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OEA/Ser.G
CP/doc.4017/05
22 April 2005
Original: Spanish
REPORT OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT ON THE WHITE HELMETS INITIATIVE
IN ACCORDANCE WITH RESOLUTION AG/RES. 2018 (XXXIV-O/04)
This document is being distributed to the permanent missions
and will be presented to the Permanent Council of the Organization.
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REPORT OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT THE WHITE HELMETS INITIATIVE
IN ACCORDANCE WITHRESOLUTION AG/RES. 2018 (XXXIV-O/04)
I.Background
In 1996 the OAS General Assembly approved resolution AG/RES. 1403 (XXVI-O/96), which among other things resolved to encourage full implementation of the White Helmets Initiative.
The next year, 1997, in resolution AG/RES. 1463 (XXVII-O/97), the General Assembly approved the Plan for Implementation of the White Helmets Initiative within the OAS and established the White Helmets Special Fund made up of voluntary contributions from governments of the region, the international community, multilateral agencies, and private sources. The Office of the Assistant Secretary General was designated to manage coordination and implementation of the initiative.
The Permanent Council, in resolution CP/RES.720 (1155/98), approved the Regulations for Coordination of the White Helmets Initiative and for Use of the Special White Helmets Fund.
In March 1998 the OAS General Secretariat and Argentina signed an agreement under which the latter would contribute US$500,000 for humanitarian assistance projects carried out by the White Helmets Committee of Argentina (CCBAR). Under this initiative projects were carried out in Nicaragua and Honduras in 1999.
In the most recent session of the General Assembly, held in Quito in June 2004, the member countries reaffirmed the importance of the White Helmets Initiative and the need to foster it at the regional level, approving resolution AG/RES. 2018 (XXXIV-O/04).
II.Agreement with the IDB
On July 1, 1999, as a result of overtures by the CCBAR, an agreement on non-reimbursable technical cooperation was signed by the OAS General Secretariat and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to carry out a Program of Volunteers for Humanitarian Assistance in Latin America (White Helmets Initiative).
The program’s general objective is to expand and strengthen mechanisms for execution and financing of involvement of specialized volunteers at the national and regional level in Latin America for humanitarian assistance and prevention of emergency situations.
The program is carried out by the OAS General Secretariat through the SEDI (Executive Secretariat for Integral Development), jointly with the White Helmets Committee of Argentina. The participating agencies (IDB, OAS, CCBAR) formed an advisory group to execute the program.
III.Activities accomplished
To date there have been three calls for project proposals from eligible countries.
The first call for projects was circulated to all eligible countries in October 1999. It generated nine project proposals, which were jointly evaluated by the White Helmets Committee, the IDB, and the OAS. Three of these were approved and executed in 2001-2002: 1) “Support of the White Helmets Initiative for Subsistence Livestock Raising and Farming in Nicaragua,” whose purpose was to help the Nicaragua restore the productive capacity of farms and ranches for personal use that were hit by Hurricane Mitch; 2) “Support of the White Helmets Initiative for Teacher Training in Jinotega Department, Nicaragua,” whose purpose was to train pre-school, elementary, and high-school teachers by strengthening regular training mechanisms; and 3) “Emergency Plan Against Flooding in the City of Durazno, Uruguay,” whose purpose was to design and develop an emergency plan to be applied when flooding is imminent for that city.
The second call was issued in October 2001, and the four projects chosen from among those submitted were carried out in 2003. They were: 1) “Support of the White Helmets Initiative for Subsistence Livestock Raising and Farming in Nicaragua – Phase II,” which provided assistance for diversification of subsistence farm projects for the poorest and most at-risk populations; 2) “Helping Hands” in Uruguay, whose purpose was to promote civic involvement in the prevention, mitigation, and solution of problems posed by disasters, whether natural or caused by human action; 3) “Support of the White Helmets Initiative for the Program of Participatory and Assisted Risk Management in the Binational Basin of the Paz River (El Salvador and Guatemala),” which sought to develop an early warning plan to meet needs arising from emergencies in the border river region; and 4) “Support of the White Helmets Initiative for Training in Health Services and Nutrition Education in the Ngobe-Bugle District (Panama),” whose purpose was to improve the standard of living of the indigenous population through training, awareness building, and education in health, sanitation, and nutrition.
