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Laura Hammond Dept of Development Studies, SOAS SOAS/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Seminar on Governance and Development April 2014 Mauritius
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What is Humanitarian Governance? How does it relate to other aspects of governance we’ve been studying this week. Responsibility to Protect – expectations of the state & humanitarian organisations Accountability – where does it come from? Changes in, and challenges of, humanitarian governance
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Rules, structures and mechanisms for promoting accountable and effective humanitarian practice, including prevention, mitigation, management, response, and recovery from disasters of all types. ◦ Actors can include states (at all levels) but also regional bodies, LNGOs, INGOs, donors, UN agencies, etc. Focus on saving lives, alleviating suffering How can this be done most efficiently, with fewest adverse effects – how does it affect other forms of governance?
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Community Rep NGO (health) NGO (wat/san) NGO (education) NGO (food) UN agencies– funding, coordination, protection ICRC/Red Cross Host Government Security, appeal for help, Regulation, some coordination Community Rep NGO
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Rapid onset disasters – ◦ floods, storms, earthquakes, tsunami, communicable disease epidemics Slow onset disaster ◦ drought, climate change effects, chronic disease at epidemic levels Complex emergencies ◦ conflict, state failure, often overlaid with natural disaster - Usually these three are interrelated
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what is their reputation? what kind of relationship do they have with the state? with local people?
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Do they engage directly –including channelling funds through government? Does the state facilitate or constrain humanitarian action?
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1970s-80s: donors gave through direct payment to the state, even balance of payments support (Harvey 2009). INGOs peripheral 1990s – shift to support through NGOs, Red Cross. Assumed states were too weak or corrupt to handle aid themselves 2000s – resurgence in interest in direct assistance – recognition of increasing state capacity ◦ Emphasis on national ownership
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State has the first ‘Responsibility to Protect’ – Sovereignty has obligations and rights State ideally should be able to respond to risks/disasters on its own Where it requires assistance, it should be able to coordinate, approve intervention plans, see and approve budgets, and evaluate (or see evaluations) of external activities International norms & legal instruments can be used to back up national responsibility
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Provide protection & life-saving assistance if state cannot or will not Under IHL, states must, if they are unable or unwilling to assist civilians, grant access to an organisation ‘like the ICRC’. ◦ Doesn’t mean that all NGOs have a right to access Natural disasters – state must usually invite international intervention
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Independence, Neutrality, Impartiality are Key to preserving access usually ◦ HOs must choose between capacity building, service substitution, advocacy (& sometimes denunciation) ◦ Where states do not uphold social contract, IOs often see it as their role to speak out But adherence to principles may result in distance between HOs and govt Other humanitarians work for justice, equity, empowerment – these may be at odds with principles
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Strong response can provide a political boost Conditionality regularly used to guide political policy Humanitarian assistance used for state- building, hearts & minds Humanitarian principles often used only with regard to humanitarian action & not development
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Without regulation/registration, international organisations are not likely to self-regulate ◦ Some accountability mechanisms: Humanitarian Accountability Partnership, Red Cross Code of Conduct, Sphere Guidelines, etc. Coordination problems But state regulation of humanitarian governance can also be used as a way of maintaining control over citizens, restricting LNGO activities, curtailing human rights
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Role of China as an Economic Partner ‘Emergent’ donor countries – Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE Increasing role of Diaspora in funding, providing humanitarian assistance Faith-based humanitarianism (arguably not new, but its role is increasingly recognized)
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Humanitarian (& Development) Governance part of wider governance debates Humanitarian space can be a ‘black hole’ of accountability Effective system comes from leadership as well as insistence on accountability & service from below Contradiction: provide support to government but preserve independence to be able to protect those who need it
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