Between the Government of Pakistan and the Humanitarian Community

Concept Note Principles of Humanitarian Partnership in Natural Disasters between the Government of Pakistan and the Humanitarian Community June 2012

Objective:

To ensure an effective, timely and well coordinated humanitarian response to populations affected by natural disasters by the Government of Pakistan with the support of the Humanitarian Community.

Assumptions:

I. As part of Preparedness and Response Planning for natural disasters in Pakistan, a common understanding between the Government of Pakistan (GoP) and the Humanitarian Community1 of the relevant strategies, mechanisms and processes will lead to a more effective humanitarian response to the needs of affected people.

II. In accordance with United Nations (UN) General Assembly (GA) resolution 46/182 , the Government of Pakistan is primarily responsible for leading the response to ‘take care of the victims of natural disasters and other emergencies on its territory’ and thus to initiate, organize, coordinate, and implement humanitarian assistance within its territory.

III. Upon request of the GoP for international assistance, the role of the Humanitarian Community is to support national response efforts in keeping with Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)2 guidelines, humanitarian principles, as well as needs- based, protection and gender-sensitive, and nationally-owned approaches.

Key Components

IV. Based on needs, the GoP may request assistance any time after the onset of a disaster in Pakistan, existing capacity and the criteria set out in the attached Annex.

V. To ensure that donors are able to provide timely and efficient support, a Rapid Response Plan coordinated with the humanitarian community should be finalized within 10-14 days after the request for international assistance.

VI. A Revised Response Plan, including confirmation of its duration, will be developed within 4-6 weeks after the Rapid Response Plan is launched. The Revised Response Plan will cover all affected areas, based on the results from cluster conducted needs assessments, which will be based on a pre-agreed methodology currently being developed by the Assessment Working Group (see Annex). Needs identified in all

1 The Humanitarian Community in Pakistan refers to United Nations (UN) and non-UN humanitarian organizations represented in the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT). 2 The Inter-agency Standing Committee was established pursuant to UN General Assembly Resolution 46/182 in 1991. 1 affected areas will be included in Response Plans. The Revised Response Plan will include Early Recovery and disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies to ensure that needs are comprehensively met.

VII. The GoP will facilitate timely and unimpeded access of humanitarian actors to Pakistan and to all affected populations, as well as the delivery of relief supplies.

VIII. The coordination mechanisms established in any 2012 Rapid Response Plan will be maintained throughout the response as per IASC guidelines.

IX. Humanitarian (relief and early recovery) and development assistance phases may overlap as determined by the needs of the people affected.

2 Annex: Humanitarian Community and Government of Pakistan Humanitarian Partnership in Natural Disasters C oordination Architecture:

1. Policy Coordination Meeting (PCM): Will be established by July, 15 2012, and chaired by the NDMA. It will ensure a timely and effective response to the humanitarian (relief and early recovery) needs of people affected by natural disaster in Pakistan. It will also ensure effective communication between relevant stakeholders, appropriate ministries, departments and other bodies of the GoP and between the GoP and the humanitarian community and donors. It is proposed that the PCM comprises senior decision making representatives of the MFA, EAD, FFC, PMD, WAPDA, SUPARCO, relevant ministries including Ministry of Climate Change, PDMAs including Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) DMA of the affected areas where appropriate, armed forces, donors, the HC, representatives of the HCT, PHF, NHN, and PRCS. Participants will regularly update the PCM on monsoons and their impact based on the information provided by the GoP and secondary sources such as remote sensing, satellite imagery, meteorological forecasting, together with information from HCT members, clusters, national and international NGOs, Government counterparts, media and other reports. In particular the PCM will consider the following global criteria3:  Scale (including current and expected trend, either size of affected areas, numbers of affected/ potentially affected);  Urgency (population displacement, crude mortality rates);  Complexity (multi-layered emergency, presence of a multitude of actors, lack of humanitarian access, high security risks to staff, concentration of affected areas etc); and  Capacity (needs surpassing national resources, including stocks and financial and human, resources). 2. Steering Committee (SC): Co-chaired by NDMA and HC, will be activated immediately on request of the GoP for assistance from the Humanitarian Community. This committee will facilitate the Response Plan process and expedite its endorsement, through necessary government structures, to meet production deadlines (see V and VI above). Will comprise of representatives of the MFA, EAD and concern PDMAs including ICT DMA.

3. National Coordination Meeting (NCM): Chaired by NDMA, will serve to advise the PCM on all operational issues. NDMA will invite participants who will include representatives of concern ministries/departments and other bodies of the GoP at the technical level, cluster coordinators, donors, military, PHF, NHN and PRCS to share information. Not all participants will be required to attend all meetings which may be thematic in nature. Initially the forum will meet daily and less frequently as agreed by NDMA.

3 As identified by “Inter-Agency Standing Committee Transformative Agenda Reference Document: Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Activation and Procedures, 13 April 2012 at: http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/pageloader.aspx?page=content-template-default&bd=87 3 4. General Coordination Meeting (GCM): Chaired by PDMA/ICT DMA, will serve to advise the PCM on all issues related to the province. PDMAs/ICT DMA will invite participants who will include representatives of concern ministries/departments, cluster coordinators, military, PHF, NHN and PRCS to share information. Not all participants will be required to attend all meetings which may be thematic in nature. Initially the forum will meet daily and less frequently as agreed by PDMA/ICT DMA.

