PART 4. EMERGENCY ENVIRONMENT

4.1. ROLE OF THE HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS

4.1.1. INTRODUCTION

It is most important that UNJLC staff officers fully understand the emergency environment in which they are operating and the roles of the various humanitarian organisations which may be involved. These roles are summarised below:

4.1.2. SRSG

A Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) is sometimes appointed by the UN Secretary-General to act on his behalf in emergencies which are "complex or of exceptional magnitude" (as set out in the Standard Directives for SRSGs). In practice, the appointment of an SRSG is normally reserved for those complex emergencies which require UN involvement in major political negotiations and/ or when UN peacekeeping forces are deployed.

When a SRSG is appointed, he/ she is recognized as having overall authority with regard to UN operations in the designated country. If heading a peacekeeping operation, the SRSG reports to the Secretary-General through the USG for Peacekeeping Operations, or if heading a political mission, is through the USG for Political Affairs.

4.1.3. IASC

• The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) serves as the primary UN mechanism for inter-Agency co-ordination relating to humanitarian assistance in response to complex and major emergencies. The IASC is chaired by the ERC and consists of the Heads (or designated representatives) of the UN operational Agencies, i.e. FAO, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. At the heads of agency level, the IASC meets formally at least twice a year and deliberates on issues brought to its attention by the ERC and by the IASC Working Group (IASC-WG).

• The IASC-WG, chaired by the Director, OCHA Geneva, is formed by senior representatives of the same agencies and meets four to six times a year. Its responsibilities include formulating the agenda for IASC meetings; making non-strategic policy and operational decisions; endorsing the yearly work plan; and preparing options and recommendations for the IASC on strategic policy and major operational issues.

• The Core UNJLC will develop issues for presentation at the IASC-WG meetings.

• IASC TOR and IASC recommendations related to the review of the capacity to humanitarian assistance are at FOM 6.4.1 and 6.4.2 respectively. Operational decisions of the IASC and IASC-WG related to Emergency management are, inter alia:

• Nominate the Lead Agency.

• Appoint the UNDP Resident Representative as Humanitarian Co-ordinator (see 4.1.5. below).

• Appoint a special Humanitarian Co-ordinator as distinct from the UNDP Resident Representative or Lead Agency.

• At the onset of a large-scale emergency with multi-sectoral involvement, the IASC-WG will designate a core group of Agency decision-makers, which will consult and decide on the possible activation of the UNJLC. Consultation will take place as expeditiously as possible (e.g. teleconference in the case of sudden onset emergencies and as part of the contingency planning/ preparedness process lead-time permitting for others). Activation would be a consensus decision among this group.

• RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE

In normal circumstances, the UNDP Resident Representative is responsible for ensuring that all concerned in planning and development programmes are aware of any known or potential local hazards and their likely effects. He/she is also responsible for ensuring that due account is taken of these factors in devising and managing each Country Programme. In the event of a disaster, the UNDP Resident Representative mobilises UNDP staff, technical personnel and any other necessary resources, particularly those needed for the initial assessment and immediate response.

• HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATOR

Upon the occurrence of a complex emergency the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), on behalf of the Secretary-General and after consultation with the IASC, will designate a Humanitarian Coordinator. The IASC may assign the functions of Humanitarian Coordinator to the Resident Coordinator for that country, who therefore becomes Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. This is the normal practise but other options are possible; i.e. appoint a separate Humanitarian Coordinator; designate a Lead Agency for the provision of humanitarian assistance or appoint a Regional Humanitarian Coordinator, when an emergency occurs that involves more countries at the same time. In such instances Resident/Humanitarian Coordinators of countries in the region should work as a team under the guidance of the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator.

• The Humanitarian Coordinator serves as the representative of the Emergency Relief Coordinator (and therefore of OCHA) in the country/region concerned.

• If a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) is appointed for the country in question, the Humanitarian Coordinator will function under the overall authority of the SRSG, with the responsibility for coordination of UN humanitarian assistance for the complex emergency in question.

• The Humanitarian Coordinator is responsible for coordinating the humanitarian activities of the Country Team. He/she will provide liaison between the Country Team and the Emergency Relief Coordinator.

• The Humanitarian Coordinator is responsible for establishing and maintaining comprehensive coordination mechanisms based on facilitation and consensus building. These mechanisms should be inclusive of all the actors involved at the country level in the provision of humanitarian assistance and protection, including in particular all locally represented members and standing invitees of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).

• The HC is responsible for facilitating the provision of key support services for the larger relief community. In the cases where IASC decides to deploy the UNJLC, the HC is responsible for overseeing the operations of the UNJLC through supervision of its Chief.

