The World Humanitarian Day (August 19th) is fast approaching and we are sure you are making plans to observe the day with all due importance.
As part of it, we can, for example, take as this year’s theme – “Roles and Responsibilities of a Humanitarian Actor” – and commemorate the day with a number of initiatives, including interactive workshops, round table discussions, community level meetings, preparing and sharing case studies with other partners based on Best Practices, etc.
The case studies would, then, be able to elaborate how the organization has performed its role and/or carried out its responsibilities as a humanitarian actor and in what situation. The ‘Best Practice’ emerging from this discussion can then be replicated elsewhere.
Themes can also come up from the field and shared between partners. Please brainstorm and let us know your ideas on how to observe the World Humanitarian Day.
We anticipate a lively discussion and wait eagerly for the plans taken up by you to commemorate this day.
We are attaching herewith a concept note for your perusal and subsequent discussion.
Concept Note on the World Humanitarian Day 2010
Proposed Theme: Roles and Responsibilities of a Humanitarian Actor
On 11 December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly made history when it adopted the Swedish-sponsored GA Resolution A/63/L.49 on the Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Assistance of the United Nations,[1] that amongst other important humanitarian decisions, decided to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day (WHD). The Resolution gives, for the first time, a special recognition to 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 urges all Member States, entities of the United Nations within existing resources, as well as the other International Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations to observe it annually in an appropriate way. It marks the day on which the then Special Representative of the Secretary-General to Iraq, Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 of his colleagues tragically made the ultimate sacrifice to the cause of duty following the bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad.
Humanitarian action stems from the establishment in the 19th century codes of conduct during armed conflict. However, in the 21st century, humanitarian action is no longer confined to the protection and provision of emergency assistance and relief to civilians caught in armed conflict. Natural disasters or man-made crises can also be the cause of vulnerability.
The very nature of humanitarian action requires making adaptations on a daily basis just to ‘get the job done’. Staff members in humanitarian agencies are forced to solve problems as they appear, adjusting to the rapidly changing contexts in which they work.
Such creative problem solving takes place in projects or programmes – and involves working within the context of existing practices, policies and norms of behaviour, often focusing on detecting and correcting deviations and variances from these standards, or finding ways in which standard operating procedures can be better implemented.
In the face of increasingly rapid change and volatility, growing numbers of practitioners and analysts are now arguing that humanitarian agencies must become more innovative simply in order to retain relevance.
In this context we need to ascertain for ourselves what our key roles and responsibilities are and how they can be performed even in the face of adversity.
