Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire

Sergio Vieira de Mello - UN Photo


A partir de 2010, la Fondation Sergio Vieira de Mello prévoit d’honorer la mémoire et la contribution de M. Sergio Vieira de Mello en lançant un Prix annuel, en son nom, qui sera décerné aux individus, institutions ou communautés en reconnaissance d’actions exceptionnelles entreprises dans le but de réconcilier de façon pacifique les peuples et les parties en conflit. Dès 2010, les lauréat(s) seront annoncé(s) lors de la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire.

Questions – réponses
Q. Qui a institué la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire?
R. L’Assemblée générale a décidé en décembre 2008 de commémorer chaque année la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitairele 19 août pour « contribuer à sensibiliser le public aux activités humanitaires dans le monde et à l’importance de la coopération internationale dans ce domaine et de rendre hommage à tout le personnel humanitaire, au personnel des Nations Unies et au personnel associé qui s’emploient à promouvoir la cause humanitaire, ainsi qu’à celles et ceux qui ont perdu la vie dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions. »
Q. Le 19 août est également la date à laquelle, en 2003, a eu lieu l’attentat à la bombe contre l’Hôtel Canal à Bagdad et qui a entrainé la mort de 22 personnes parmi lesquelles le RSSG, M. Sergio Vieira de Mello. S’agit-il donc de commémorer cet événement?
R. L’Assemblée générale a estimé que le choix de cette date était approprié. Cette première année sera dédiée principalement à la mémoire de tous ceux et celles qui ont perdu leur vie alors qu’ils étaient engagés dans une opération humanitaire à une époque où ce travail devient de plus en plus dangereux. Le but de cette journée est également de mettre en avant les besoins et défis humanitaires actuels, et en particulier les bénéficiaires au nom desquels nous faisons ce travail.
Q. La Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire est-elle dédiée aux travailleurs humanitaires ou bien à la cause humanitaire?
R. Aux deux. Les membres exécutifs du Comité Permanent Inter-Institutions ont déterminé trois thèmes pour les commémorations de la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire de 2009 :
*honorer ceux et celles des humanitaires qui ont perdu leur vie dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions;
*exprimer la reconnaissance pour le travail que les humanitaires accomplissent à travers le monde;
*attirer l’attention sur les besoins humanitaires à travers le monde. D’autres thèmes spécifiques seront retenus pour les commémorations ultérieures.
Q. A quel public cette campagne est-elle destinée?
R. Comme le stipule l’Assemblée générale, cette campagne a pour cible le public en général, aussi bien dans les pays qui reçoivent une assistance humanitaire que dans les pays donateurs.
Q. Combien d’argent [destiné à l’assistance humanitaire] les Nations Unies dépensent pour cette campagne ?
R. Rien. L’Assemblée générale a donné pour instruction que la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire soit commémorée « dans le cadre des ressources existantes » ce qui signifie qu’aucun membre du personnel ou activités supplémentaires n’a été budgétisé pour cette campagne.
Q. Pourquoi la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire ne dispose pas d’un logo?
R. Les membres exécutifs du Comité Permanent Inter-Institutions ont demandé à OCHA de coordonner les activités des membres de la communauté humanitaire pour cette commémoration et de faire connaître la journée inaugurale à travers le réseau du Secrétariat de l’ONU, y compris le Département de l’Information et le Centre d'actualités; les réseaux de distribution des institutions des Nations Unies et le réseau des ONGs. Il convient cependant de noter que la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire n’est pas exclusive à l’ONU ou à une quelconque institution ou organisation.
Q. Que peuvent faire les autres institutions ainsi que le public en général pour soutenir la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire ?
R. S’assurer que les collègues et membres du public soient au courant de la Journée, grâce notamment à la distribution de la brochure sur la Journée mondiale de l'aide humanitaire ainsi que le spot d’une minute; en utilisant les messages clés prévus à cet effet pour que les personnalités politiques et représentants officiels en parlent lors de rencontre avec les médias; en disséminant ces informations aussi largement que possible à travers les réseaux formels et informels; en faisant pression sur les principaux médias nationaux et internationaux pour qu’ils diffusent le spot d’information incluant la déclaration du Secrétaire Général; en encourageant les travailleurs humanitaires, quand cela est possible, à parler de leur travail aux médias; en organisant des évènements publics présentant l’action humanitaire.

Fonte,http://www.un.org/fr/events/humanitarianday/2009/qna.shtml, consultado a 11 de Setembro de 2009

Antonio Guterres: A terrible dilemma facing humanitarian agencies

19 August 2009
GENEVA, August 19 (UNHCR)

UNHCR is still in shock over the recent brutal killing of staff member Zill-e-Usman, who was shot by unidentified gunmen in the Katcha Gari camp on the border of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province. Another staff member, Ishfaq Ahmad, was wounded in the July 16 incident. A guard working with the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees, a government-funded agency, was also killed. Four to five gunmen reportedly opened fire on Mr. Usman as he was walking back from the camp administrative office to his car during a routine visit to the site.

