Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 37 (a)
RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolutions 46/182 of 19 December 1991, 47/168
of 22 December 1992 and 48/57 of 14 December 1993,
Reaffirming also the guiding principles contained in section
I of the annex to its resolution 46/182,
Taking note of the relevant decisions of operational agencies,
organizations, programmes and funds of the United Nations system
concerning their participation in a coordinated response to humanitarian
emergencies,
Concerned about the impediments created by natural disasters
and other emergencies to the efforts of the affected countries
to achieve sustainable development,
Recognizing the increasing need for humanitarian assistance
and adequate financial resources to ensure a prompt, timely and
effective response by the United Nations to humanitarian and natural
disasters and other emergencies, both for relief and for the continuum
to development,
Recognizing also the need to strengthen further coordination
of humanitarian assistance, in particular in the field, bearing
in mind that coordination should be field-oriented,
Welcoming the efforts being undertaken in the Inter-Agency
Standing Committee to develop a coherent and complementary approach
on the part of the relevant operational and development actors
to the continuum-related activities,
Welcoming also the efforts of the Department of Humanitarian
Affairs of the Secretariat, in particular in the context of the
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, to promote
disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures,
Noting the encouraging results of the operation of the
Central Emergency Revolving Fund and its increasing utilization
by the agencies,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General of
21 June and 1 November 1994; 1/
2. Takes note of the report of the President of the Economic
and Social Council to the General Assembly on the informal consultations
he conducted in accordance with Economic and Social Council decision
1994/291 of 27 July 1994;
3. Also takes note of the measures outlined by the Secretary-General
in his report 2/ for strengthening field coordination of humanitarian
assistance, and acknowledges the need further to develop and strengthen
system-wide coordination, including cooperation among operational
agencies, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and non-governmental
organizations, in accordance with the provisions of resolution
46/182, to improve the capability for a quick and coordinated
response to natural disasters and other emergencies while preserving
the non-political, neutral and impartial character of humanitarian
action;
4. Further takes note of the measures and procedures recommended
by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee regarding the in-country
coordinator, and, with due regard to the provisions of paragraph
39 of the annex to resolution 46/182, requests the Secretary-General,
through the Economic and Social Council in 1995, to report further
on the matter, including the implications of those recommendations,
taking fully into account the views of Governments on those recommendations;
5. Stresses the need for the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
to serve as the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination
under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, to meet
frequently and to conduct its business in a transparent manner,
inter alia, through the prompt dissemination of its conclusions;
6. Acknowledges the need further to develop and strengthen
the cooperation between the Department of Humanitarian Affairs
and other concerned parties to improve the capability for a quick
and coordinated response to natural disasters and other emergencies;
7. Notes that the usefulness of the Central Emergency Revolving
Fund has been fully recognized by the operational agencies, in
particular for enhancing their capacity to address promptly the
urgent requirements of the initial phase of natural disasters
and other emergencies that require a system-wide response in accordance
with resolution 46/182;
8. Recognizes the need to maintain an adequate level of
resources in the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, and requests
the Emergency Relief Coordinator, when resources fall below this
level, to bring the matter to the attention of the States;
9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue taking measures
to ensure the availability of resources in the Central Emergency
Revolving Fund, inter alia, by encouraging States to reimburse
as a high priority projects that have been financed from the Fund
and by requiring operational agencies to certify that advances
from the Fund have been drawn in accordance with resolution 46/182,
establishing the appropriate uses of the Fund;
10. Also requests the Secretary-General to explore the
feasibility of seeking in-kind donations to meet early emergency
requirements;
11. Also recognizes the need to increase the resources
available in the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, including through
timely repayment of funds, invites potential donors to make additional
contributions to the Fund, and requests the Secretary-General
to continue consultations to that effect, taking fully into account
the need to secure contributions to the Fund on an assured, broad-based
and additional basis;
12. Invites the Secretary-General further to pursue efforts
to improve and adjust the technical and procedural functioning
of the Central Emergency Revolving Fund and to explore ways and
means for strengthening the complementarity between the Fund and
the individual emergency funds of operational agencies;
13. Calls upon States to respond quickly and generously
to consolidated appeals for humanitarian assistance, taking into
account the need for rapid- response funding as well as rehabilitation
and long-term assistance requirements;
14. Urges all concerned operational and humanitarian organizations
and agencies to cooperate and participate fully in the preparation
of the consolidated appeals in order to ensure the prompt launching
of such appeals, based on specific priorities;
15. Requests that in preparing appeals the Department of
Humanitarian Affairs and the agencies highlight funds borrowed
from the Central Emergency Revolving Fund and indicate which projects
those borrowed funds supported;
16. Stresses the responsibility of organizations having
drawn from the Central Emergency Revolving Fund to reimburse the
