Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
63/139. Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations
The General Assembly,
Reaffirming its resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991 and the guiding principles contained in the annex thereto, other relevant General Assembly and Economic and Social Council resolutions and agreed conclusions of the Council,
Taking note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations and on the Central Emergency Response Fund, and of the independent review of the Central Emergency Response Fund, a summary of which is presented in the latter report,
Reaffirming the principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence for the provision of humanitarian assistance,
Deeply concerned about the impact of the current global food crisis and the urgent humanitarian challenges related to this crisis, welcoming the establishment by the Secretary-General of the High-level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, and emphasizing the importance of implementing the Comprehensive Framework for Action,
Emphasizing the need to mobilize adequate, predictable, timely and flexible resources for humanitarian assistance based on and in proportion to assessed needs, with a view to ensuring fuller coverage of the needs in all sectors and across humanitarian emergencies, and in this regard recognizing the achievements of the Central Emergency Response Fund,
Expressing its deep concern at the increasing challenges faced by Member States and the United Nations humanitarian response capacity as a result of the consequences of natural disasters, including the impact of climate change, reaffirming the importance of implementing the Hyogo Framework of Action 2005–2015:
Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,
including by providing adequate resources for disaster risk reduction, including disaster preparedness, Emphasizing that enhancing international cooperation on emergency humanitarian assistance is essential, and reaffirming its resolution 63/141 of 11 December 2008 on international cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters,
Noting with grave concern that violence, including gender-based violence, including sexual violence, and violence against children, continues to be deliberately directed against civilian populations in many emergency situations,
Condemning the increasing number of deliberate violent attacks against humanitarian personnel and facilities and the negative implications for the provision of humanitarian assistance to populations in need,
Paying tribute to all humanitarian personnel, including United Nations and associated personnel, who have worked to promote the humanitarian cause, as well as to those who have perished in the cause of duty, Recognizing that building national and local preparedness and response capacity is critical to a more predictable and effective response,
Noting with appreciation the efforts made by the United Nations to improve humanitarian response, including by strengthening humanitarian response capacities, improving humanitarian coordination, enhancing predictable and adequate funding and strengthening accountability to all stakeholders,
Recognizing that in strengthening the coordination of humanitarian assistance in the field, United Nations organizations should continue to work in close coordination with national Governments,
1. Takes note of the outcome of the eleventh humanitarian affairs segment of the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2008;
2. Requests the Emergency Relief Coordinator to continue his efforts to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance, and calls upon relevant United Nations and other relevant intergovernmental organizations, as well as other humanitarian and relevant development actors, to continue to work with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to enhance the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian assistance;
3. Calls upon the relevant organizations of the United Nations system and, as appropriate, other relevant humanitarian actors, to continue efforts to improve the humanitarian response to natural and man-made disasters and complex emergencies by further strengthening the humanitarian response capacities at all levels, by continuing to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance at the field level, including with national authorities of the affected State, as appropriate, and by further enhancing transparency, performance and accountability;
4. Recognizes the benefits of engagement and coordination with relevant humanitarian actors to the effectiveness of humanitarian response, and encourages the United Nations to continue to pursue efforts to strengthen partnerships at the global level with the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, relevant humanitarian non-governmental organizations and other participants in the Inter-Agency Standing Committee;
5. Requests the Secretary-General to strengthen the support provided to United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators and to United Nations country teams, including through the provision of necessary training, the identification of resources and by improving the identification of and selection process for United Nations resident/humanitarian coordinators;
6. Reaffirms the importance of implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005–2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,5 and calls upon national Governments and the international community to increase resources towards disaster risk reduction measures, including for preparedness for effective response and contingency planning;
7. Encourages the international community, including relevant United Nations organizations and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to support efforts of Member States aimed at strengthening their capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters and to support efforts, as appropriate, to strengthen systems for identifying and monitoring disaster risk, including vulnerability and natural hazards;
8. Recognizes the importance of the work of international and, as appropriate, regional organizations in supporting State efforts to improve international cooperation in disaster response, and encourages Member States and, where applicable, regional organizations to strengthen operational and legal frameworks for international disaster relief, taking into account, as appropriate, the Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief and Initial Recovery Assistance, adopted at the Thirtieth International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, held in Geneva from 26 to 30 November 2007;
9. Urges Member States, the United Nations and other relevant organizations to take further steps to provide coordinated emergency response t o food and nutrition needs of affected populations, while aiming to ensure that these measures are supportive of national strategies and programmes aimed at improving food security;
10. Encourages States to create an enabling environment for the capacitybuilding of local authorities and national and local non-governmental and community-based organizations in order to ensure better preparedness in providing humanitarian assistance;