Mr. Usman was the third UN refugee agency staff member to be killed in Pakistan this year. On June 9, Aleksandar Vorkapic died in the bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar; on February 2, Syed Hashim, UNHCR senior driver, was killed in the kidnapping of John Solecki, head of the Quetta office, who was later released.

As I wrote to Mr. Usman's family, his murder is a cruel blow. There is no justification for attacks on humanitarian workers dedicated to the protection and care of the world's most vulnerable people. The killing of Mr. Usman was an outrage and a tragedy that affects us all.

This August 19, on the occasion of the first ever World Humanitarian Day, we will pause to remember Mr. Usman and hundreds of other UN and non-governmental organization workers who have lost their lives while carrying out their duties around the world. The date is important: it was on August 19, 2003, that a massive bomb blast in Baghdad took the lives of then UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 others.

The ongoing death toll of humanitarian workers raises fundamental questions about how we can ensure staff security in unstable environments.

Globally, it reminds us of the major dilemma facing humanitarian agencies around the world – how do we meet the life-or-death needs of the world's most vulnerable people while making sure those who provide that help are kept safe? Our ability to assist those who need it most is being severely tested by the shrinkage of the so-called 'humanitarian space' in which we must work. The nature of conflict is changing, with a multiplicity of armed groups -- some of whom view humanitarians as legitimate targets.

Another example of this is the brutal murder last month of Ms. Natalia Estemirova, a staff member of UNHCR's partner, Memorial, in the Russian Federation. Ms. Estemirova was found dead in the North Caucasus region of Ingushetia following her abduction from her home in Chechnya. Since 2000, in addition to her work as a prominent human rights investigator, Ms. Estemirova had been a social worker with Memorial and its UNHCR-funded legal and social counselling project in Grozny. She worked on issues related to internally displaced people in Chechnya and their safe return to their homes. Memorial has been an implementing partner of UNHCR in the North Caucasus since 2000 and received UNHCR's annual Nansen Refugee Award in 2004.

Humanitarian personnel work in the most dangerous places in the world and risk their own lives in the effort to help vulnerable populations to preserve theirs. Ensuring staff safety must be a top priority of every humanitarian organization and the United Nations as a whole. This is non-negotiable.

And yet, with the evolving nature of armed conflict and the changing attitudes of some belligerents, the deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers has increased, establishing a tension -- and in some situations a contradiction -- between the imperatives of staff safety and humanitarian action. UNHCR has continuously struggled to determine the 'acceptable' level of security risk to which its staff members can be exposed.

As this month's commemoration demonstrates, it is a truly terrible dilemma.

By António GuterresUN High Commissioner for Refugees

Link,http://www.unhcr.org/4a8bd24e9.html, consultado a 5 de Setembro 2008

UNHCR to remember sacrifice of colleagues on World Humanitarian Day

GENEVA, Switzerland
August 18 (UNHCR)

UNHCR staff will join colleagues from other UN and non-governmental organizations on Wednesday in observing the first World Humanitarian Day, honouring those who have been injured or killed while carrying out their humanitarian work.
The day, which is also Staff Memorial Day, was established by the UN General Assembly last December and is especially poignant for UNHCR, which lost three members of staff to attacks this year in Pakistan. They were among 30 UNHCR staff members killed while performing their duties since 1987.
The date commemorates the specific day in 2003 on which the UN office in Iraq was bombed, killing 22 people including Sergio Vieira de Mello, a UNHCR veteran who was UN High commissioner for Human Rights and a Special Representative to the UN secretary general at the time.
"How do we meet the life-or-death needs of the world's most vulnerable people while making sure those who provide that help are kept safe?" High Commissioner António Guterres wrote in a newspaper article this month. "Our ability to assist those who need it most is being severely tested by the shrinkage of the so-called 'humanitarian space' in which we must work. The nature of conflict is changing, with a multiplicity of armed groups -- some of whom view humanitarians as legitimate targets."
How do we meet the life-or-death needs of the world's most vulnerable people while making sure those who provide that help are kept safe?