Fund in the first instance from the voluntary contributions received
in response to consolidated appeals, and urges that resources
advanced by the Fund be reimbursed fully and in a timely manner;
17. Endorses the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee that the arrangement for financing rapid-response coordination
from the interest earned by the Central Emergency Revolving Fund
should be continued;
18. Urges all operational agencies to collaborate fully
with the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, particularly in the
early phase of an emergency, in providing sufficient financial
and human resources for rapid coordination arrangements in order
to enhance the rapid-response capability of the system as a whole;
19. Stresses the need to create a sound and stable financial
basis for the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, and invites
the Secretary-General to explore all solutions to achieve an adequate
level of financing from the regular budget;
20. Welcomes the adoption of the Convention on the Safety
of United Nations and Associated Personnel. 3/
93rd plenary meeting
20 December 1994
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolutions 46/182 of 19 December 1991, in
particular, the guiding principles embodied in the annex thereto,
47/168 of 22 December 1992 and 48/57 of 14 December 1993,
Recalling Economic and Social Council resolution 1993/205
of 12 February 1993 and the agreed conclusions of the coordination
segment of the Council of 1993, 4/ as well as Council decision
1994/291 of 27 July 1994,
Recalling also its resolutions 45/264 of 13 May 1991 and
48/162 of 20 December 1993,
Recognizing, in the light of the increasing number and
growing magnitude and complexity of natural disasters and other
emergencies, the need to utilize fully the national potential
of countries in providing the United Nations, on a stand-by basis,
with support for its activities in the area of humanitarian emergency
assistance, as well as in the promotion of a smooth transition
from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and development,
Also recognizing the importance of enhancing the national
capacity of countries in disaster prevention, mitigation and preparedness,
as well as the importance of eradication of poverty in developing
countries, in order to reduce their vulnerabilities,
Welcoming national initiatives, such as the establishment
of a national volunteer corps called "White Helmets",
undertaken in order to strengthen the stand-by capacity of developing
countries, to support the United Nations activities in the area
of humanitarian emergency assistance, as well as in the promotion
of a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction
and development,
Further recognizing the role of the United Nations Volunteers,
including in the mobilization of resources oriented towards the
provision of humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and technical
cooperation for development,
1. Notes with satisfaction the initiatives undertaken by
the international community in order to facilitate quick and adequate
response to humanitarian emergencies and to provide effective
support to the rehabilitation and development efforts of affected
countries;
2. Encourages voluntary national and regional actions aimed
at providing the United Nations system, on a stand-by basis, with
specialized human and technical resources for emergency relief
and rehabilitation, and, in this regard, notes with satisfaction
the establishment, in particular in developing countries, of national
volunteer corps;
3. Also encourages those national volunteer corps to develop
the appropriate capabilities in order to cooperate, at the field
level and in their respective area of expertise, with the United
Nations system and non-governmental organizations, in accordance
with the relevant provisions of resolution 46/182 and other relevant
United Nations resolutions;
4. Invites Governments to promote at the national level
the development of innovative financial mechanisms to fund these
national stand-by capacities, by involving, inter alia, the private
sector;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to submit a report to
the Economic and Social Council at its next substantive session
incorporating the views expressed by Governments and appropriate
intergovernmental organizations and relevant entities within the
United Nations system, in particular the Department of Humanitarian
Affairs of the Secretariat and the United Nations Volunteers,
on ways and means of strengthening national and regional stand-by
arrangements, including the establishment and full utilization
of national volunteer corps, in the area of emergency humanitarian
assistance, as well as in the promotion of a smooth transition
from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and development,
taking into account existing mandates and activities of the United
Nations system;
6. Invites the Secretary-General, in this context, to include
in his report for consideration at the next substantive session
of the Economic and Social Council the results of his assessment
of the potentials of:
(a) The provision by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations Volunteers of coordination for activities to be undertaken by national volunteer corps, including the supportive role of the Resident Coordinator at the country level;
(b) The establishment of a distinct window within the Special Voluntary Fund of the United Nations Volunteers for channelling funds for operational purposes;
(c) The use of databases within the United Nations system to coordinate and facilitate the rapid provision of assistance by national volunteer corps to the United Nations system;
(d) Experiences at the national level with regard to, inter alia, selection and training, deployment, status and security, and the effective utilization of stand-by arrangements;
7. Also requests the Secretary-General to report to
the General Assembly at its fiftieth session on the implementation
of the present resolution, in the context of his annual report
on strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian
assistance of the United Nations, in accordance with resolution
46/182.
93rd plenary meeting
20 December 1994
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1/ A/49/177-E/1994/80 and Corr.1 and Add.1.
2/ A/49/177-E/1994/80/Add.1, chap. II.
3/ Resolution 49/59, annex.
4/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-eighth
Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/48/3/Rev.1), chap. III. .