This research analyzes mechanisms fostering states’ compliance to international treaties. It argues that a treaty accountability network surrounds states when they commit to an international covenant ...and that actors belonging to the network have leverage on states to hold them accountable. This study is particularly interested in the role NGOs and IOs play as actors within this network. It identifies two main ways for holding states accountable: direct and indirect. Indirect accountability is conceptualized as mechanisms where aid recipients are empowered by organizations and will henceforth hold their states accountable. This research provides a small-N case-study on the UNCRC, maps the treaty accountability network surrounding it, identifies accountability mechanisms developed by one OI (UNICEF) and one NGO (Terre des Hommes Suisse) and examines pathways used by one state (Switzerland). We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Vahabzadeh Foundation for financially supporting the publication of best works by young researchers of the Graduate Institute, giving a priority to those who have been awarded academic prizes for their master’s dissertations.
There is an increasing acknowledgement among policymakers and private-sector partners that we cannot overcome the challenges of our time without harnessing the potential of emerging technologies. As ...blockchain technology is rapidly being introduced to support work across a wide number of areas of humanitarian action, this article considers its potential impact on women and girls. The article draws on experiences emerging from UN Women's explorations of blockchain technology and the first gender-responsive pilot targeting Syrian refugee women in UN Women's cash-for-work programme in Jordan. The article reminds us how important it is to introduce technologies in ways that maximise their potential to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls in humanitarian settings, and minimise the risk of doing harm. Without conscious commitment to these aims, blockchain technology may exacerbate the marginalisation of women and girls.
The explosion in data availability and new analytical tools combined with increasing humanitarian need and the imperative of anticipatory action compel us to rethink humanitarian information systems ...and humanitarian action for the future. Synthesizing interviews with humanitarian practitioners, donors, analysts, and researchers and analyses of early warning (EW) information systems and their linkages to Anticipatory Action (AA), we describe six information challenges within the current system: abundant but confusing information, the difficulty of predicting conflict, politicized information, limitations of new analytical tools, varying information needs, and limited data sharing. We then propose an approach to improve the timeliness and appropriateness of action for humanitarian crises and disasters. Rather than ask, “What can we do with the information (early warning and otherwise) that we have to inform action?” we propose asking, “What information do we need for anticipatory (and other) action?” In other words, we propose planning from known and likely hazards and actions back to information needs. Such an approach should help to mitigate shocks before they cause major humanitarian crises. While not all crises can be prevented, this approach could also support responsive action, which is equally important for protecting human life and dignity.
This paper focuses on the collective engagement of CAR refugees in the eastern border area of Cameroon, specifically in the local council of Garoua-Boulaï. What is the context of emergence of this ...collective commitment? What can we say about its origin, its forms and its evolution? How does it relate to the space? The paper assumes that the collective engagement of CAR refugees in the East of Cameroon takes place in an environment defined and controlled by humanitarian actors, promoting the emergence of an associative-humanitarian field. The spatial dimension of this engagement appears in the constitution of a local social space marked by humanitarian action and in the urban centrality that seems to characterize this collective engagement.
The Necessity of Humanitarian Reform Abdeen, Ms Fatima Abdulhameed
World journal of entrepreneurship, management and sustainable development,
01/2023, Letnik:
19, Številka:
3-4
Journal Article
Localisation has recently emerged as one of the most prevalent global norms shaping humanitarian reform towards more locally-led response as a corrective to power imbalances in the humanitarian ...system. The concept of localisation however remains subject to much debate and the practical complexities of localised humanitarian response have not yet been fully unpacked. This paper explores the meaning of – and challenges to – localisation of humanitarian action through a case-study of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in war-torn Yemen. Drawing on empirical fieldwork including interviews with international and local NGOs, it analyses the practical, logistical, and political obstacles to the application of localisation and explores the conceptualisations of locally-embedded actors. The paper finds that whilst some progress has been made in terms of technical-operational localisation despite highly challenging conditions, genuine localisation viewed as empowerment that disrupts hierarchical aid relationships has not been actualized. Finally, the paper explores the policy and practice implications of the findings and suggests areas for further research.
Humanitarian action is commonly thought to involve two types of aid providers: international and local actors. But this tends to ignore a third humanitarian domain, namely transnational ...humanitarianism during conflicts, global epidemics and natural disasters by diaspora individuals and organisations. These transnational connections, which involve the mobility of people, goods and money, significantly change the context in which global humanitarian actors function and may have notable secondary effects on other aid providers. We contend that the significance of diaspora humanitarianism during natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic has still not been thoroughly explored in the academic literature and remains relatively ‘invisible’ in aid practices and policies. This article arises from an empirical study on the significance of diaspora in humanitarian action by analysing the impact of diaspora remittances and organisations that have emerged as an important potential for diasporas during humanitarian action. To examine the potential and role of the diaspora in humanitarian action, this article makes the case for the Indian diaspora’s humanitarian potential and efforts, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
This paper presents evidence relating to a forecast‐based cash and non‐food item distribution among vulnerable herder households during the 2017–18 dzud (extreme winter) season in Mongolia, and ...analyses the results of a quasi‐experimental study evaluating its impacts. An innovative approach in disaster risk reduction, forecast‐based financing (FbF) can have short‐ and long‐term benefits to vulnerable households but remains understudied. The paper contributes information on a multimodal FbF programme offering one‐off cash grants and in‐kind veterinary kits. The data found significant effects of reduced mortality and increased offspring survival in some types of livestock, and that the timing of FbF assistance is crucial, as reported early assistance correlated to positive outcomes in terms of reduced animal mortality. These findings can be used to design more effective FbF interventions, to understand better the appropriateness of FbF designs, and to use early warnings and early actions to help people prepare and withstand disasters such as dzuds.
