1. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Panama City, Panama
Thank you for this opportunity to speak with you. I would like to very briefly talk about OCHAs global mandate and tools and then make some comments about the strategy and our role in relation to its various elements.

2. What is OCHA?
Part of the United Nations Secretariat with the mandate to coordinate UN assistance in humanitarian crises that go beyond the capacity and mandate of any single humanitarian agency
OCHA works with Humanitarian Community to ensure that there is a coherent framework within which each actor can contribute effectively and promptly to the overall effort.

3. Resolution 46/182
“The United Nations has a central and unique role to play in providing leadership and coordinating the efforts of the international community to support the affected countries, and should ensure the prompt and smooth delivery of this relief assistance”
Reinforce the UN response to complex emergencies and natural disasters
Improve the efficiency of UN humanitarian operations in the field.
Creation of the posts of “Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC)” and “Under- secretary general for humanitarian affairs (USG)”
The “Inter Agency Standing Committee” (IASC)
Institutional support though OCHA
Review brieflly the creation of OCHA and its mandate through resolutino 46/182. Here are things that flow from 46/182

4. Functions of OCHA Response Coordination Policy Development
Advocate for humanitarian causes
Facilitate Information Management
Mobilize Resources for Response
OCHA has the following 5 principle functions. (BE VERY BRIEF – LIKELY ONLY LIST QUICKLY W/O EXAMPLES BELOW)
Response coordination.
Administrate Coordination Mechanisms such as United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), SAR, MCDA, etc.
2. Policy development
Developing policies on natural disasters, etc.
3. Advocate for humanitarian cause
Strengthen disaster preparedness and response, etc.
4. Info mgt.
Administrate and Manage ReliefWeb, etc.
5. Mobilization of resources
Cash grant, Flash Appeals, CERF, etc.

5. OCHA Response Mechanisms and Tools
24 hours Duty system
ReliefWeb, RedHum, HIC
Emergency Cash Grant, CERF
Environmental Emergency
Section
Register of Disaster
Management Capabilities
Civil Milt Coord staff
Brindisi Warehouse
CAP sections
UNDAC Support modules from (from IHP Countries)
On Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC)
Virtual OSOCC (GDAS)
INSARAG Secretariat
Technical advisors
Standby Partners
UNDAC Teams
Without entering into any detail it is worth mentioning that over the years OCHA and its partners have developed numerous response mechanisms and tools.
These include tools for monitoring, for information management like Relief Web the new Spanish Language Humanitarian Information Network – REDHUM, financial tools such as cash grants and more recently the Central Emergency Response fund created through the humanitarian reform, coordination instruments including on site coordination centres, technical support coordination and assessment

6. Strategic Objectives Identification of costs Identification of gaps
Prioritization
Advocacy
Identification of gaps
Hyogo guidelines and indicators
UNDAC preparedness missions
Practical measures
UNDAC regional teams
RedHum
On site coordination
That is a very brief look at OCHA mandate – In both the americas and asia there are Regional Offices, in Panama City and Bangkok repectively. These represent OCHA and work closely with other humanitarian partners to ensure effective coordination and preparedness for disaster response.
Now turn to the what brings us here, and make a few comments regarding the strategy that has been discussed here. Will comment in several aspects of the strategy
First of all it is important to begin our comments by recognizing the wisdom reflected in working together for a common strategy, the effort of countless individuals who have contributed to it, and the enormity of the disaster and the tragedy – the Indian Ocean Tsunami – that has inspired this effort.
Here the value of the overall objectives should be acknowledged. These three represent a solid approach to moving forward,
Identification of costs: - The example of mitch cost vs. Tsunami
Recognize the efforts of CEPAL (ECLAC) in identification of the costs and the evaluations conducted post disasters.
In identifying gaps: OCHA may have a supporting role through the hyogo guidelines and indicators and the conduct of UNDAC preparedness missions.
Practical measures: the importance of learning from examples and utilizing those mechanisms that are there.
We have already mentioned various tools that are at the disposal of economies. In both Asia and the Americas regions there are UNDAC teams of experts. In this region the RedHum is an example of a practical information management tool.
In sum these are objectives to which OCHA is committed along with you.

7. Strategic Lines of Action and OCHA Contributions
Coordination with national international and regional actors
Permanent coordination forums, on-site coordination
Disaster Preparedness Actions
Humanitarian Reform (Cluster, CERF) UNDAC preparedness missions, training, RedHum
Analysis of the strategic lines leads to the following observations about where as an institution we might contribute to achieving these. I would make the following observations with regard to the role that OCHA might play in contributing.
Coordination: First of all the mention of coordination and a confident demand that international humanitarian actors coordinate among themselves and importantly with economies is in order. Support to this is a critical aspect of our role and is promoted by Facilitation of permanent forums such as REDLAC in the americas and of course on site coordination structures.
Disaster Preparedness Actions – In the last several years at a global scale a reform of the humanitarian system lead by OCHA has been undertaken to increase effectiveness and efficiency and fill gaps in service. OCHA also has used UNDAC preparedness missions to identify and strengthen national preparedness actions.
Early Recovery – The strategy rightly points out the need for stronger development in order to ensure recovery. Here it is useful to mention the work done by BCPR in early recovery and its importance. One of the central contribution that OCHA can offer is to ensure support to solid assessments in order to create the basis for recovery action. Another critical contribution needed for recovery as well as adequate humanitarian assistance where needed is ensuring that persons displaced by natural disaster events enjoy adequate protection of their rights. To this end OCHA has promoted with the IASC the creation of guiding principles for protection of idps. These form the basis for ensuring the relatee conditions in which idps can participate fully in the recovery process.
Finally the coordination with the Hyogo Framework that the strategy calls for is important in the creation of a global framework. Here OCHA has developed guidelines and indicators for Priority Five of Hyogo that are available for enconomies to orient the disaster preparedness planning.

8. Recovery Process Risk management Hyogo Framework
Early consolidated assessments, IDPs protection
Risk management
Response preparedness and capacity
Hyogo Framework
Guidelines and indicators

9. THANK YOU!
In sum OCHA and in particular the regional office for Latin America and the Caribbean would like to congratulate the working group and the participants in this seminar for their work in creating a common strategy that captures many of the critical elements. There will be many challenges in putting this strategy into concrete action and maintaing the engagement and commitment necessary.
We are faced almost daily with increasing evidence of climatic change. At the same time the economies of the region and the world are faced with challenges to their growth and stability. These will be issues with which you will have to contend as you move forward. And as you do so we would like to reiterate our global role in and commitment to supporting these efforts.
Thankyou