Transparency is not a one-way street

Citation

(2003), "Transparency is not a one-way street", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 12 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2003.07312aab.002

Transparency is not a one-way street

Transparency is not a one-way street

In recent years, the international community has focused its attention, and rightly so, on the need for "good governance" in developing countries. Today, transparency and accountability are no longer just slogans but prerequisites for aid from abroad. Humanitarian aid, which has seen its share of abuses and mismanagement – in the Americas and globally – is no exception. In the past, the misuse of donations, whether material or financial, has deprived disaster victims of a significant source of aid. Therefore, any improvements to the system in the area of accountability would certainly benefit disaster-stricken communities.

Unfortunately, the humanitarian community, including bilateral agencies, international organisations and NGOs, often views transparency and accountability as a one-way street, a strong dose of medicine to be administered to local governments in emergency or disaster situations. However, national disaster coordinators in Latin American and Caribbean countries also have expressed frustration at the lack of accountability on the part of the external humanitarian response when it comes to coordinating and justifying post-disaster actions. As we know, reality is always more complex. Prejudices, politics, turf issues and other non-humanitarian considerations can influence the judgement of non-governmental or UN organizations as well as local governments.

How then can we overcome the lingering feeling in disaster-affected countries that emergency response is predominantly donor-driven, in response to press coverage and therefore public opinion, rather than to priorities determined by local governments or communities?

Fortunately, the problem is being addressed in an increasingly straightforward manner by the international community. The Red Cross System and NGOs have launched "Sphere", a valuable initiative for setting standards for humanitarian relief and monitoring compliance. The result is that transparency and accountability in the relief activities of larger NGOs are expected to improve. The UN should pursue similar efforts towards improving transparency and participation. One way is to step up consultation with national experts in the early planning stage as well as during the implementation of a relief operation. The evolution of UNDAC, the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team from a predominantly donor body to a sub-regional team and capacity, is a positive step. Another way is to include expert representatives from affected or at-risk recipient countries in external reviews or evaluations of major UN humanitarian initiatives.

We can only share the concern of PAHO's member countries when noting that funding governments are the only ones represented in the review groups of important initiatives such as OCHA's Military and Civil Defence Unit (MCDU). Indeed, civil-military coordination is a matter of prime sensitivity in Latin America. Perhaps this shortcoming is the result of an over-emphasis on so-called "complex disasters", where governments are either non-existent or part of the problem itself.

A broad consultation process with UN diplomatic missions should be complemented by similar initiatives that allow national experts, vested with the operational responsibility for disaster management in their country, to participate.

On the bright side, the UN is making significant progress in several areas. As noted earlier, OCHA is transforming the post-disaster role of the UNDAC team from a tool that served the UN Coordinator into an instrument to strengthen local authorities who are responsible for humanitarian assistance and coordination.

This changing role was apparent in the wake of the flash floods in La Paz, Bolivia in February 2002, when OCHA directed UNDAC's technical support towards the affected municipality.

Confirming this encouraging shift, OCHA, with the collaboration of PAHO and CEPREDENAC, the Centre for the Coordination of Natural Disaster Prevention in Central America, will organize a workshop in Costa Rica at the end of May to discuss ways and means of improving this coordination.

Representatives from Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Civil Defence and the health sector will review with UN officials and UNDAC experts past experiences in this Region. Still, much remains to be done to transform inter- national humanitarian assistance (particularly following natural disasters in countries with legitimate and functional governments) from a short-term charity operation into a participatory process that respects both the authority and the limitations of local institutions. Of special concern is the impact that foreign military humanitarian interventions can have on fragile civilian leadership. Without a doubt, a mechanism must be sought to ensure that the voice of civilian institutions in developing countries carries its due weight, both in operations and in the UN review of use of military and civil defence assets.

(Disasters: Preparedness and Mitigation in the Americas, Vol. 87, April 2002).