UN Council examines humanitarian, economic needs

The UN Economic and Social Council decided on Tuesday to consider creating ad hoc advisory groups, at the request of any African country emerging from conflict, to examine the humanitarian and economic needs of the concerned country.

A resolution the Council adopted stated that the advisory group would prepare recommendations for a long-term programme of support through the integration of relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and development. It would be drawn from the Council's membership and its observer states, and would include representation from the country concerned.

Also on Tuesday, the Council presided over a wide-ranging debate on how to best enable relief workers to reach vulnerable populations in the midst of natural disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, UN News reported.

The Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund, Carol Bellamy, called for increased resources devoted to humanitarian aid, complemented by support for activities aimed at bridging the transition from relief to development. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, agreed that humanitarian efforts must be harmonised with development initiatives. For its part, UNHCR sought to prepare the ground for the smooth transition from relief to development, he added.

In addition, UN Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator Ross Mountain said the effective delivery of humanitarian aid required a clear plan, including an appropriate division of labour, and the rapid mobilisation of resources.

"On some occasions, the media attention given to a sudden disaster may help mobilise awareness and thus the resources needed to also meet the needs of the continuing emergency," he said. "Sometimes, however, natural disasters remain as unremarked as the forgotten complex emergencies within which they occur. It is vital that we as the international community ensure that this does not happen."

[For a detailed transcript of the proceedings see http://www.unhchr.ch]