Office of the Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator; Director, New York; and Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator/Director, Geneva

Executive and Administrative Offices

Donor and External Relations Section

Inter-Agency Standing Committee/Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (IASC/ECHA) Secretariat

Inter-Agency Standing Committee/Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (IASC/ECHA) Secretariat

NEW YORK

Planned Staffing	Regular Budget	Extra-budgetary	Projects	Total
Professional	-	2	-	2
General Service	-	2	-	2
Total	-	4	-	4
Staff costs (US$)	-	502,276	-	502,276
Non-staff costs (US$)	-	49,946	-	49,946
Total costs (US$)	-	552,222	-	552,222
Total requested (US$)				552,222

GENEVA

Planned Staffing	Regular Budget	Extra-budgetary	Projects	Total
Professional	-	1	-	1
General Service	-	1	-	1
Total	-	2	-	2
Staff costs (US$)	-	278,536	-	278,536
Non-staff costs (US$)	-	72,885	-	72,885
Total costs (US$)	-	351,421	-	351,421
Total requested (US$)				351,421

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) was established in 1992 in response to General Assembly Resolution 46/182, calling for strengthened coordination of humanitarian assistance. The IASC is a unique inter-agency forum for humanitarian dialogue and decision-making, involving a range of UN and non-UN humanitarian partners. Under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), the primary role of the IASC is to shape humanitarian policy as well as to ensure coordinated and effective humanitarian response.

The Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA) is one of four Committees created by the Secretary-General in the framework of the UN reform, with the aim of enhancing the coordination between UN agencies in various humanitarian sectors. Chaired by the USG, the Committee, composed by UN executives at the highest level, adds a political, peacekeeping and security dimension to humanitarian consultations. ECHA meets regularly to consider UN humanitarian policy and operational matters.

A joint IASC/ECHA Secretariat has the essential role of facilitating the work of IASC and ECHA as effective, action-oriented and well-coordinated decision-making bodies. It supports the USG/ERC in his capacity as Chair of both Committees, and the Assistant ERC (Director of OCHA-Geneva) in her capacity as the Chair of the IASC Working Group.

In 2006, the IASC/ECHA Secretariat will strengthen its support to the IASC and ECHA, thereby contributing to the broad mandate of OCHA to mobilise and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action. The Secretariat will also ensure the efficacy of the interface of IASC and ECHA with other inter-agency bodies, notably UNDGO and ECPS, to strengthen the linkage among humanitarian, political and developmental actors.

Activities:

• Assist the ERC and AERC in making strategic decisions by preparing options and recommendations on strategic and operational issues based on inclusive consultation with IASC and ECHA members.
• Facilitate IASC’s participation in and follow up to relevant humanitarian reform initiatives, including the newly established Cluster approach.
• Strengthen the linkage between IASC and field partners to increase relevance to the work undertaken by the humanitarian community in the field.
• Increase dialogue between UN and non-UN agencies in the IASC, particularly the NGOs, and partners outside the IASC.
• Improve internal and external recognition of the role and function of the IASC, in particular among those stakeholders who are not familiar with the work of the IASC.
• Strengthen and systematically monitor the follow-up to the decisions and action points of the IASC and of ECHA.
• Provide consistent and effective support to the IASC subsidiary bodies and to the IASC Cluster Working Groups, and ensure inter-linkage among these entities.

Indicators:

• Number of strategic partnerships established with “field-based” IASC Country Teams and relevant Humanitarian Coordinators.
• Number of IASC Country Teams established and meeting on a regular basis.
• Percent of IASC recommendations that result in agreed action.
• Number of ECHA meetings organized and percent of ECHA decisions implemented.