الملخص
تقدم هذه المقالة أدلة على التوزيع النقدي المستند إلى التنبؤات وأدوات رعاية الحيوانات بين أسر الرعاة الضعيفة خلال فترة 2017‐2018 الشتوية (الشتاء القارس) في منغوليا، وتحلل نتائج دراسة شبه تجريبية لتقييم آثارها. يمكن أن يكون للنهج المبتكر في الحد من مخاطر الكوارث، والتمويل القائم على التنبؤ (FbF) آثار إيجابية قصيرة الأجل وطويلة الأجل للأسر المعرضة للخطر ولكن لا يزال غير مدروس. تساهم هذه المقالة بمعلومات حول برنامَج (FbF) متعدد الوسائط يقدم منحًا نقدية لمرة واحدة ومعدات بيطرية عينية. وجدت البيانات آثارًا كبيرة لتقليل معدل الوفيات وزيادة بقاء النسل في بعض أنواع الماشية، ووجدت أن توقيت مساعدة (FbF) أمر بالغ الأهمية، حيث أن طلب المساعدة مبكرا يرتبط بالنتائج الإيجابية لتقليل معدل وفيات الحيوانات. يمكن أن تساهم هذه النتائج في تصميم تدخلات FbF أكثر فاعلية، وفهم أفضل لمدى ملاءمة تصاميم FbF، واستخدام التحذيرات المبكرة والإجراءات المبكرة لمساعدة الناس على الاستعداد للكوارث ومقاومة الكوارث مثل الزود (فصول الشتاء شديدة القسوة).
摘要
本文提供了蒙古2017‐2018年极端冬季期间，基于预测的现金和动物护理包在脆弱牧民家庭中的分发证据，并分析了一项评估其影响的准实验研究的结果。减少灾害风险和基于预测的融资(FbF)的创新方法对弱势群体的家庭能产生积极的短期和长期影响，但仍有待研究。本文提供了一次性现金赠款和兽药实物包的多模式FbF项目的信息。数据发现，在某些类型的牲畜中，降低死亡率和提高后代存活率具有显著效果，并发现FbF的帮助至关重要，因为报道的早期援助与降低动物死亡率的结果是积极相关联的。这些发现可以帮助设计更有效的防雨干预措施，更好地理解防雨设计的适宜性，并利用早期预警和早期行动帮助人们准备和抵御暴风雪等类的灾害。
Localisation is a key element of the humanitarian reform agenda. However, there are continuing debates regarding its form and emphasis, linked to understandings of the local, the role of the state ...and the implications for interpretation of humanitarian principles of “de-internationalised” humanitarian response. This paper considers UK engagement with the localisation agenda, particularly through examination of the policies and programmes of the Department for International Development (DFID). The UK was a major contributor to dialogue on localisation at the World Humanitarian Summit of 2016 and has subsequently shown strong support for Grand Bargain commitments and implementation of a larger proportion of programmes involving cash transfers. Overall, however, advance on this agenda has been limited. The paper notes three major areas of constraint. First, logistical concerns have frequently been noted, particularly with respect to tasks such as procurement and financial monitoring. This has limited the engagement of many local actors lacking organisational capacity in these areas. Second, conceptual ambiguity has also played a significant role. Localisation is poorly theorised, and the roles, functions and capacities—beyond procurement of supplies and emergency technical assistance—that local actors may be able to fulfil far more effectively than international ones are not frequently addressed. Narrowly framed understandings of principles such as independence and impartiality, for instance, appear to severely limit confidence in engaging with local religious actors. Third, political considerations appear to have increasingly limited the space for more radical interpretations of the implications of localisation. Successive UK Secretaries of State for International Development have defended the commitment to a fixed proportion of Gross National Income (GNI) for development assistance based on strong public support for UK aid expenditure to reflect national interests and values. In this context, there are few clear political incentives to cede power over decision-making regarding UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to national and local actors in a manner required for fundamental localisation of humanitarian response. Even where there is a clear potential UK interest—for example, bolstering capacity of local actors in contexts vulnerable to humanitarian emergency to avert more costly emergency response—the public perception of capacity strengthening (compared to life-saving humanitarian actions) mitigates against such moves in a climate of contested public spending. The establishment of a merged Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in 2020 signals the likelihood of a reframing of localisation. While some advancement in terms of some logistical and conceptual barriers may be anticipated, issues of both national interest and public perceptions of national interest seem likely to continue to constrain a more radical implementation of localisation, particularly with current suspension of the commitment to spend 0.7% of GNI on ODA.
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