Has the UN and NGO Reform Of The Humanitarian System Sufficiently Addressed Its Principal Critiques Of The 1990s?

Professor Albert Mcbell Ninepence

doi:10.22158/ape.v4n3p39

Abstract

Due to ponderous humanitarian needs, the UN and NGOs are bedeviled with outstretch of its resources coupled with complex reality of conflict-related emergencies which has outstripped its capacities. In an attempt to efficaciously address humanitarian response, the UN and NGOs have taken bodacious steps to draw consensus to fulfill their mandates. Consequently, the UN and NGOs have taken catalytic reforms and critiques (in 1990s and 2000s) to create a robust rapid response to emergencies and take advantage of new system-wide mechanisms. Irrespective of relentless reforms and critiques, there have been vehement debates on the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN and NGOs in addressing its principal critiques. This research paper sought to make inquiry into the UN and NGOs efficacy to its principal critiques of the 1990s. The essay found that the UN and NGOs humanitarian system has not sufficiently addressed its principal critiques of the 1990s and that they have been unpredictable and unreliable in response to emergencies.

Highlights

Due to ponderous humanitarian needs, the UN and NGOs are bedeviled with outstretch of its resources coupled with complex reality of conflict-related emergencies which has outstripped its capacities
There exists dynamic canvases among scholars on the effectiveness of the UN and NGOs humanitarian system in administering its principal critiques. While scholars such as Stockton (1998) contend that the humanitarian system has improved its performance in terms of quality, Reiff (2002) identifies that the humanitarian system has inadequate capacity to address its critiques with Jones and Stoddard (2003) propounding deficiencies in humanitarian action due to executive committees created under the UN reform process which have added a degree of confusion to the ongoing process of humanitarian reform
The desire to meet the needs of people, institutions and governments across the global sphere engendered rapid changes in the geopolitical landscape in the humanitarian responses

Summary

Introduction

Due to ponderous humanitarian needs, the UN and NGOs are bedeviled with outstretch of its resources coupled with complex reality of conflict-related emergencies which has outstripped its capacities. These humanitarian coordinators who are appointed by the UN do not adequately comprehend humanitarian action (failing to understand the humanitarian principles and standards) and do not understand the importance of partnerships, resulting in underestimation of NGOs and ineffective humanitarian response that are accountable to affected populations. The humanitarian reform placed much emphasis of accountability of the global cluster leads to Emergency Relief Coordination and country clusters to the Humanitarian coordinators, yet there exist a challenge of accountability to affected populations.

Results

Conclusion