The TOR of the Humanitarian Coordinator are at FOM 6.4.12.

• OCHA

The Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was created to mobilise and co-ordinate the collective efforts of the international community, in particular those of the UN system. It aims to meet, in a coherent and timely manner, the needs of those exposed to human suffering and material destruction in disasters and emergencies. Emergencies which fall under the mandate of a single UN Agency do not require active OCHA involvement.

• OCHA has established an emergency response system for co-ordinating actions by the international community as a result of natural disasters and environmental emergencies, including technological accidents. In a major disaster with substantial involvement by different Agencies during the immediate relief phase, OCHA may organise and lead a UN inter-Agency mission to the disaster-affected area to carry out a comprehensive assessment and to ensure co-ordinated planning and the formulation of an overall UN response.

• If required, OCHA can dispatch a United Nations Disaster Assessment and Co-ordination (UNDAC) Team, an On-Site Operations Co-ordination Centre (OSOCC) or other unit to assist in emergency assessment, rescue operations and field coordination during the initial relief phase. Working under the authority of the Humanitarian Coordinator, the OCHA team cooperates with the Local Emergency Management Authorities (LEMA) in carrying out assessment and coordination tasks at the disaster site.

• OCHA's Military and Civil Defence Unit (MCDU) co-ordinates the mobilisation, deployment and employment of Military or Civil Defence Assets (MCDA) in response to validated requests from UN Agencies, UN Member States and other organisations. In complex emergencies, the MCDU will coordinate the assignment of CMCoord staff officers for supporting UNJLC operations (see paragraph 4.1.12).

• UN AGENCIES

Within the UN system, a number of specialised Agencies are responsible for conducting detailed assessments of needs in accordance with their mandates and operational experience. Some of these Agencies have signed bilateral or multilateral MOUs with one another to share responsibilities in common relief activities. Some of the sectors covered by individual Agencies are indicated in the table below:

Sector	Competent UN Agency
Health & Nutrition	WHO, UNICEF
Food, Nutrition & Logistics	WFP
Food & Agriculture	FAO
Supplementary Feeding	UNICEF, UNHCR
Water , Sanitation & Education	UNICEF
Shelter, Non-Food Items, Protection & Repatriation	UNHCR
Reconstruction & Development	UNDP
Immigration & Repatriation	IOM

The Humanitarian Co-ordinator may propose to the ERC that the IASC should designate an Agency to have the lead role in operational co-ordination for a specific target group, geographical area or technical sector. This lead Agency would be accountable to the Humanitarian Co-ordinator for the performance of its operational co-ordination responsibilities.

The IASC has endorsed the role of the World Food Programme (WFP) as an Agency which offers significant advantages in providing logistics and transport services for material resources. At the same time, the IASC recognises the prerogatives of individual Agencies to seek the most effective and appropriate arrangements in each particular situation. Priorities for incorporation in consolidated appeals should be established through the setting of objectives within a strategic planning process.

Whilst UN Agencies are responsible for ensuring prioritisation within their mandated sectors of responsibility, there should be a vigorous inter-Agency process to review and decide priorities based on goals established within a strategic framework. This process should take place at country level with the appropriate participation of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), donors and, where appropriate, representatives of the local government. The ERC, and the Humanitarian Co-ordinator and in-country team at field level, should play a pro-active role in ensuring prioritisation among sectors as well as in instances where there is no inter-Agency agreement.

• LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY (LEMA)

UN studies have long emphasised the desirability of encouraging governments to "designate a single national agency or organisation to conduct and co-ordinate emergency relief measures ". The establishment of a LEMA to co-ordinate domestic relief activities recognises the central role and responsibility of the stricken government in disaster relief operations. The question is more complicated in man-made conflict situations when circumstances require the co-ordination of relief activities through a neutral intermediary. If a LEMA is established to co-ordinate the ongoing humanitarian relief operation, the UNJLC may be part of this organisation. Reporting structures will be agreed between the LEMA and the Humanitarian Co-ordinator.

• THE RED CROSS MOVEMENT

The Red Cross is a very important humanitarian component that will be prevalent in all aspects of relief work. It is therefore likely to be an integral part of the emergency environment and may play an important role in coordinating humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies. The Red Cross is composed of three elements:

• The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the founder body of the Red Cross movement. The ICRC is promoter of the Geneva Conventions and their additional Protocols concerning the treatment of wounded and sick military personnel, prisoners of war and civilian populations in internal and international conflicts. Consequently, the ICRC will play an active role in most complex emergencies.