5. The Inter-cluster Coordination Meetings (ICCM) - National Level: Chaired by OCHA to advise the HCT and PCM. The ICCM will, among other things be responsible for reviewing projects for inclusion into any Response Plan in accordance with the methodologies developed by the Assessment Working Group. UNDP will serve as the Early Recovery Advisor on the ICCM and co-chair with the GoP the cluster for early recovery activities not covered by other clusters (e.g. infrastructure, community restoration, livelihoods, reintegration, etc.). UNDP may also form an Early Recovery Network composed of Early Recovery focal points in each cluster to ensure the cross- cutting nature of early recovery, as well as an early focus on linking relief to longer-term recovery.4

6. Inter-cluster Coordination - Provincial Level: ICCMs at the provincial level are co- chaired by OCHA and PDMA. Composition and tasks remains same as of ICCM at national level. Will report to the national ICCM through OCHA.

Response Planning and Response

7. Clusters:

 In accordance with the IASC guidelines, the clusters rolled out for the Floods 2011 response5, and others as appropriate will be rolled out or continued including CCCM, in consultation with GoP, at the onset of any 2012 disaster response, or activated in newly affected areas6 based on identified needs/gaps and a mapping of response capacities in line with IASC guidelines7. The clusters will be present at the national level and in all provincial areas assessed to be in need with a possible presence at district level;

 Cluster leads are the Global Cluster lead agency or other organizations with adequate presence and capacity (human and material resources) selected by the HC on consultation with the GoP;

4 UNDP’s role in early recovery is outlined in the IASC Guidance note on Early Recovery, Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery, April 2008, p. 17. 5 Food Security, Health, Shelter, WASH, Community Restoration, Education, Nutrition, Protection (with GBV and Child Protection sub-clusters), Logistics and Common Services Sector. 6 Clusters should be established in the capital and the affected areas, IASC, Cluster Coordination Reference Module, April 2012, p. 2. 7 Clusters are activated by the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) in close coordination with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) based on a ‘clear assessment of needs and gaps, as well as a mapping of response capacities, including those of the host Government, local authorities, local civil society, international humanitarian organizations and other actors, as appropriate.’ IASC, Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response, 2006. 4  At the national and provincial levels, cluster meetings are co-chaired by the Cluster Coordinator and appropriate government counterparts from the respective line ministries or alternative technical experts designated by NDMA/PDMAs/ICT DMA.

8. Identification of Resources: Both the government and the humanitarian community will share mapping of amounts, location and pipeline schedules of essential response resources. Mapping of available resources will be updated monthly.

9. Facilitation of Operations of Humanitarian Organizations:

 GoP will make every effort to facilitate the issuance of visas to international staff of Humanitarian Agencies participating in the response. Visas will be subsequently extended in-country through regular processes.  Throughout an emergency, the GoP will facilitate access by national and international staff of agencies participating in the response to all affected areas and populations.  The GoP will make every effort to facilitate the implementation of all projects included in any jointly agreed Response Plan.  Procedures to receive and clear international relief supplies including in-kind donations from the port will be facilitated by the appropriate Government entities to ensure timely and effective assistance and protection to affected people. 10. Assessment and Monitoring: The Assessment and Monitoring Framework, developed by the Assessment Working Group, co-chaired by NDMA, will be reviewed and endorsed by the NDMA and HCT as the unified assessment modality for all government and international partners at the national and provincial levels, prior to the onset of monsoons 2012. The Assessment and Monitoring Framework developed by the Assessment Working Group has an established methodology and Standard Operational Procedures (SOPs) to ensure a coordinated assessment approach, an inclusive but not exclusively multi-sectoral approach, through harmonization and standardization of the various assessments tools undertaken in all phases of a humanitarian response. 11. Reporting/Mapping: The “4 Ws” (who is doing what, where and when) will be the response reporting mechanism used by all parties at national and provincial levels. 12. Response planning of the Humanitarian Community and Endorsement: Response Plans are the comprehensive strategies to be followed by the Humanitarian Community in complementing the action of the Government in the provision of assistance to the affected areas.  A Rapid Response Plan, based on the Multi-cluster Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA) will be finalized within 10-14 days of initiation of humanitarian community’s response. Selection criteria for the inclusion of projects in the Response Plan will be reviewed and proposed by the ICCM before the onset of monsoon in 2012.  A Revised Response Plan, including the Early Recovery Strategy, based on needs identified through the Assessment and Monitoring Framework will be issued no later than 4-6 weeks after the Rapid Response Plan is launched.

5  The duration of the Response Plans will be determined by the needs assessments findings. Relief, Early Recovery and Development assistance phases may overlap as determined by the needs of the populations affected.  Representatives of the SCM will review strategic components of any Response Plan based on the recommendations of the ICCM and in accordance with the timeline set out in the Key Components section of this Concept Note. Final Endorsement of the Response Plans will be undertaken by the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), through the HCT mechanism. 13. Launch of Response Plan: On endorsement by the ERC, the launch of Response Plans will be undertaken jointly by the Government and the HCT on behalf of the humanitarian community. 14. Transition: A smooth transition from the humanitarian into rehabilitation and development is crucial for a successful response. Clearly outlined benchmarks and timeline will be included in any response plan to trigger the transition. Development actors to whom responsibility will be transferred will also be identified.