Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations.

The General Assembly, 

Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991 and the guiding principles contained in the annex thereto, other relevant General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions and agreed conclusions of the Council, Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations and on the Central Emergency Response Fund, and of the independent review of the Central Emergency Response Fund, a summary of which is presented in the latter report,

 Reaffirming the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence for the provision of humanitarian assistance, Deeply concerned about the impact of the current global food crisis and the urgent humanitarian challenges related to this crisis, welcoming the establishment by the Secretary-General of the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, and emphasizing the importance of implementing the Comprehensive Framework for Action,

Emphasizing the need to mobilize adequate, predictable, timely and flexible resources for humanitarian assistance based on and in proportion to assessed needs, with a view to ensuring fuller coverage of the needs in all sectors and across humanitarian emergencies, and in this regard recognizing the achievements of the Central Emergency Response Fund, 

Expressing its deep concern at the increasing challenges faced by Member States and the United Nations humanitarian response capacity as a result of the consequences of natural disasters, including the impact of climate change, reaffirming the importance of implementing the Hyogo Framework of Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, including by providing adequate resources for disaster risk reduction, including disaster preparedness, 

Emphasizing that enhancing international cooperation on emergency humanitarian assistance is essential, and reaffirming its resolution 63/141 of 11 December 2008 on international cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, Noting with grave concern that violence, including gender-based violence, including sexual violence, and violence against children, continues to be deliberately directed against civilian populations in many emergency situations, 

Condemning the increasing number of deliberate violent attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities and the negative implications for the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need, Paying tribute to all humanitarian personnel, including United Nations and associated personnel, who have worked to promote the humanitarian cause, as well as to those who have perished in the cause of duty, Recognizing that building national and local preparedness and response capacity is critical to a more predictable and effective response, 

Noting with appreciation the efforts made by the United Nations to improve humanitarian response, including by strengthening humanitarian response capacities, improving humanitarian coordination, enhancing predictable and adequate funding and strengthening accountability to all stakeholders, Recognizing that in strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance in the field, United Nations organizations should continue to work in close coordination with national Governments, 

 1. Takes note of the outcome of the eleventh humanitarian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008;

 2. Requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue his efforts to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance, and calls upon relevant United Nations and other relevant intergovernmental organizations, as well as other humanitarian and relevant development actors, to continue to work with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to enhance the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance; 

 3. Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations system and, as appropriate, other relevant humanitarian actors, to continue efforts to improve the humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters and complex emergencies by further strengthening the humanitarian response capacities at all levels, by continuing to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance at the field level, including with national authorities of the affected State, as appropriate, and by further enhancing transparency, performance and accountability;

 4. Recognizes the benefits of engagement and coordination with relevant humanitarian actors to the effectiveness of humanitarian response, and encourages the United Nations to continue to pursue efforts to strengthen partnerships at the global level with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, relevant humanitarian non-governmental organizations and other participants in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;

 5. Requests the Secretary-General to strengthen the support provided to United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators and to United Nations country teams, including through the provision of necessary training, the identification of resources and by improving the identification of and selection process for United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators;

 6. Reaffirms the importance of implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,0H 5 and calls upon national Governments and the international community to increase resources towards disaster risk reduction measures, including for preparedness for effective response and contingency planning; 

 7. Encourages the international community, including relevant United Nations organizations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to support efforts of Member States aimed at strengthening their capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters and to support efforts, as appropriate, to strengthen systems for identifying and monitoring disaster risk, including vulnerability and natural hazards;

 8. Recognizes the importance of the work of international and, as appropriate, regional organizations in supporting State efforts to improve international cooperation in disaster response, and encourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to strengthen operational and legal frameworks for international disaster relief, taking into account, as appropriate, the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, adopted at the Thirtieth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva from 26 to 30 November 2007; 

 9. Urges Member States, the United Nations and other relevant organizations to take further steps to provide coordinated emergency response to food and nutrition needs of affected populations, while aiming to ensure that these measures are supportive of national strategies and programmes aimed at improving food security;

