C.
Principles of UNHCR assistance
(Items 4 and 6 of the agenda)
52. Introducing item 6 of the agenda, the Deputy High Commissioner stressed that instead of a piecemeal view of assistance, UNHCR was relating each activity to the defined phases of a refugee situation and taking an integrated view of protection and assistance. He described the four phases as: (a) early warning and contingency planning, based on UNHCR's own field reporting but also on information from the United Nations system and Governments, and which required the prepositioning of food and other relief supplies so as not to be caught unawares; (b) the actual emergency itself, when the need was for immediate and effective relief measures to reduce the mass casualties of the past; (c) post-emergency care and maintenance, the most demoralizing, costly and long-drawn out phase, which UNHCR wished to curtail by moving more quickly to (d) self-reliance activities, which would help restore a sense of dignity, teach lasting skills, keep alive a will to return and reduce dependence. While UNHCR was committed to income-generating activities in its own projects, it considered the early involvement of development agencies, especially UNDP, to be imperative and valued the support of Governments to ensure this. It was a challenge to improve the proportion of funds devoted to durable solutions. The rallying cry of the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa was "a time for solutions"; recalling the vital principles endorsed by this Conference, the Deputy High Commissioner stressed that UNHCR and UNDP were trying to put the Conference back on track. Over $6 million of the $7 million ICARA Trust Fund had been committed. (The discussion of the issue of refugee aid and development is reported under a separate subheading below.)
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53. The Deputy High Commissioner also explained the manner in which UNHCR was to be considered "fully operational" and described the strengthening of UNHCR's Material Support Services, in particular the creation of the Supplies and Food Aid Service (which undertook procurement and the global planning of food aid, as well as monitoring the shipping of UNHCR relief goods) and the Technical Support Services (which provided "life-cycle support" to the Regional Bureaux in each sector of a refugee relief operation). He reiterated that UNHCR's priorities were preparedness, a prompt and flexible response to emergencies, precision and rigour in assistance planning and implementation, the promotion of self-reliance, early involvement of development agencies and above all, accelerated movement toward solutions and the avoidance, wherever possible, of situations which perpetuate dependency and relief.
54.
A large number of speakers reiterated the principle of equitable burden-sharing in supporting refugees. Several speakers also endorsed the three-pronged approach to refugee crises described in the High Commissioner's opening statement: combining effective emergency response, the prompt establishment of basic services (health, sanitation, education), and early action to promote refugee self-reliance in the interests of both refugees and host countries. Some delegations referred to the interaction between assistance, refugee aid and development and durable solutions; one delegate stated that he would have preferred the Committee to treat the three topics separately and requested a review of this question during the session.
55.
Several speakers spoke of the importance of promoting self-reliance in refugee camps pending the attainment of durable solutions. This was emphasized in particular to be essential to relieve the burden on asylum countries, especially in
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