is a special ally in this endeavour. My Office has just launched an evaluation of the work of the interagency IDP Unit. I am open-minded about the outcome of this study, and will consult widely on its findings before drawing any conclusions. In general, we should push forward with more rapid planning and decision-making on roles and divisions of labour for the benefit of the displaced. We need faster operational deployment and improved funding for IDP crises. UNHCR's commitment to contribute to a more predictable response by the UN system to these crises is therefore timely.

Mr. Chairman, there is a lot at stake as we now struggle to maintain our humanitarian presence in Iraq in the wake of the targeted attacks against aid workers there and elsewhere as well. We cannot be deterred as we defend our right of access in accordance with impartial humanitarian principles. At the same time, we cannot be reckless with the lives of our colleagues who are unarmed and vulnerable. We need active solidarity from our Member States more than ever. We need your political, diplomatic and economic support to improve our security if we are to make advances and not to retreat before totalitarian and extremist groups that attack our operations.

Let me conclude by reaffirming that I, as well as my colleagues in OCHA, look forward to joining UNHCR in promoting a more effective humanitarian environment, one in which those at risk are protected and those in need are brought relief. Durable solutions, whether for refugees or IDPs is, our ambitious aim, to which we should be proud to dedicate our efforts.

Thank you.