Chairman of the Commission : Mr. Christopher Lamb, Ambassador of Australia
Co-Chairmen : Mr. Boris Shikhmuradov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan; Mr. Teofilo Siman, President of the Salvadorean Red Cross Society
Rapporteur: Dr Tahar Cheniti, Secretary General of the Tunisian Red Crescent


Introduction

It is a great honour for me to report to you on the findings of Plenary Commission II with regard to Theme II of the Plan of Action:

This was the subject of the session of 3 November 1999. My summing up nevertheless also refers to contributions made by delegations on 2 and 4 November.

The Conference confirmed the vital importance of humanitarian aid for the hundreds of millions who, each year, were the victims of conflict and other disasters. In the second half of this century the world had witnessed an upsurge in armed conflicts and the proliferation of all kinds of natural catastrophes. In addition to the more familiar conflicts and disasters which continued to plague the world, humanity now faced new catastrophes arising from changes in climate, unplanned urban development, new technologies and the inability of health-care and social assistance schemes to cope with the needs of the most vulnerable members of society.

There were not only new kinds of disasters, there were also new kinds of groups becoming involved in humanitarian action. As a major force in disaster response, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement had a duty to improve coordination.

Humanitarian action did not take place in a vacuum. It was only one way in which the world responded to these exceptional situations. Humanitarian action complemented political action but could not take its place. The increasing impact of humanitarian action was confirmed by many representatives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the governments. However, it could not resolve problems of a political or economic nature, which were often the underlying cause of conflicts and of people’s increasing vulnerability to disasters of all kinds.

Several delegates made the point that emergency aid was merely the aspect of humanitarian action with the highest profile. That aid was more effective if followed up by help in rehabilitating communities affected by conflict or other disaster and by increased efforts on the part of all concerned to prepare for disaster and to build up the capacity for action.

As several delegates pointed out, humanitarian action was not just measured in “kilos of flour”. The right to life was inextricably linked to the right to dignity. Special attention must be paid to the particular vulnerability of women affected by armed conflicts and other disasters. Several speakers also stressed the importance of engaging not only in emergency aid but also in tackling poverty, which continued to be not only a consequence but also a frequent cause of vulnerability and of conflict.

The discussion of humanitarian action focused on four topics:

• the effectiveness of disaster preparedness;
• cooperation and the coordination of humanitarian action;
• protecting the victims’ rights;
• the respective roles of the different participants.

1. Effectiveness of disaster preparedness

Several speakers stressed the need for a high degree of disaster preparedness in order to limit the devastating effects of conflicts and other disasters. This preparedness must be ensured at all levels: within the local community and at national and international levels.

The Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies had a crucial role to play in this respect on account of the Movement's specific nature, with its worldwide network of National Societies that supported the authorities and had strong roots locally.

The ability of National Societies to prepare for and respond to disasters basically depended on their degree of institutional development and the level of training of their volunteers.

The priorities for all National Societies were:

• to draw up disaster-related contingency plans;
• to recruit and appropriately train volunteers;
• to establish and protect its own organization and facilities.

The sustained participation of the authorities with regard to these priorities was undoubtedly justified in order to speed up and improve local response in the event of disaster.

Several delegates mentioned the role of the Movement in reducing vulnerability at community level. The Movement’s activities must therefore be based on community action and on the participation of the communities concerned. These activities must also include public information since integrated human development was essential to reducing vulnerability.


2. Cooperation and the coordination of humanitarian action

Several speakers mentioned the growing number of humanitarian agencies in the field. Alongside the established organizations there were now many new NGOs, with varying motivations and capabilities. This situation diminished the efficiency of humanitarian aid and demands greater coordination between those engaged in it.

Recent catastrophes such as earthquakes, typhoons and floods had necessitated large-scale relief operations. Many governments, National Societies and other humanitarian organizations had shown their solidarity by sending relief teams and equipment, often quite unprompted. With most of those teams, however, their lack of autonomy and their unfamiliarity with local realities had once again demonstrated the need to tighten up coordination not only nationally but also at international level.

The Movement's specificity and its ability to mobilize its volunteers and encourage the participation of the beneficiaries themselves gave it a special role in coordinating humanitarian aid.

Both the Code of Conduct for the Movement and NGOs in disaster relief and, more recently, the “Sphere” project offered guidelines on conduct and technical standards which could serve as a basis for concerted action. The Code took into account the relationship between humanitarian action and the sovereignty of the State.