The Argentine White Helmets also supplied two volunteers for the project “Development of Human Resources in Bosawás, Nicaragua,” which was financed with funds contributed by the Permanent Mission of the United States to the OAS. This project, which was carried out between November 2002 and December 2003, sought to assist in the development of the educational level of the groups most widely excluded from educational services, and to strengthen the institutional ability to provide those services.
-The third call for projects went out in February 2005.
Two regional seminars were held in 2004.
-The first seminar, for South American countries, was held in Montevideo, Uruguay, on September 9 and 10, with participants from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.
-The second seminar, for Central American and Caribbean countries, was held December 15-17 in Panama City, Panama, with participants from Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
-The purpose of these seminars was to stimulate formation of local volunteer corps by Latin American and Caribbean governments in order to create a Hemispheric Volunteer Network for rapid and effective response to emergency situations in the region. The delegations reaffirmed the commitment reflected in resolution AG/RES. 2018, especially regarding the importance of joining forces in the fight against hunger and poverty and in mitigation of the damage wrought by disasters, whether natural or caused by human action, starting with the establishment of national focal points, the need to develop local databases that reflect volunteer components in each country and link them with a regional network, the importance of promoting dissemination and awareness-building to contribute to the establishment of a volunteer culture at the national and regional levels (for example, by incorporating the volunteer action model in school curricula), and other steps.
Also in 2004, the governments of Paraguay and Uruguay designated their focal points for the initiative in their foreign ministries. Furthermore, the White Helmets Committee has been in touch with the governments of Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Peru with a view to establishing focal points in those countries.
Activities for 2005
As noted above, in late February 2005 there was the third call for submission of requests for cooperation in the framework of the OAS/IDB/CCBAR program, and 14 countries were invited to submit projects. As a result of this call and the selection process there will probably be a substantial number of projects carried out, targeted at specific problems, which will strengthen the links between government agencies and civil society to form national volunteer corps that mustered at the service of the regional and international community.
There were also technical assistance workshops for organization of national volunteer corps to be integrated into the humanitarian assistance volunteer program in the Hemisphere. Work is under way with national counterparts to design workshops that will be held in the second half of 2005 in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.
Also in 2005, a new volunteer database of White Helmets will be designed and connected to the OAS General Secretariat with a view to making it regional in scope.
Annexes:
- Report and conclusions of the “Regional Seminar for the Promotion and Dissemination of Volunteers for Humanitarian Assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (Montevideo Seminar)
- Report and conclusions of the “Second Regional Seminar for the Promotion and Dissemination of Volunteers for Humanitarian Assistance in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (Panama Seminar)
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ANNEX 1
(Montevideo Seminar)
REPORT AND CONCLUSIONS
OF THE REGIONAL SEMINAR ON PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF VOLUNTEERS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
The OAS/IDB/WHITE HELMETS INITIATIVE regional seminar was held on September 9 and 10, 2004 in the city of Montevideo. It brought together representatives of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Representatives of the OAS, IDB, and Argentine White Helmets Committee, as sponsors of the meeting, welcomed the level of participation and the input from the participants in the search for approaches to strengthen and consolidate volunteer partnerships in the region as a useful tool for the struggle against poverty and hunger, and for rapid response to emergencies.
The attending delegations reaffirmed the commitment reflected in resolution AG/RES. 2018, which was adopted by consensus at the thirty-fourth regular session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (Quito, Ecuador, June 8, 2004), which invited member states to join forces to expand the White Helmets Initiative and urges the General Secretariat to support actions to develop it regionally.
The delegations reaffirmed the conviction that cooperation for economic and social development plays an essential role in preparedness for humanitarian emergencies.
The seminar afforded an opportunity for frank and constructive exchange of viewpoints and experiences. The representatives agreed on some critical points:
- The importance of setting up a partnership volunteer network at the regional level, based on the organization of national focal points.
- The need to identify sources of cooperation for development of indispensable tools for effective coordination of volunteers, including training, compilation of databases, establishment of regional standards and models, and transparency in the volunteer selection process.
- The interest for each country to identify its abilities and national, governmental, and nongovernmental programs and experiences for the fight against hunger and poverty and for emergency management, which can include the participation of volunteer corps and serve the purposes of the initiative, and for the exchange of experiences.