– High Commissioner António Guterres
Among the events marking the day, Mr. Guterres will speak along with the Staff Council at a ceremony for staff in the Geneva headquarters. Later he will speak at a commemorative event in Geneva's Parc des Bastions organized by OCHA and the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation.
Last year 260 humanitarian aid workers were killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in attacks, the highest yearly toll on record. The average number of attacks in the last three years has been three times the level of the previous nine years.
In February of 2009, veteran UNHCR driver Syed Hashim was shot dead in Pakistan during the kidnapping of John Solecki, the head of our Quetta sub-office on 2 February. Mr. Solecki was released in April after two months in captivity.
In June, Aleksandar Vorkapic, a UNHCR staff member on emergency duty helping Pakistanis displaced by fighting in North West Frontier Province died in the bombing of the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar. And in July, UNHCR senior field assistant Zill-e-Usman was gunned down in a camp for internally displaced Pakistanis in Peshawar by unknown assailants.
With operations in some of the world's most dangerous locations, the killings have prompted a thorough review of UNHCR security procedures. UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone is in Pakistan talking to staff and local officials about the security situation this week.
"With the evolving nature of armed conflict and the changing attitudes of some belligerents, the deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers has increased, establishing a tension -- and in some situations a contradiction -- between the imperatives of staff safety and humanitarian action," said Mr. Guterres.
"UNHCR has continuously struggled to determine the 'acceptable' level of security risk to which its staff members can be exposed," he said. "As this month's commemoration demonstrates, it is a truly terrible dilemma."
Despite those risks – which have taken the lives of more than 700 humanitarian workers over the last decade – the staff of UNHCR and similar organizations continue to help those in need around the world. World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity both to remember those who have been killed or injured and to honour those continuing to carry out their humanitarian work despite the danger.

Link,http://www.unhcr.org/4a8a7d6c9.html , consultado a 5 de setembro de 2009

UNHCR pays tribute to fallen colleagues on World Humanitarian Day

News Stories, 19 August 2009
© UNHCR/S.Hopper

After a World Humanitarian Day ceremony at UNHCR headquarters Wednesday, UNHCR staff members individually paid respects at a memorial honouring those who gave their lives while serving refugees.

GENEVA, August 19 (UNHCR) – Hours after a bomb killed another two UN employees in Afghanistan, UNHCR staff on Wednesday marked the first World Humanitarian Day by honouring their hundreds of colleagues in humanitarian organizations around the globe who have been killed while carrying out their duties.
" 1987.
The date of 19 August, which is also Staff Memorial Day, commemorates the specific day in 2003 on which the UN office in Iraq was bombed, killing 22 people including Sergio Vieira de Mello, a UNHCR veteran who was UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a Special Representative to the UN Secretary General at the time.
High Commissioner António Guterres, speaking at the headquarters ceremony after observing a minute of silence, said UNHCR was acting to improve security for staff but noted that the danger for humanitarian workers was increasing. The two UN staff members killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday worked with the UN mission helping to rebuild the country; some 700 humanitarian workers have died worldwide in the last decade.
Humanitarian workers have increasingly come to be seen as targets in conflicts, with traditional respect for aid workers disappearing and the lines between military and humanitarian action increasingly blurred both by armies and their armed opponents.
Humanitarian action is now sometimes not a source of protection, but a reason to be targeted, said Guterres, who was speaking on the same subject at a later event in Geneva's Parc des Bastions organized by OCHA and the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation.
"All these reasons have contributed to shrink humanitarian space and to increase the risks of humanitarian action," the High Commissioner said. "It is important to raise the attention of the international community for that, it is not only to commemorate our colleagues, it is not only to remember them, and it is to make the international community assume its responsibilities for these situations."
Last year 260 humanitarian aid workers were killed, kidnapped or seriously injured in attacks, the highest yearly toll on record. The average number of attacks in the last three years has been three times the level of the previous nine years.
Among the casualties for UNHCR in Pakistan this year was veteran UNHCR driver Syed Hashim who was shot dead in Pakistan last February during the kidnapping of John Solecki, the head of UNHCR's Quetta sub-office. Solecki was released in April after two months in captivity.
In June, Aleksandar Vorkapic, a UNHCR staff member on emergency duty helping Pakistanis displaced by fighting in North West Frontier Province died in the bombing of the Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar. And in July, UNHCR senior field assistant Zill-e-Usman was gunned down in a camp for internally displaced Pakistanis in Peshawar by unknown assailants.
Deputy High Commissioner L. Craig Johnstone, who was in Pakistan this week discussing security concerns with staff and government officials, thanked staff for their work and said he fully understood the strain security threats and challenges placed on their lives. He said a concerted effort was being made to improve staff safety.
"One option that is not on the table is to cut and run," said Johnstone, who termed Pakistan one of UNHCR's most critical operations and the one by which the agency would be judged. "We are not going to abandon our mission in Pakistan because of the security threat. Rather, the question is how do we respond given the security threat. "
The statement reflected the dual role of World Humanitarian Day: paying tribute to those who have been killed or wounded while performing their duties; and honouring the huge number of humanitarian workers continuing to work despite the danger.

Link,http://www.unhcr.org/4a8c03e29.html, consultado a 4 de Setembro de 2009