foreword
OCHA’s executive management consists of the Offices of the Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator and the Assistant Secretary-General/Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, and includes the Offices of the three directors – of New York and Geneva and of the Coordination and Response Division.
Under General Assembly Resolution 46/182, and in support
of OCHA’s mission to mobilize and coordinate effective
and principled humanitarian action, OCHA’s executive
management provides leadership and strategic guidance
to the organization and represents humanitarian affairs
within the United Nations system through links with United
Nations departments, Agencies, funds and programmes, and
the many other partners outside the United Nations.
OCHA’s executive management is the core of OCHA’s senior
management team, which provides guidance on strategic
and operational issues, including the implementation of the
Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator’s
strategic vision and direction.
The Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator
has three primary tasks: humanitarian policy development
and coordination in support of the Secretary-General;
advocacy of humanitarian issues and provision of guidance
and direction to United Nations Resident Coordinators/Humanitarian Coordinators; and coordination of
international humanitarian response. The Under-Secretary-
General oversees the Executive Office and also provides
leadership to the International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction (ISDR), the Inter-Agency Standing Committee
(IASC) and the Executive Committee for Humanitarian
Action (ECHA). Through these mechanisms, disaster risk
reduction is promoted, inter-agency consultation and
collaboration are supported and humanitarian action is
taken forward at the Secretariat level.
The Assistant Secretary-General/Deputy Emergency Relief
Coordinator supports the work of the Under-Secretary-
General/Emergency Relief Coordinator and is the principal
adviser – with an emphasis on key policy and management
issues – to the Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief
Coordinator. The Assistant Secretary-General provides
direct managerial supervision of OCHA, ensuring effective
cooperation between New York, Geneva and the field.
The Assistant Secretary-General also provides guidance
and support on issues concerning disaster risk reduction,
including management of the ISDR Secretariat, strategic
planning and promotion of relationships with key partners
and NGOs.
The Director, New York, takes management responsibility
for: the Advocacy and Information Management Branch;
the Policy Development and Studies Branch; the New York
sections of the IASC/ECHA Secretariat; and the Donor
and External Relations Section. The Director also oversees
the functioning and daily management of the Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Secretariat and the Trust
Fund for Human Security, and plays a key role in supporting
OCHA’s efforts to expand its funding base and improve
partnerships with the private sector and new donors.
The Director, Geneva, takes management responsibility for:
the Emergency Preparedness Section; the Displacement
and Protection Support Section; the Humanitarian
Reform Support Unit; the External Relations and Support
Mobilization Branch; the Emergency Services Branch; the
Humanitarian Coordination Strengthening Project; and, as
chair of the IASC Working Group, the IASC Secretariat. In
addition, the Director acts as the focal point for liaison and
networking among OCHA’s Europe-based partners.
The Director of the Coordination and Response Division oversees all country desks, early warning activities, contingency planning, field management and support, field security, early recovery and support to Humanitarian Coordinators. The Coordination and Response Division’s main responsibilities are: providing direct support to the Under-Secretary-General/Emergency Relief Coordinator; supporting United Nations Resident Coordinators/ Humanitarian Coordinators in complex emergency and natural disaster matters; and supporting OCHA’s presence in the field – including the management of OCHA’s regional and field offices. It also actively assists in the implementation of humanitarian reform, including the cluster approach, CERF grants and emergency cash grants.
OCHA’s executive management is collectively accountable for achieving the objectives set out in the Strategic Framework.
Goals and Indicators
Goal: A better coordinated, more equitably supported
international humanitarian response system
Indicator: Percentage of countries affected by emergencies
(IASC definition) which have received adequate international
humanitarian assistance.
Goal: Recognized OCHA leading role in humanitarian policy, advocacy and information management Indicator: Extent to which international policies and instruments are translated into effective regional and national action plans.
Goal: An effectively managed and responsive organization Indicator: Number and quality of objective-level strategies developed; quality of human resources and financial management.