Update on coordination issues: strategic partnerships

Executive Committee of the High Commissioner s Programme Standing Committee 49 th meeting Distr. restricted 15 September 2010 Original: English Update on coordination issues: strategic partnerships Contents Chapter Paragraphs I. Introduction... 1-9 2 II. Strengthening humanitarian action... 10-24 3 A. Humanitarian reform... 10 3 B. The cluster approach... 11-16 3 C. Strengthening humanitarian coordination... 17-19 4 D. Enhancing national-level partnership... 20-21 5 E. Joint needs assessments... 22-24 5 III. Improving management and operations practices... 25-30 5 A. Accountability to affected populations - setting the highest ethical standards... 25-28 5 B. Administrative accountability and oversight... 29-30 6 IV. Conclusion... 31 6 Page

I. Introduction 1. Partnership remains the cornerstone of UNHCR s approach to today s humanitarian challenges. This paper summarizes some key cross-cutting aspects of partnership that are fundamental to the work of the Office. The upcoming anniversaries of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness will provide opportunities to reflect anew on how UNHCR s strategic partnerships have evolved over time and look forward to future developments. 2. The history of UNHCR s involvement with non-governmental partners goes back to their participation in the Conference held in Geneva to draft the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. Twenty-nine non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and members of the Red Cross family participated in that Conference. It was clear from the very beginning, that partners have a strategic part to play in the work of the Office, in addition to their vital front-line role in implementing programmes. 3. Nevertheless, while the strategic nature of UNHCR s partnerships was acknowledged at the outset, in many cases they have tended to be dominated by implementation considerations, resulting in a relationship which sometimes resembled more of a contractual agreement, rather than a meaningful partnership as we see it today. 4. In recent years, a greater balance has been achieved, with partners playing a stronger strategic role, as UNHCR increases the levels of implementation with partners. This is due partly to the growing professionalism in the humanitarian work carried out by NGOs and others, as well as to an increase in the scale and variety of work that they are willing to undertake. At the same time, UNHCR has made a conscious decision to engage more with partners at all levels, as demonstrated through the High Commissioner s strong support for the Global Humanitarian Platform and the Principles of Partnership that were developed in that forum. 5. The Office s growing reliance on partners to implement its programmes is clear from the statistics. In 2009, implementing partners accounted for some 35 per cent (or more than USD 632 million) of total UNHCR expenditure, up from some 31 per cent (or just over USD 347 million) of a significantly lower overall expenditure in 2006. In addition, UNHCR channels procurement assistance (such as vehicles, non-food items, etc.) worth some USD 100 million per year, through its partners. 6. The traditional drivers of displacement, notably conflict and human rights abuses, have not changed much over the past 60 years. However, today they have been exacerbated by factors such as extreme poverty, climate change, population growth, urbanization and resource insecurity (e.g. food, oil etc.). This has generated high levels of involuntary displacement, with over 43 million people forcibly displaced in the world today over 15 million of whom are refugees. 7. The High Commissioner s mandated protection responsibilities require UNHCR to take the lead in response to refugee situations. At the same time, the organization is ever more closely involved in collaborative initiatives concerning internally displaced persons (IDPs) and humanitarian reform processes, including, on occasion, calls for UNHCR to adopt the same cluster framework for refugees as that applied in IDP situations. Both demand clear and predictable leadership and accountability, and both require all concerned to work collectively and in partnership. 8. UNHCR s preeminent role and extensive experience in refugee protection work mean that the organization is well placed to undertake the additional protection responsibilities arising from the cluster approach to IDP situations. Nevertheless, meeting those protection and assistance needs presents a challenge to all three pillars of the 2