 10. Encourages States to create an enabling environment for the capacity-building of local authorities and national and local non-governmental and community-based organizations in order to ensure better preparedness in providing humanitarian assistance;

 11. Encourages efforts to enhance cooperation and coordination of United Nations humanitarian entities, other relevant humanitarian organizations and donor countries with the affected State, with a view to planning and delivering emergency humanitarian assistance in ways that are supportive of early recovery as well as sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts;

 12. Also encourages efforts to provide education in emergencies, including in order to contribute to a smooth transition from relief to development; 

 13. Calls upon relevant United Nations organizations to support the improvements of the consolidated appeals process, inter alia, by engaging in the preparation of needs analysis and common humanitarian action plans, in order to further the development of the process as an instrument for United Nations strategic planning and prioritization, and by involving other relevant humanitarian organizations in the process, while reiterating that consolidated appeals are prepared in consultation with affected States;

14. Calls upon United Nations humanitarian organizations, in consultation with Member States, as appropriate, to strengthen the evidence base for humanitarian assistance by further developing common mechanisms to improve the quality, transparency and reliability of humanitarian needs assessments, to assess their performance in assistance and to ensure the most effective use of humanitarian resources by these organizations; 

 15. Calls upon donors to provide adequate, timely, predictable and flexible resources based on and in proportion to assessed needs, including for underfunded emergencies, and encourages efforts to adhere to the principles of Good Humanitarian Donorship;

 16. Welcomes the important achievements made by the Central Emergency Response Fund in ensuring a more timely and predictable response to humanitarian emergencies, and stresses the importance of addressing the findings and recommendations contained in the report on the Central Emergency Response Fund, in order to ensure that the resources are used in the most efficient, effective and transparent manner possible; 

 17. Calls upon all Member States and invites the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions to consider increasing voluntary contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund, and emphasizes that contributions should be additional to current commitments to humanitarian programming and not to the detriment of resources made available for international cooperation for development; 

 18. Requests the Secretary-General to commission an independent comprehensive review of the activities of the Central Emergency Response Fund, including the ability to meet its objectives, its administration, the needs assessment process and criteria for resource allocations, at the end of its fifth year of operation, and to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session; 

 19. Invites Member States, the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions to consider voluntary contributions to other humanitarian funding mechanisms; 

 20. Reiterates that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs should benefit from adequate and more predictable funding; 

 21. Reaffirms the obligation of all States and parties to an armed conflict to protect civilians in armed conflicts in accordance with international humanitarian law, and invites States to promote a culture of protection, taking into account the particular needs of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities; 

 22. Calls upon States to adopt preventive measures and effective responses to acts of violence committed against civilian populations in armed conflicts and to ensure that those responsible are promptly brought to justice, as provided for by national law and obligations under international law; 

 23. Urges all Member States to address gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies and to ensure that their laws and institutions are adequate to prevent, promptly investigate and prosecute acts of gender-based violence, and calls upon States, the United Nations and all relevant humanitarian organizations to improve coordination, harmonize response and strengthen capacity in support services to victims of such violence;  

24. Recognizes the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as an important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons, encourages Member States and humanitarian agencies to continue to work together in endeavours to provide a more predictable response to the needs of internally displaced persons, and in this regard calls for international support, upon request, for capacity-building efforts of States; 

 25. Calls upon all States and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed conflict and in post-conflict situations, in countries in which humanitarian personnel are operating, in conformity with the relevant provisions of international law and national laws, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, as well as delivery of supplies and equipment, in order to allow them to efficiently perform their task of assisting affected civilian populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons; 

 26. Decides to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day in order to contribute to increasing public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in this regard, as well as to honour all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty, and invites all Member States and the entities of the United Nations system, within existing resources, as well as other international organizations and non-governmental organizations, to observe it annually in an appropriate manner; 

 27. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2009, on progress made in strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations and to submit a report to the Assembly on the detailed use of the Central Emergency Response Fund. 

Resolution A/RES/63/139 adopted by the General Assembly during the 68th plenary meeting on 11 December 2008.