Pakistan Mission to United Nations

Statement by Mr. Suljuk Mustansar Tarar, Counsellor, Pakistan Mission to the United Nations on Agenda item Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations at the 85th plenary meeting of the General Assembly New York,(14 December 2011)

Mr. President,

We align ourselves with the statement made by Argentina on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

The twentieth anniversary of the adoption of Resolution 46/182 provides us a vantage point to evaluate the performance of the humanitarian framework established by the resolution and the challenges it faces and is likely to face. The principles of humanity, impartiality and neutrality emphasized by the resolution as well as the primary role of state in provision of humanitarian assistance as envisaged by 46/182 remain of cardinal importance lest humanitarian assistance get engulfed by political expediencies.

A prime challenge for us today is the increasing frequency and magnitude of natural disasters exacerbated by Climate Change. This makes it important to increase resources available for meeting humanitarian emergencies.

During the latest Monsoon season, Pakistan was hit by yet another flood affecting millions of people in Southern Pakistan who were already trying to re-build their lives after the unprecedented floods of 2010. Our Government has mobilized all its resources to provide rescue and relief to the affected people. While the international community has come forward, much more needs to be done, given the scale of floods.

Mr. President,

Based on our experience of dealing with natural disasters, we have created the necessary institutional, infrastructural and legislative framework. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) leads response to floods or other disasters. It is supported by Provincial Disaster Management Authorities (PDMAs).

Our experience has convinced us of the following:

• Primary role of the concerned State in the initiation, identification, coordination and delivery of humanitarian assistance. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of States must remain the overarching parameters in all coordination as enshrined in the GA Resolution 46/182.
• Improved and accountable coordination mechanism by the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA) is essential.
• It is important to tap alternate means such as increased local procurements of material resources and hiring of local expertise to save funds.
• It is necessary to build trust between donors, international humanitarian actors and affected States.
• Accountability of all humanitarian actors especially in the area of delivery on ground should be ensured. The UN must improve its capacity to make sure that money is spent for the intended purpose.
• It is essential to build capacity in countries that are most likely to be affected by humanitarian emergencies as an important element of domestic preparedness.

Mr. President,

Most importantly, emphasis should not only be on restoring lives but on restoring livelihoods as well, through better integration of recovery with development. It would also be pertinent to highlight that reporting mechanism should follow facts and remain cognizant of the different situations that are not comparable. Politicization of humanitarian relief work should be eschewed.

Mr. President,

Pakistan condemns all attacks against humanitarian actors who render invaluable services to people in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

In conclusion, I would like to urge avoidance of the complex emergencies versus natural disasters debate. Humanitarian assistance must be kept above board and free of political nuances and expediencies. Successful provision of principled humanitarian assistance requires sensitivity towards specific situations and in responding to genuine needs. This will not be possible unless we do away with the one-size-fits-all approach to humanitarian assistance.

I thank you.