international humanitarian community with which UNHCR enjoys partnership: the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and NGOs. 9. Enhancing the Office s capacity to respond effectively to protection and assistance gaps requires stronger and more innovative strategic partnerships with all three pillars. UNHCR will need to encourage all forms of partnership, notably with national and local entities. It is often at the local level that problems are most acutely felt and solutions must be found. Local partners are frequently better placed to design, develop and implement programmes specifically adapted to the needs of the populations being cared for. II. Strengthening humanitarian action A. Humanitarian reform 10. In recent years, UNHCR has been closely involved in inter-agency efforts to strengthen humanitarian action in the Field. The main focus has been on humanitarian reform, including: the cluster system, humanitarian coordination, and partnership in key operational areas such as needs assessment. B. The cluster approach 11. One of UNHCR s Global Strategic Priorities (GSP 7.7) articulates the Office s engagement in strengthening partnership arrangements on internal displacement. The cluster approach has produced positive results in terms of improving predictability of response and ensuring that gaps and/or overlaps are reduced or eliminated in IDP operations. A predictable allocation of roles and responsibilities in IDP emergencies has now become a natural reflex for the humanitarian community, which represents significant progress compared with five years ago. The recent Inter-Agency Standing Committee Cluster Approach Evaluation Phase 2 Synthesis Report notes in its Executive Summary: Partnership between UN agencies and other international humanitarian actors has become stronger, especially as NGOs increasingly assume co-lead or co-facilitator roles. 12. UNHCR is committed to further improving its role, both as cluster lead at global level, 1 and as a partner with others in the system as a whole. The Office has been closely involved in the Cluster Approach Evaluation Phase 2 process, supplying input and analysis and also through its membership of the Steering Group for the evaluation. UNHCR has also agreed to co-chair, together with MERLIN-UK, the IASC Task Team charged with managing the implementation of recommendations arising from this evaluation. 13. UNHCR also plays a supporting role in other clusters, providing back-up for other actors in relation to their cluster responsibilities. In the recent Haiti emergency, for example, UNHCR deployed teams to work as part of the protection cluster (led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)) and the CCCM Cluster (led by IOM/IFRC). 14. Another important contribution towards improving the cluster approach was the Synthesis Report: Review of the engagement of NGOs with the humanitarian reform process, commissioned by a consortium of six NGOs. One of the conclusions of this report was that the original focus of the reform on the international community was to the 1 UNHCR acts as lead agency at global level for the Protection Cluster, the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster (CCCM) co-led by IOM, and the Emergency Shelter Cluster (ESC) co-led by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). 3

detriment of national and local actors. This finding was reinforced by similar conclusions in a report on achievements, challenges and lessons to be learned in respect of the Response to the humanitarian crisis in Hait. This report, compiled six months after the January 2010 earthquake at the request of the IASC Principals, included the observation that: The international humanitarian community needs to strengthen its engagement at the local level, particularly supporting local level initiatives and responders wherever possible, with the broader objective of contributing to building national capacity and more sustainable approaches to humanitarian assistance. 15. The common findings of these reports match with UNHCR s own experience and have prompted an examination of how to reinforce national and local partnerships, including in the area of capacity building. For this reason, the Annual UNHCR-NGO Consultations in June this year had the overall theme of National Partnerships. The event was attended by 209 organizations, 98 of which were national organizations. The NGO report on these Annual Consultations will be presented by the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) during the 61 st session of the Executive Committee in October. 16. UNHCR is fully involved in the consultative process to address other key issues such as simplifying and rendering cluster processes in the Field less bureaucratic, and enhancing inter-cluster coordination at the field level. The question of disparities between the assistance provided to IDPs in camps and those outside camps is also of strategic importance, and UNHCR is engaged with its partners, in particular with the Representative of the Secretary-General (RSG) for the Human Rights of IDPs, on examining how to address this problem and to find a common approach. C. Strengthening humanitarian coordination 17. UNHCR has long underlined the importance of improving the Humanitarian Coordination system and has given particular focus to this issue in the IASC Humanitarian Coordination Issues Group. The results of the work undertaken on this issue will become evident only after some time, as the Humanitarian Coordinators (HC) Pool gradually ensures that candidates chosen for such positions have the right profile and experience. In the coming years, the majority of serving HCs should be drawn from the HC Pool and it is anticipated that the enhanced training on humanitarian issues offered to HCs and Resident Coordinators (RCs) will, over time, increase the capacities of those already in such positions. 18. In addition, UNHCR believes that there are issues to be resolved in humanitarian coordination that go beyond the selection and training of the right individuals notably the structuring of coordination in the Field. For some situations, having one person assume both the HC and RC roles may be the right structure. For other situations, however - for example where the nature of the emergency is very large and/or complex - the optimum solution may be to separate the two functions. 19. While the prerogative to designate a humanitarian coordinator rests with the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), UNHCR welcomes the decision of the ERC to put in place a consultation process with agencies in order to select the most suitable structure for humanitarian coordination in a given situation. This will allow each situation to be assessed properly and the most suitable structure put in place. Through the HC Issues Group, UNHCR has contributed to the design of this consultative mechanism, and has offered to participate in the consultation panel that will consider the coordination structure for each operation. UNHCR also participates in the panel that selects individuals for the HC Pool to which UNHCR has also contributed staff. Out of 21 current members of the HC Pool, four are UNHCR staff members. 4