11. Encourages efforts to enhance cooperation and coordination of United Nations humanitarian entities, other relevant humanitarian organizations and donor countries with the affected State, with a view to planning and delivering emergency humanitarian assistance in ways that are supportive of early recovery as well as sustainable rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts;
12. Also encourages efforts to provide education in emergencies, including in order to contribute to a smooth transition from relief to development;
13. Calls upon relevant United Nations organizations to support the improvements of the consolidated appeals process, inter alia, by engaging in the preparation of needs analysis and common humanitarian action plans, in order to further the development of the process as an instrument for United Nations strategic planning and prioritization, and by involving other relevant humanitarian organizations in the process, while reiterating that consolidated appeals are prepared in consultation with affected States;
14. Calls upon United Nations humanitarian organizations, in consultation with Member States, as appropriate, to strengthen the evidence base for humanitarian assistance by further developing common mechanisms to improve the quality, transparency and reliability of humanitarian needs assessments, to assess their performance in assistance and to ensure the most effective use of humanitarian resources by these organizations;
15. Calls upon donors to provide adequate, timely, predictable and flexible resources based on and in proportion to assessed needs, including for underfunded emergencies, and encourages efforts to adhere to the principles of Good Humanitarian Donorship;
16. Welcomes the important achievements made by the Central Emergency Response Fund in ensuring a more timely and predictable response to humanitarian emergencies, and stresses the importance of addressing the findings and recommendations contained in the report on the Central Emergency Response Fund, in order to ensure that the resources are used in the most efficient, effective and transparent manner possible;
17. Calls upon all Member States and invites the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions to consider increasing voluntary contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund, and emphasizes that contributions should be additional to current commitments to humanitarian programming and not to the detriment of resources made available for international cooperation for development;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to commission an independent comprehensive review of the activities of the Central Emergency Response Fund, including the ability to meet its objectives, its administration, the needs assessment process and criteria for resource allocations, at the end of its fifth year of operation, and to submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session;
19. Invites Member States, the private sector and all concerned individuals and institutions to consider voluntary contributions to other humanitarian funding mechanisms;
20. Reiterates that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs should benefit from adequate and more predictable funding;
21. Reaffirms the obligation of all States and parties to an armed conflict to protect civilians in armed conflicts in accordance with international humanitarian law, and invites States to promote a culture of protection, taking into account the particular needs of women, children, older persons and persons with disabilities;
22. Calls upon States to adopt preventive measures and effective responses to acts of violence committed against civilian populations in armed conflicts and to ensure that those responsible are promptly brought to justice, as provided for by national law and obligations under international law;
23. Urges all Member States to address gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies and to ensure that their laws and institutions are adequate to prevent, promptly investigate and prosecute acts of gender-based violence, and calls upon States, the United Nations and all relevant humanitarian organizations to improve coordination, harmonize response and strengthen capacity in support services to victims of such violence;
24. Recognizes the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement 8 as an important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons, encourages Member States and humanitarian agencies to continue to work together in endeavours to provide a more predictable response to the needs of internally displaced persons, and in this regard calls for international support, upon request, for capacity-building efforts of States;
25. Calls upon all States and parties in complex humanitarian emergencies, in particular in armed conflict and in post-conflict situations, in countries in which humanitarian personnel are operating, in conformity with the relevant provisions of international law and national laws, to cooperate fully with the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies and organizations and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel, as well as delivery of supplies and equipment, in order to allow them to efficiently perform their task of assisting affected civilian populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons;
26. Decides to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day in order to contribute to increasing public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in this regard, as well as to honour all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty, and invites all Member States and the entities of the United Nations system, within existing resources, as well as other international organizations and non-governmental organizations, to observe it annually in an appropriate manner;
27. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session, through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 2009, on progress made in strengthening the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations and to submit a report to the Assembly on the detailed use of the Central Emergency Response Fund.
68th plenary meeting
11 December 2008
By resolution A/RES/63/139 of 11 December 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided:
"...to designate 19 August as World Humanitarian Day in order to contribute to increasing public awareness about humanitarian assistance activities worldwide and the importance of international cooperation in this regard, as well as to honour all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause and those who have lost their lives in the cause of duty, and invites all Member States and the entities of the United Nations system, within existing resources, as well as other international organizations and non-governmental organizations, to observe it annually in an appropriate manner."
Key Messages
The humanitarian community’s ability to respond rapidly, effectively and predictably to crises, natural or man made, has improved beyond all recognition in the last 20 years.
