Coordinate Catastrophe Relief More Efficiently!

THE PROBLEM

Which strategies and principles of short term humanitarian actions (= "Catastrophe Relief" in case of humanitarian or natural disasters) does the VirGlob-SP propose?

THE SITUATION

Co-ordination:

Progress on co-ordination of long-term development and co-operation has already been made. Short term actions are less efficiently coordinated, and this area has had some disorder during the last years. This disorder is harming the efficency of action and wasting (spent) money. Activism is increasing - above all the activism of military forces...

Catastrophe Relief:

Humanitarian conflicts and natural catastrophes cause suffering in which the media are acutely interested. Unfortunately, through this sensationalism, the media suppresses the permanent on-going disasters, which slay the poors of this world everyday with mountains of suffering. The mundane repetition of the dying isn't interesting enough for the daily news...

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE VIRGLOB-SP

Overall co-ordination functions of the UN (OCHA) have to be developed. Co-ordination functions and actions of other organizations have to be put within this framework. Actions intending to win political profit at the expense of the victims have to stop. Normally, peaceful military actions don't need to be rejected. But they must be reduced to the areas of security which army specialists can bring and not take over the duties of civil organizations.

MEASURES

Co-ordination:

- The UN should create a list of national and non-governmental organizations and their functions.

Development and Co-operation:

- The VirGlob-SP supports a permanent information about the "Daily Catastrophe".

- The VirGlob-SP supports raising national contributary funds to the for development and co-operation. Every country has to contribute at least 0.5 (?) promille of its gross national product (GNP) to the international development co-operation.

HOW TO THE USE THIS RESOLUTION

After the agreement by the Plenum of the VirGlob-SP, this resolution will be sent to the members and friends of the VirGlob-SP as well as to the media. Members will investigate possibilities and ways to enter these propositions into their party structures and to realize them.

DEFINITIONS / REFERENCES

Fribourg Forum 2000 = http://www.woz.ch/wozhomepage/25j00/katast25.html

Gross National Product = http://www.un.org/Depts/unsd/social/inc-eco.htm

OCHA = UN office concerned with the co-ordination of humanitary actions =
http://www.reliefweb.int/ocha_ol/index.html

UN = United Nations Organization = http://www.un.org/

END OF THE RESOLUTION