D. Enhancing national-level partnership 20. National organizations comprise the largest single group of UNHCR s implementing partners: there were 615 in 2004 and almost 700 in 2009. Expenditure channelled through national partners has been increasing year by year: from $152 million in 2004 to $288 million in 2009. National organizations are usually the first to respond in an emergency and are important partners in complex and insecure environments, often in places where international organizations cannot be present. They are in the best position to assess needs and to adapt solutions to suit local conditions. 21. Improving national partnership is therefore a priority for UNHCR. This will mean exploring how to expand capacity and reduce the administrative and bureaucratic burden placed on national and local partners by developing simpler and lighter procedures for certain categories of partners. Donors also have a potentially positive role to play in supporting national actors through facilitating appropriate access to funding. E. Joint needs assessments 22. Assessing the needs of refugees and IDPs is a fundamental part of protection and assistance. Needs assessments undertaken in partnership with other providers can help reduce survey fatigue among populations of concern; increase the efficiency of data gathering and the management of information; facilitate cross-cluster analyses; and ensure that all humanitarian actors are using the same statistics. 23. UNHCR s experience of undertaking needs assessments in partnership includes joint assessment missions with the World Food Programme (WFP), as well as with a variety of other actors, in both emergency and protracted situations. Through the IASC Needs Assessment Task Force, UNHCR has contributed to developing guidelines, training, indicator lists and needs-assessment stocktaking. 24. The Office has also given particular focus to improving the quality of primary data collection systems, for example through collaboration with the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) joint rapid assessment, following the typhoon in the Philippines, in October-November 2009. Thanks to input from UNHCR, the humanitarian dashboard - which displays humanitarian information in a standardized, user-friendly way - now incorporates data from a human rights perspective. III. Improving management and operations practices A. Accountability to affected populations - setting the highest ethical standards 25. UNHCR has continued to work with partners to ensure that all United Nations organizations, NGOs and other international organizations are equipped with the necessary policies, guidelines, standards and tools in order to prevent or respond to cases of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), by aid workers, of people in need of protection. As part of these collective efforts, in 2009 the IASC commissioned a review to examine achievements and constraints in global efforts to protect populations of concern in this respect. This included a self-assessment process undertaken by 14 agencies (including UNHCR) and field visits. In July 2010 it was agreed to form an IASC task force to oversee the implementation of the review s recommendations. 26. At the same time, UNHCR is pursuing measures in compliance with the requirements of the Secretary-General s Bulletin on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA). These include mandatory annual Code-of-Conduct refresher sessions 5

for the entire workforce.. The Office is coordinating its efforts with the inter-agency task force on PSEA, including work on the drafting of guidelines for setting up a communitybased complaints mechanism on SEA. 27. UNHCR s endeavours to prevent SEA are reflected in the ethical responsibilities outlined in its Global Management Accountability Framework, as well as in a new facilitator s manual on UNHCR s Code of Conduct which is being used by managers and staff alike. In June 2010, one of the sessions at the UNHCR-NGO Annual Consultations was devoted to the issue of the prevention of SEA. 28. The Director of UNHCR s Ethics Office is a member of the United Nations Ethics Committee (UNEC) and participates regularly in monthly committee sessions which provide a useful forum for discussion of issues such as the system-wide Code of Ethics and the United Nations policy governing protection from retaliation. B. Administrative accountability and oversight 29. UNHCR, the United Nations Children s Fund (UNICEF) and WFP, together with ICVA and the NGO InterAction, have formed a working group to look at ways to rationalize financial partnership between the three main humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners. Some of the issues under discussion are the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) and how this could simplify common partner risk assessment and common project and reporting documentation. 30. United Nations organizations are in the process of updating their accounting processes by adopting the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS), and UNHCR actively participates in United Nations working groups that produce policy and guidance papers and share experiences to ensure consistent application. All agencies, including UNHCR, are participating in an external review to define and develop the strategic direction of the United Nations IPSAS team for the future. The results of this study are to be presented to the High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM) for approval during its first meeting in 2011. IV. Conclusion 31. In the face of the scale and complexity of today s enormous humanitarian challenges, UNHCR must continue to enhance its overall capacity to protect and respond to emergency situations, both within the organization and through partnerships. This is why national and local partnerships are now an area of priority focus for UNHCR. At the same time, the Office will continue to build its partnerships with all three pillars of the humanitarian world. UNHCR counts on the guidance and support of Executive Committee members to further develop these strategic partnerships. 6