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a federation of national societies worldwide. It aims to inspire, encourage, facilitate and promote all forms of humanitarian activities by its member societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering. When disasters occur, the IFRC assists national societies in assessing needs, mobilising resources and organising relief activities. IFRC delegates are often assigned to give direct assistance to national societies. Personnel from other national societies may also be requested and assigned under the auspices of the IFRC.

• The National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies act as auxiliaries to the public (governmental) authorities and services. They normally concentrate on activities concerned with public health - including first aid and primary health care - and relief. Many national societies also maintain stocks of relief supplies. They receive funds from their own membership, from local fund-raising activities and also in many cases from the Government. Especially in emergencies, they may also receive funds, supplies and/or the assistance of personnel from sister Societies in other countries. This support is normally channelled through the IFRC, but may occasionally be given on a bilateral basis. The IFRC and national societies may become important actors during relief operations, particularly with regard to the storage and forwarding of non-assigned relief commodities arriving in the crisis region.

• NON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs)

Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) can be divided into two main categories: international NGOs working in the international field, and local NGOs working in their own country. The NGO community has become increasingly important in the humanitarian world and has significantly increased in numbers over the past years. Currently there are approximately 20,000 NGOs covering the full spectrum of humanitarian relief activities. NGOs work in all areas of the humanitarian field and provide the greatest international capacity for provision of relief on the ground.

One or more NGOs are often present in the area of an emergency before, during and after the onset of the crisis and will, therefore, have hands-on information and experience of the issues at hand. NGOs tend to specialise in one or two fields, or to direct their efforts towards one needy population group. They usually offer skilled staff, rapid deployment capacity (if they are not already in the area), operational flexibility and resources that might not otherwise be available in an emergency. Local NGOs can be helpful in a variety of ways, especially because they are known locally and because they are familiar with the area, the culture, the population, etc. In many cases, they work together with international NGOs, the UN and others. They are assets that can be helpful not just for information-sharing purposes, but also as implementing partners.

The following table lists some of the major NGOs working as implementing partners with the UN Humanitarian Agencies and summarises their respective areas of specialisation. Mention or omission does not imply any form of endorsement by the UN. Target sector descriptions are not exhaustive.

Organisation	Target Sector
ACORD Organisation for Co-operation, Research & Development	Emergency assistance development (consortium of agencies)
ADRA Adventist Development & Relief Agency	Transport/logistics, health/nutrition, shelter, community services, education, food production, legal assistance.
A(I)CF Action (Intemationale) Contre la Faim	Food, water, health/nutrition, shelter.
AI Amnesty International	Human rights, legal assistance.
ARC American Refugee Committee	Sanitation, health/nutrition.
CARE Co-operative for Assistance & Relief Everywhere	Food, transport/logistics, health/nutrition, shelter, community services, legal assistance.
CARITAS	Food, transport/logistics, domestic needs, water, sanitation, health/nutrition, shelter, education, food production, etc.
CONCERN	Water, shelter.
CRS Catholic Relief Services	Food, domestic needs, health/nutrition, sanitation, education, income-generation.
CWS Church World Service	Transport/logistics, domestic needs, health/nutrition, shelter, community services, education, income- generation.
DRC Danish Refugee Council	Transport/logistics, shelter, community services.
Handicap International	Food, transport/logistics, health/nutrition, shelter, community services, legal assistance.
ICMC International Catholic Migration Commission	Transport/logistics, domestic needs, health/nutrition community services, education, legal assistance.
IIRO International Islamic Relief Organisations	Emergency assistance, logistics/transport.
IRC International Rescue Committee	Food, transport/logistics, domestic needs, water, sanitation, health/nutrition, shelter, community services, education, food production, income- generation, legal assistance, etc.
LCHR Lawyers Committee for Human Rights	Advocacy, human rights.
LIRS Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service	Advocacy, migration.
LWF Lutheran World Federation	Food, transport/logistics, domestic needs, water sanitation, shelter, health/nutrition, community services, education, food production, income- generation, legal assistance.
MDM Médecins du Monde	Health.
MSF Médecins sans frontières	Food, transport/logistics, domestic needs, water, sanitation, medical services, health/nutrition, shelter, community services.
NRC Norwegian Refugee Council	Transport/logistics, shelter, community services.
OXFAM Oxford Committee for Famine Relief	Food, transport/logistics, water, sanitation, community services, income-generation.
PSF Pharmaciens sans Frontières	Health.
Riidda Barnen (Save the Children)	Domestic needs, community services, education.
Refugees International	Advocacy, migration.
SCF Save the Children Fund	Transport/logistics, domestic needs, water, sanitation, health/nutrition, shelter, community services.
World University Service	Education.
World Vision	Water, food production.

