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Mailman School of Public Health

The Harriet and Robert Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health

intro | definitions | international legal instruments | basic facts | standard responses | major actors | conclusion | exam

Major actors in the humanitarian system

In this section you will learn who are the major actors in humanitarian relief including intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the Red Cross movement. In addition, you will be introduced to current topics in humanitarian discourse.

Intergovernmental Organizations

Intergovernmental Organizations are organizations based on a formal instrument of agreements (like a treaty) between nations. To qualify as an IGO, this agreement must include three or more nations and must have a permanent executive body (or secretariat). The United Nations is the largest IGO; some UN agencies relevant to forced migration are:

UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

UNHCHR - United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Unicef - United Nations Children's Fund

UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund

WHO - World Health Organization

Governmental Organizations

Governmental Organizations are organizations/agencies that are dependent on funding from and controlled by individual political states/governments. Some examples of governmental organization are listed below.

USAID - United States Agency of International Development

BPRM - US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration

DFID - UK Department for International Development

SIDA - Swedish International Development Agency

CIDA - Canadian International Development Agency

JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency

Non-governmental Organizations

Non-governmental Organizations or NGOs are organizations that are independent from government affiliation. In general, NGOs do not operate for a profit. Some examples of NGOs that work with forced migrants are listed below. Most direct services for displaced persons are provided by non-governmental organizations.

IRC - International Rescue Committee

MSF - Medecins Sans Frontieres

CARE - http://www.careusa.org/about/

SCF - Save the Children Federation

RHRC - Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium

InterAction (a US NGO alliance) - http://www.interaction.org/about

ICVA - International Council of Voluntary Agencies (an international NGO alliance)-

The Red Cross Movement

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest humanitarian network, with a presence and activities in almost every country. The Movement incorporates the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) and Red Crescent Societies (the International Federation), as well as National Societies in 178 countries.

http://www.redcross.int/EN/history/movement.asp

For more information on international actors and specific relief efforts

www.reliefweb.int


IOM Beitbridge Reception Center for Deportees, Zimbabwe
(Photo: Owen Ryan)

What are the major topics in current humanitarian discourse?

Accountability of Humanitarian Aid Providers:

The Red Cross Code of Conduct

The Sphere Project

HAP - Humanitarian Accountability Project

Humanitarian Ethics:

Charity vs. rights: How is humanitarian aid provision guided – by charity and philanthropy or by human rights?

For further detail see:
Slim, H. “Doing the Right Thing: Relief Agencies, Moral Dilemmas, and Moral
Responsibility in Political Emergencies and War.” (1997) Disasters. 21( 3): 244-257.

Distribution of Resources:

How are the resources that are available to humanitarian aid missions distributed? How do donors make decisions about the amount/types of resources that are made available to manage the effects of complex emergencies?

For further detail see:
Salama,P. Laurence B., Nolan ML. “Health and Human Rights in Contemporary Humanitarian Crises: Is Kosovo More Important than Sierra Leone? BMJ. 319(7224): 1569-71.

continue to... Conclusions




Cambodian Returnees, 1993
Photo: Hiram A. Ruiz