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HISTORY OF OCHA
OCHA is the part of the United Nations Secretariat responsible for bringing
together humanitarian actors to ensure a coherent response to emergencies.
OCHA also ensures there is a framework within which each actor can contribute
to the overall response effort.
OCHA’s mandate stems from General Assembly (GA) resolution 46/182 of
December 1991, which states: “The leadership role of the Secretary-General is
critical and must be strengthened to ensure better preparation for, as well as
rapid and coherent response to, natural disasters and other emergencies.” To this
end, it also establishes the role of the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), who
works with the Secretary-General and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
(IASC) in leading, coordinating and facilitating humanitarian assistance. OCHA is
the oUce that provides support to the ERC and the Secretary-General to meet the
leadership and coordination responsibilities charted in GA resolution 46/182.
GA resolution 46/182 assigns a clear leadership and coordination role to the ERC
for international humanitarian assistance to respond to the needs of affected
people. This mandate extends to affected people in internally displaced persons
(IDPs) situations and was reinforced by related GA resolutions (including GA
resolution 70/165). This was also formally recognized in the Secretary-General’s
1997 reform agenda, which assigned the ERC with responsibility for the overall
coordination of assistance to IDPs. The GA expressed support for the reform
agenda, and in subsequent resolutions it has emphasized ‘the central role of the
ERC’ for coordinating the protection of and assistance to IDPs.
The ERC is the global champion for people affected by emergencies and the
principal adviser to the Secretary-General on all humanitarian issues. Through the
ERC, OCHA ampli^es the voices of affected people, champions humanitarian
principles and action, and promotes solutions to reduce humanitarian need, risk
and vulnerability. At the global, regional and country levels, OCHA convenes
humanitarian partners for the coordinated, strategic and accountable delivery of
humanitarian action. At the country level, the ERC maintains close contact with
and provides leadership to United Nations Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian
Coordinators (RCs/HCs) on matters related to humanitarian assistance.
OCHA coordinates humanitarian action to ensure crisis-affected people receive
the assistance and protection they need. It works to overcome obstacles that
impede humanitarian assistance from reaching people affected by crises, and it
provides leadership in mobilizing assistance and resources on behalf of the
humanitarian system. OCHA is not an operational agency directly engaged in the
delivery of humanitarian programmes, and its added value is as an honest broker,
facilitator, thought leader and global advocate, providing support to the
humanitarian system. In ful^lling its coordination mandate, OCHA is guided by
the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and
independence. OCHA is also guided by the principles of:
Diversity. OCHA believes that the diversity of humanitarian actors is a key asset,
and that all stakeholders have a role in saving and protecting lives and alleviating
human suffering. OCHA promotes coordination mechanisms and processes that
are open for participation to all relevant local and global humanitarian actors.
OCHA also respects the distinct mandates and operational independence of a
diverse set of humanitarian organizations, while encouraging them to work
together through coordination mechanisms.
Trust. In a humanitarian system based on voluntary coordination, OCHA believes
that mutual trust is the foundation for successful partnerships. OCHA’s non-
programmatic coordination role enables it to ful^l its unique function as an
honest broker in the humanitarian sector, and to promote trust among all
humanitarian actors. OCHA’s mandate is to serve as the humanitarian arm of the
United Nations Secretariat.
National and local ownership. OCHA works in full recognition that Member
States retain the primary responsibility for the provision and coordination of
humanitarian aid to affected populations. OCHA’s role is to augment national and
local coordination capacities, and to promote coordination structures that are
complementary to established national mechanisms and capacities.
Accountability to affected people OCHA’s primary partners include affected
people, Member States, IASC organizations, and national and international NGOs.
However, it is guided foremost by the interests of people who need humanitarian
assistance. OCHA promotes humanitarian action that is accountable to affected
people, and it facilitates coordination approaches that integrate gender, age,
disability and other vulnerability considerations into all aspects of humanitarian
response.
Gender equality. Gender equality and the full participation of women and girls are
fundamental to effective humanitarian action. Recognizing and addressing the
differing needs, priorities and capacities of women, girls, boys and men of
different ages and abilities are critical to ensuring gender equality in humanitarian
action.
Strategic Plan
OCHA’s Strategic Plan presents OCHA’s vision, overarching goals and strategic
objectives. A related Management Plan explains how OCHA will strengthen its
operations to deliver against this plan.
History of OCHA
In December 1991, the General Assembly adopted resolution 46/182. It was
designed to strengthen the United Nations response to complex emergencies
and natural disasters, while improving the overall effectiveness of humanitarian
operations in the ^eld.
The resolution also created the high-level position of Emergency Relief
Coordinator (ERC). This new function would combine into a single United
Nations focal point the functions carried out by the Secretary-General's
representatives for major and complex emergencies, as well as the United
Nations' natural disaster functions carried out by the United Nations Disaster
Relief Organization.
Soon after the resolution was adopted, the Secretary-General established the
Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA). He also assigned the ERC the status
of Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, with oUces in New York and
Geneva to provide institutional support.
Resolution 46/182 also created the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the
Consolidated Appeals Process and the Central Emergency Revolving Fund as key
coordination mechanisms and tools of the ERC.
In 1998, as part of the Secretary-General's programme of reform, DHA was
reorganized into the OUce for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA). Its mandate was expanded to include the coordination of humanitarian
response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy.
OCHA carries out its coordination function primarily through the IASC, which is
chaired by the ERC. Participants include all humanitarian partners, from United
Nations agencies, funds and programmes, to the Red Cross movement and
NGOs. The IASC ensures inter-agency decision-making in response to complex
emergencies. These responses include needs assessments, consolidated
appeals, ^eld coordination arrangements and the development of humanitarian
policies.
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