This is due largely to the dedication of the many thousands of aid workers who have devoted their lives to humanitarian work, matching idealism with action, and principles with practice. Their selfless and non-political endeavours are vital for the necessary acceptance by all concerned that assistance to the needy should be provided impartially and neutrally, without reference to religion, gender, or race.
This inaugural World Humanitarian Day is in part dedicated to the memory of all those aid workers who have lost their lives while bringing assistance to others, the majority of them from the communities they are trying to help.
Among these dedicated professionals is one of the great humanitarians, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who died on this day in 2003 alongside 21 other colleagues in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad. His memory should serve as an inspiration to all of us who carry out humanitarian work today, even as our assistance efforts in many places continue to be limited by increasingly violent frequent and targeted attacks on humanitarian staff.
While much has been achieved, the challenges faced by many millions of people around the world are still formidable, and the need for principled and effective humanitarian action is greater than ever.
Humanitarian needs are growing faster than our ability to deal with them. Long-running and intractable conflicts are still exacting an unconscionable toll on civilians. Natural hazards are becoming increasingly severe and frequent. The international humanitarian community is facing new threats generated by the combined effects of global mega-trends: climate change, chronic poverty, the food and financial crises, water and energy scarcity, migration, population growth, urbanisation, pandemics.
Message of H.E. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann,
President of the United Nations General Assembly
We mark World Humanitarian Day in commemoration of the horrendous truck bomb attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad in 2003. An extraordinary UN humanitarian worker, Sergio Vieira de Mello, then the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights and special representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq, was intentionally murdered in that attack together with 21 other UN colleagues. The attackers wanted to send a clear message: humanitarian workers, helping the most vulnerable civilian populations suffering from conflicts and natural disasters, are now prime targets in conflicts that increasingly respect no rules.
Just two days ago, two more United Nations personnel, members of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, were killed in a car bombing in Kabul. As we reflect on the increasingly central role that humanitarian work plays in our societies, we must press back against those who want to disrupt the work of governments, of non-governmental organizations and the United Nations as we attempt to mobilize assistance for those most in need. We denounce the escalating attacks on humanitarian workers and demand that those responsible are brought to justice. We demand that States fulfill their obligations under international law to protect humanitarian workers and UN personnel, too many of whom continue to be harmed and even murdered, often with impunity.
If there is any message that I have tried to send during my presidency of the General Assembly, it is the essential and enormously powerful human dimension of the problems that we face and of the solutions we must find. We are all brothers and sisters and must care for each other accordingly. This, I believe, is the essence of humanitarianism.
Over the past year, the General Assembly has highlighted the essential humanitarian aspects of the crises the world is facing. Sometimes, in the hurry to find solutions, we forget that these crises are about people.
Currently we are focused on the economic and financial turmoil that has tipped tens of millions of people back into extreme poverty. And climate change, which is causing enormous hardships for people facing floods and desertification.
Slowly, however, we are coming to grips with the understanding that our problems are people-centered problems. We are seeing that our life styles and disregard for the Earth and for each other have created ongoing humanitarian crises, costing million of lives each year. We also see that, until we can find solutions, we must tirelessly mobilize our efforts to address emergencies and come to the aid of their victims.
Our challenge is to respond to natural and man-made emergencies – from Taiwan to Chad, from Gaza to Darfur, from Northern Pakistan to the Democratic Republic of Congo – while sustaining longer-term development efforts. Even as resources are strained and compassion fatigue overshadows donor response, we must step up both efforts. Humanitarian workers are essential to this work.
For these reasons I felt it was very important to appoint a special adviser for humanitarian issues in my cabinet, a first for this office. Among other assignments, I asked him to visit Gaza last February as I am particularly concerned about the ongoing humanitarian crisis that the people of Gaza continue to face in the aftermath of the Israeli devastating invasion earlier this year.
It is crucial that the international community continue to support the work of the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which remains the central humanitarian effort that protects 1.3 million people from the appalling threats of disease and starvation. Despite international demands, the economic blockade has not been lessened to any significant degree and the Palestinian population faces a winter of deprivation and hunger amidst a crippled economy. This cannot continue.
We as an international community, including the United Nations, failed to protect the Palestinians trapped in Gaza and unable to escape from the overwhelming onslaught last December and January. We must not compound this collective punishment further by now failing to provide the humanitarian relief and reconstruction materials that residents in Gaza so desperately need. There should be no conditionalities. This mediaeval blockade must be lifted; and Gazans must be given the means to rebuild their shattered lives and stand, once again, on their own feet. For their part, UN Member States should demonstrate their resolve and commitment by supporting the efforts of UNRWA and other parts of the UN humanitarian family, ensuring they have the human and material resources needed to effectively carry out their noble and vitally needed mandates.
