humanitarian governance
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Humanitarian Governance
Laura HammondDept of Development Studies, SOAS
SOAS/Mo Ibrahim Foundation Seminar on Governance and Development
April 2014Mauritius
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
Outline of the Session
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?
Humanitarian Governance Defined
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
Community Rep
NGO NGO
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
Humanitarian Responses to...
what is their reputation? what kind of relationship do they
have with the state? with local people?
How would you describehumanitarian actors in your country?
Q.
Do they engage directly –including channelling funds through government?
Does the state facilitate or constrain humanitarian action?
How is the state seen by humanitarian actors in your country?
Q.
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
State-Donor relations through history
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
Role of the State
Role of Humanitarian/Development Organisations 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
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
How to work?
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
Politics of Humanitarian Governance
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
The accountability vaccuum
Changes/Challenges 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)
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
Conclusions
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