• DONORS

Donors may be present in the crisis area and even actively involved in disaster relief activities before a major emergency occurs. Examples of donors include the United States Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the United Kingdom Department For International Development (DFID) and the European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO). Some of these donor organisations have developed a concept for rapid intervention in case of disaster. An example is OFDA's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) which may become actively involved in disaster relief activities. It is important that Chief UNJLC is aware of such activities and co-ordinates with sponsoring donors as necessary for consolidating logistics operations.

• CIVIL-MILITARY CO-ORDINATION (CMCOORD)

During emergencies requiring or involving a military presence in the crisis area, the military authorities may be able and willing to offer direct or indirect assistance to the humanitarian relief effort. It is most important that such assistance be properly co-ordinated with the work being undertaken by civilian actors. Hence it will be necessary to set up some form of mechanism to ensure an effective civil-military collaboration.

Co-operation between civilian and military bodies can take many forms and can be initiated by either side. Civil-Military Co-ordination (CMCoord) is the official term used by OCHA to describe the process of liaison between civilian and military actors in a crisis area. As already described in Section 2 of this FOM (paragraph 2.14.) civilian CMCoord officers may be assigned for UNJLC duties at various locations and levels.

Military authorities may also appoint their own staff officers for liaison duties with the humanitarian community. Larger military formations (e.g. multi-national coalitions) may even establish a Joint Civil Military Operations Task Force (JCMOTF) within a major HQ, as was the case during the Afghan Emergency. The generic military term for liaison between humanitarian and military bodies is Civil-Military Co-ordination (CIMIC). However, some military authorities or formations may use different terminology.

Whatever the name used for this important function, the objective is essentially the same: namely, to ensure that any military assistance is effectively co-ordinated with civilian humanitarian activity in line with the "Guidelines on Use of Military and Civil Defence Assets in Disaster Relief, both for Natural disasters and Complex Emergencies (FOM 6.4.06 and 6.4.07)

• DEPARTMENT OF PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS (DPKO)

The DPKO is a UN body which, as its name suggests, is tasked by the Security Council to undertake Peacekeeping Operations in specific areas of recent or potential conflict. A Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) is usually appointed to head each Peacekeeping Operation. Reporting to DPKO HQ in New York , the SRSG exercises authority over all UN entities in the emergency area. The SRSG's staff has two main components, a civilian structure headed by the Chief Administration Officer (CAO) and a military structure headed by the Senior Military Officer (SMO).

Typically, a Peacekeeping Operation encompasses a broad range of tasks and responsibilities. For example, DPKO staff deployed into an emergency area may include military components in the security or observation role, civilian police elements and mine action teams as well as specialists in Political Affairs and Human Rights.

Recent peacekeeping mandates have also included tasks such as "co-ordination with humanitarian agencies" or "support to humanitarian action". Currently (2002) DPKO is managing 17 Peacekeeping Operations worldwide and supporting 16 UN Political Missions. The personnel, materiel and financial assets of these operations are managed by a civilian led administration, headed by the CAO.

Logistics support for Peacekeeping Operations is provided by the UN's Integrated Support Service (ISS). Its civilian head, Chief ISS (CISS) manages all UN owned/contracted/ leased logistics support assets. The ISS includes units for engineering, transport, logistics, materials and contracts management, aviation, telecommunications, information technology and medical services. Many of these components are integrated , that is to say they have a civilian chief and military deputy chief. The structure of ISS is similar in some respects to the UNJLC organisation. Chief UNJLC is in effect the counterpart of CISS.

An ISS assigned to a DPKO operation will usually have specialised logistics liaison officers who report to the unit within the ISS known as the "Joint Logistics Operations Centre" (JLOC). UNJLC staff should normally co-ordinate with the JLOC and the Joint Movement Co-ordination Centre (JMCC) both of which are part of the DPKO's civilian component. The Joint Operations Centre (JOC), which is part of DPKO's military structure, will be able to provide UNJLC with security information.

Although DPKO does not normally provide direct support for humanitarian activities, it may sometimes be able to make spare logistics capacity available to other UN Agencies. DPKO may also have various infrastructures at its disposal (e.g. telecommunications facilities, aircraft, cargo handling equipment etc) that it may be willing to share with the humanitarian community, albeit on a cost-recovery basis in some cases.

DPKO has drawn up its own CMCoord policy (FOM 6.4.08.) defining its interaction with UN Agencies.