OBJECTIVE 1
REPLENISH & IMPROVE THE OCHA STOCK OF EMERGENCY RELIEF ITEMS

LSU liaises closely with donor governments for financial or in-kind donations of emergency relief items, as well as for contributions to cover the cost of transportation to disaster sites. LSU defines the technical specifications of items to be purchased, and coordinates the procurement with the

To improve the quality and usefulness of items in OCHA's stock, LSU revises the quantities and specifications of items, on the basis of past shipments and of feed-back from the field. Donors are kept informed on the use and appropriateness of goods used for disaster relief.

 OBJECTIVE 2
RAPID DISPATCH OF EMERGENCY RELIEF ITEMS IN RESPONSE TO DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES (be it from OCHA's stocks or from other sources, as required)

In close cooperation with OCHA's regional sections or other concerned partners, LSU determines the parameters of the consignments to be dispatched, taking into account the needs of the affected population and the availability of stock. LSU obtains the consent of the donor government for the shipment, and provides instructions to UNHRD for the preparation of the goods (packaging etc.).

In line with arrangements agreed upon, the World Food Programme (WFP) in Rome handles requests from LSU to have OCHA's relief items transported to the disaster-or emergency site (usually through air charter) and coordinates the shipment with the transporter. LSU advises the consignee(s) and other involved partners of the operation on delivery schedules, cargo composition and other information related to the arrival of the shipment.

LSU responds as required to requests from various partners (mostly governments) for assistance in preparing or raising funds in connection with the dispatch of relief items to affected areas in response to emergencies or disasters. LSU also provide assistance to field offices for the drafting of specifications, the identification of suppliers or the procurement of emergency relief items on an ad-hoc basis. As a consequence, LSU acts as OCHA focal point for potential suppliers and maintains an information list of contact details and technical information on proposed goods and services.

OBJECTIVE 3
SUPPORT OF COORDINATED LOGISTICS & TRANSPORT, IF AND AS REQUIRED

LSU works towards becoming the entry point in OCHA for all questions related to humanitarian logistics. In this respect, one important aspect is the improvement of its interface with the various partners involved in logistics in humanitarian situations (such as WFP, WHO, IFRC etc.). Steps towards an enhanced logistics coordination include:

• participation in the concept of joint logistics centers;
• co-sponsoring, together with WHO, PAHO and WFP, of the development of a global information system for the management of relief supplies in emergencies (including the development of common classification system(s) for items/commodities);
• participation in discussions on private/public partnerships, with a focus on relief goods.

As OCHA focal point for the logistics and emergency shelter clusters, LSU contributes to the setting up and enforcement of the humanitarian reform in these areas, follows up on decisions concerning OCHA and brings to the attention of OCHA's management all issues requiring their attention.

OBJECTIVE 4
PARTICIPATION TO THE OCHA CENTRAL REGISTER

LSU is responsible for the management of two sections of the OCHA Central Register, namely the Central Register for Emergency Stockpiles and the Customs Facilitation Agreements. In 2007, LSU will undertake an update of the information contained in the Stockpile directory and will discuss with partners (inside and outside OCHA, and in particular the Logistics Cluster) actions that could be envisaged to make this database a more visible and used tool.

On customs, LSU intends to:

• follow-up on the dissemination of the "Model Agreement for customs facilitation in international humanitarian assistance" elaborated by OCHA in close cooperation with the World Customs Organization (WCO)
• continue negotiations to make it an useful tool in emergency situations by having it signed by as many governmental authorities as possible
• continue to support strengthened in-country coordination by working towards the facilitation of customs operations, and supporting and advocating for the work of the United Nations Joint Logistics Center (UNJLC).

OBJECTIVE 5
IMPROVED TOOLS AND SERVICES, SHARED POLICY POSITIONS

LSU contributes to the improvement of OCHA's tools and services, by cooperating with concerned partners on common inter-agency logistics projects, monitoring logistics issues (in particular potential bottlenecks) during major disasters or emergencies, and provides support to interested governments for the dispatch of appropriate items to disaster-affected countries in a timely manner.

It also works on establishing shared policy positions, by supporting the development, in cooperation with major relief providers, of common guidelines for emergency shelter assistance after disasters resulting from natural hazards.

This resulted in the publication

• in November 2004, of "Tents - A guide to the use and logistics of family tents in humanitarian relief";
• in January 2006 of "Exploring key changes and developments in post-disaster settlement, shelter and housing, 1982 - 2006 (Scoping study to inform the revision of 'Shelter after Disaster: Guidelines for Assistance')" and
• in May 2007 "Timber - A guide to the planning, use, procurement and logistics of timber as a construction material in humanitarian relief (Scoping study + draft 1)".

See section on Shelter
for copies of these documents.

For more information, please contact

UN OCHA ESB
Logistics Support Unit
Tel. +41 (0) 22 917 00 23
E-mail: lsu@un.org