Unfortunately, these responsibilities and obligations are replicated each day in many other countries around the world as well. Let us remain determined to support and protect our noble humanitarian workers everywhere so that assistance to afflicted civilian populations is reliable, timely and effective. Let us, the United Nations and Member States especially, be accountable for these obligations.
Secretary-General's Video Message
Today is the first World Humanitarian Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly.
It is, above all, a day on which we renew our commitment to help vulnerable, voiceless and marginalized people wherever they may be. That is the abiding mission of the humanitarian community.
This is also a day on which we pay tribute to the legions of heroic humanitarian personnel. These men and women come from many backgrounds. But they share a conviction that one person’s suffering is everyone’s responsibility.
The date of this observance marks the anniversary of the attack on UN Headquarters in Baghdad which killed 22 dedicated men and women, including the great humanitarian Sergio Vieira de Mello.
We continue to draw inspiration from their legacy, and remain determined to carry it forward. The Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation is doing just that by establishing an annual prize in his name that will recognize outstanding achievements in the peaceful reconciliation of conflict.
Like Sergio and the other brave colleagues who lost their lives that terrible day, humanitarian personnel venture to troubled regions to help others. For them, there can be no such thing as a forgotten conflict.
But to do that noble work -- to face down threats amid disaster and war -- they need our help. They need us to work tirelessly for their safety, security and independence.
World Humanitarian Day is meant to shine a spotlight on people in need, to ensure they receive the assistance they deserve. Let us redouble our efforts toward this goal. Let us fulfill our humanitarian imperative.
Secretary-General's Remarks to Launch the First World Humanitarian Day
This is a solemn day.
I know many of you here are humanitarians who have served around the world.
Many of you have risked your lives to help others. Some of you have lost colleagues or loved ones.
Just one minute ago, I [observed] a minute of silence and paid my tribute to all our fallen distinguished colleagues 6 years ago in Baghdad, including Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello. Just yesterday, we again mourned the deaths of two Afghan United Nations staff members, along with more than half a dozen others killed in a suicide attack in Kabul.
Last year, more humanitarian workers were kidnapped, seriously injured or killed during violent attacks than ever before. This is unacceptable.
Today, the first observance of World Humanitarian Day, we remember their sacrifice.
Today, we recognize the millions of people who count on us for their very survival.
The one billion people afflicted by hunger.
The tens of millions forced to flee their homes because of disaster and conflict.
The children who die from diseases we know how to cure.
The women and girls who are brutalized by sexual violence. We need to tackle these problems at their root.
But until we do, lives will hang in the balance. And the humanitarian community will be on the scene, rushing bravely towards danger, determined to help people in need.
In just a minute, we will see a powerful public service announcement produced by OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) to mark today’s observance.
I am sure you will all be moved, as I was, by the footage of Sergio Vieira de Mello mourning the death of humanitarian workers in Timor-Leste. Like so many other great humanitarians, he and his colleagues faced threats day after day so that others could feel safe.
Today is the anniversary of the Canal Hotel bombing in Iraq which killed Sergio and 21 other people.
I am saddened that the violence continues, including an appalling string of attacks today in Baghdad which took the lives of scores of innocent people.
Each year on August 19th, we will honour the memory of fallen humanitarians. We will pay tribute to the dedicated men and women who are out there among the vulnerable, providing hope and help. And we will draw the world’s attention to the great magnitude of suffering in our world that needs our urgent attention.
For my part, I pledge to do all that I can as Secretary-General of the United Nations to help victims while protecting the security and independence of the people who work so hard to save them.
Remarks by Mr. Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze
United Nations Under-Secretary-General Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva
World Humanitarian Day Parc des Bastions,
Geneva Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Distinguished speakers
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen Dear Friends:
It is a pleasure, on behalf of the United Nations family, to welcome you to the first World Humanitarian Day, which we are celebrating in Geneva – the world’s capital of humanitarian action – and worldwide.
Allow me, at the outset, to thank our Host Country for their contribution to this Day. It is another illustration of Switzerland’s strong humanitarian tradition.
It is very appropriate that we mark our inaugural World Humanitarian Day only a week after the 60th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, which continue to play such an important role in the protection of human life and dignity in armed conflict. Both of these events are opportunities to commend the efforts of humanitarian workers across the world and to reflect on the significant challenges before us. These are challenges that we can only meet when all stakeholders work together – Governments, international organizations and civil society – and I am glad to see so many representatives of all these communities here.