In order to make their action more effective, the various humanitarian agencies must seek out every opportunity for synergy in order to maximize the impact of their combined efforts.

Partnership programmes with the authorities could be drawn up to assist disaster victims, with due care taken to ensure the independence of humanitarian action. The tripartite project between governments as sponsors, their National Societies and the Federation Secretariat was a welcome example of this.

The Conference expressed its appreciation for the efforts of various components of the Movement, under the terms of the Seville Agreement, to improve cooperation and communication in organizing their international activities. Some speakers stressed the need to continue these efforts. A government delegate also expressed the wish for governments to be more actively involved in preparing future Conferences.


3. Protecting the victims’ rights

The increasing number of those involved in armed conflicts — particularly internal conflicts — and the actual nature of those conflicts were jeopardizing the safety of non-combatants, the conflict victims themselves, naturally, but also humanitarian workers. The proliferation of light weapons also posed a constant threat to the safety of local people. The international community must demand respect for international humanitarian law and the red cross and red crescent emblem from all parties to conflict. Many delegates called for action to stop the uncontrolled transfer of light weapons and to make such weapons unavailable.

The need to maintain the civilian nature of camps for displaced persons and refugees was also stressed and reference was made to the measures needed to ensure respect for the victims and for their rights. Those measures must prioritize protection for female refugees, who were often the victims of sexual violence.

Support for displaced or refugee children, who were also particular victims of violence, could help to prevent their being recruited by armed groups.

Several delegates reminded governments of their responsibilities towards asylum seekers. The National Societies were called upon to encourage a climate of understanding for the plight of these people. The problem of illegal immigrants required greater attention from the authorities concerned to prevent them from having to live in unhygienic conditions and from falling victim to financial and criminal exploitation.

Several delegations mentioned the suffering of civilians as a result of economic sanctions. One speaker said that civilians needs had become even more acute since the 26thInternational Conference, which had already examined the negative impact of economic sanctions on civilians, particularly the most vulnerable groups among them.

The Movement must continue its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the people caught up in these situations.

States and organizations imposing sanctions were asked to pay particular attention to the needs of civilians. They must evaluate the impact of those measures not only at the time when, but also before, they imposed the sanctions by making provision for appropriate humanitarian exemptions and respecting the principle of proportionality.

'Creeping' disasters (including HIV/AIDS) were less visible than sudden disasters and there was a real risk of their victims being overlooked. Lavish media coverage of certain kinds of humanitarian aid gave rise to a situation in which the level of response from the general public and corporate sponsors was in direct proportion to the operation's media profile.


4. Respective roles of the different participants

The growing involvement of the armed forces in humanitarian action pinpointed the need to clearly define the roles of the various political, military or humanitarian entities involved in order to avoid any confusion. Many delegates mentioned the importance of organizing seminars or training sessions with all parties those in the field: civil defence organizations, the armed forces, the authorities, police, NGOs and, last but not least, the general public.

The large number and variety of the parties involved in armed conflicts, particularly internal conflicts, was creating ever more insecurity and difficult operating conditions for humanitarian workers. The international community must ensure that international humanitarian law and the red cross and red crescent emblem were respected by all.

The Conference confirmed the importance of spreading knowledge of this body of law and of the crucial role of the ICRC in protecting the victims of conflicts, in particular prisoners and civilians.


Conclusion
The reference documents prepared by the Federation and the ICRC outlined the measures proposed in the objectives of the Plan of Action.

The response of the delegates of governments and National Societies:

• confirmed the acceptance of the Plan of Action by the 27th International Conference;
• enhanced and added to the proposals put forward;
• emphasized the need to adapt humanitarian action to the realities of the field;
• stressed the usefulness of coordinating the activities of the different entities involved;
• expressed the importance of providing safe conditions for humanitarian workers while paying tribute to the tragically high number of victims who had died carrying out their humanitarian mission;
• encouraged the various kinds of partnership;
• focused on the situation of the most vulnerable groups;
• stressed the urgent need to promote new mechanisms for institutional developments;
• drew attention to the need for an effective process of ongoing recruitment of new volunteers;
• stressed the importance of planning, of disaster preparedness of coordinated, effective and rapid response;
• encouraged the implementation of prevention programmes to tackle poverty and bring about a sustained reduction of vulnerability.

It is my hope that our findings will help strengthen the power of humanity.

Thank you.