Today, we also – with great sadness – honour the memory of the 22 outstanding colleagues who lost their lives in the bombing of the United Nations office in Baghdad six years ago. And we pay tribute to the victims and brave survivors of this and other attacks on our common humanity. We salute their contributions to our work for people in need, and we promise to continue to support them. All of them are heroes to the humanitarian cause and embody the spirit of the United Nations.
It is now my privilege to read to you the Secretary-General’s message for this Day, which goes as follows:
“Today is the first World Humanitarian Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly. It is, above all, a day on which we renew our commitment to help vulnerable, voiceless and marginalized people wherever they may be. That is the abiding mission of the humanitarian community.
This is also a day on which we pay tribute to the legions of heroic humanitarian personnel. These men and women come from many backgrounds. But they share a conviction that one person’s suffering is everyone’s responsibility.
The date of this observance marks the anniversary of the attack on UN Headquarters in Baghdad which killed 22 dedicated men and women, including the great humanitarian Sergio Vieira de Mello.
We continue to draw inspiration from their legacy, and remain determined to carry it forward. The Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation is doing just that by establishing an annual prize in his name that will recognize outstanding achievements in the peaceful reconciliation of conflict.
Like Sergio and the other brave colleagues who lost their lives that terrible day, humanitarian personnel venture to troubled regions to help others. For them, there can be no such thing as a forgotten conflict.
But to do that noble work -- to face down threats amid disaster and war -- they need our help. They need us to work tirelessly for their safety, security and independence.
World Humanitarian Day is meant to shine a spotlight on people in need, to ensure they receive the assistance they deserve. Let us redouble our efforts toward this goal. Let us fulfil our humanitarian imperative.”
That was the end of the Secretary-General’s message.
As the Secretary-General said, we all draw inspiration from our humanitarians, and I am glad that many of them are with us today, so we can show them our appreciation and gratitude.
Regrettably, the need for their remarkable commitment and compassion continues to grow faster than our ability to respond effectively. Climate change threatens to increase the frequency and magnitude of droughts, storms and heat waves, putting our poorest and most vulnerable fellow human beings further at risk. The effects of the economic and financial crisis, high food prices and the spread of infectious diseases also fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable. This amplifies the scale of humanitarian needs, while resources become scarcer.
Long-running and new conflicts take an unacceptable toll on civilian populations. As we celebrate also the International Year of Reconciliation, this is an occasion to reaffirm our commitment to bridging divides in war-torn societies for lasting peace. I have no doubt that the prize instituted in Sergio’s name will help to take forward such efforts. We must constantly strive to improve our emergency response, without losing sight of the fact that prevention at all levels has an even higher pay-off.
Today, we pledge to continue our humanitarian work for all those in need, and to do everything in our power to protect the courageous women and men who provide them with relief. And we vow to redouble our collective efforts to build a world free of poverty and war.
Thank you very much.
Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF, on the occasion of World Humanitarian
Day NEW YORK, 19 August 2009 – “On this, the inaugural World Humanitarian Day, we extend our deepest appreciation and respect to those who selflessly dedicate their lives to humanitarian action for the world’s most vulnerable.
“From Sudan, to Zimbabwe, from the Democratic Republic of Congo to Somalia, humanitarian workers display uncommon courage and dedication to helping those caught up in the midst of conflict or violence.
“Today we also pause to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Six years ago, on August 19th, twenty-two people were killed in an attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad, including the-then UN Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello. Among the victims was Chris Klein Beekman, UNICEF's Programme Coordinator in Iraq. He was 32. This June, UNICEF’s Chief of Education in Pakistan was killed in a car bomb attack at the Pearl Hotel in Peshawar. Perseveranda So was from the Philippines. She was 52.
“A disturbing trend shows an increase in security incidents against humanitarian workers. In the last decade, more than 700 humanitarian workers have given their lives while striving to help those most in need in some of the world’s most hostile environments. Thousands more have endured bombing, kidnapping, attacks, hijacking, robbery and rape.
“Ensuring the safety of staff is of utmost priority. Providing access for them to carry out their work is a collective challenge and responsibility. Failure to ensure a humanitarian space for the provision of life-saving help is unacceptable and non-negotiable. This day stands as a testament to that and to those who unfailingly commit themselves to the principles of humanitarian action.”
Sources:
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N08/479/13/PDF/N0847913.pdf?OpenElement
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/2009/
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/2009/pga.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/2009/sgmessage1.shtml
http://www.un.org/en/events/humanitarianday/2009/sgmessage.shtml
http://www.unog.ch/80256EE600583A0B/(httpSpeechesByYear_en)/81CC18B2F83454CCC12576150045D92B?OpenDocument
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_50870.html