- The need to make regional and hemispheric interparliamentary forums aware of the need to strengthen national legal frameworks to maintain and promote volunteers.
- Support for promotion of government policies that encourage more involvement of civil society organizations in the process.
- The need to stimulate the process of dissemination and awareness building in order to contribute to establishment of volunteer culture at the national and regional levels.
- Countries classified as C and D in the IDB system are encouraged to use the tool for strengthening presented in this seminar by the OAS-IDB-CCBAR initiative.
In order to follow up on these conclusions, the participating countries intend to meet again in the first quarter of 2005, with representatives from their respective foreign ministries, in order to report to the next session of the OAS General Assembly. Potential donors who could facilitate the expansion of the White Helmets Initiative will also be invited.
The participants thanked the government of Uruguay for its warm hospitality; the Office of the OAS General Secretariat, the IACD, the IDB, and the Argentine White Helmets Initiative for the excellent organization of the seminar; and the MERCOSUR Technical Secretariat for the facilities provided.
Montevideo, September 10, 2004
Argentina
Brazil
Colombia
Chile
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Uruguay
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ANNEX 2
REPORT AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE “SECOND REGIONAL SEMINAR FOR THE PROMOTION AND DISSEMINATION OF VOLUNTEERING FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN”
Within the framework of the OAS/IDB/WHITE HELMETS INITIATIVE Program, a Regional Seminar for the Promotion and Dissemination of Volunteering for Humanitarian Assistance was held in Panama on December 15th through 17th, 2004.
The meeting brought together representatives from Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Also attending as observers were representatives from countries and international organizations: Canada (CIDA), Mexico, UNHCR, PAHO, EU, UNV, UNICEF.
Meeting organizers, the OAS, IDB and White Helmets Commission/Argentina, expressed their satisfaction with the level of participation during the event. They further noted the valuable contributions made by the delegates in the search for ways to strengthen and consolidate volunteering in the region, as a useful tool in the fight against hunger and poverty, and as a mechanism for providing a rapid and integrated response to emergencies. To this end, those present showed an interest in committing to and assisting in actions that will lead to the creation of a hemispheric network of volunteers.
The Delegations reaffirmed the commitments reflected in Resolution AG/RES.2018, adopted by consensus at the Organization of American States XXXIV General Assembly (Quito, Ecuador, June 8th 2004), which invites member states to join in efforts to expand the White Helmets Initiative and urges the OAS General Secretariat to support actions to develop this Initiative regionally.
The Delegations underscored the importance of integrating efforts in the fight against hunger and poverty and for disaster mitigation, natural or man made, in order to expand capacities for joint response.
The Seminar afforded an opportunity for an open and constructive exchange of views and experiences and, by its conclusion, had reached consensus on a number of issues:
-the importance of promoting a volunteer network in the region, by strengthening local volunteering in each country.
-presentation to the 2005 OAS General Assembly of a report on the progress and achievements made by the countries or groups of countries in developing a hemispheric volunteer network.
-the need to support substantive steps leading to national organizational structures that can facilitate regional and hemispheric interconnection.
-the importance of establishing national focal points within each government, with defined functions.
-the interest of each country in identifying the national capacities, programs and experiences -either governmental or non governmental- in the fight against hunger and poverty and as regards to emergency management, which may be reinforced with the consolidation of volunteer corps and pooled together through a network to be made available to the region.
-the need to hold workshops to establish national volunteer corps and link them with the program of volunteers for humanitarian assistance in the hemisphere (White Helmets Initiative), in the framework of the OAS/IDB/White Helmets Agreement.
-the need to develop local databases which profile the components of volunteering and make it possible to identify NGOs and other experts involved in volunteering activities at the national level.
-the importance of incorporating a volunteering action model into the education curricula, and the recognition of school credits for volunteer activities.
-support for the promotion of State policies encouraging a greater integration of civil society organizations in this process.
-the need to identify additional cooperation and funding sources to develop the mechanisms necessary for an effective coordination of volunteering, including training, setting up databases, establishing regional standards and models, and building transparency into the volunteer selection process.
-the interest in incorporating youth in national and regional volunteer efforts, as well as developing training plans for the volunteers
-the use of electronic resources to facilitate the long distance exchange of the varied experiences represented at this Seminar.
-all of the foregoing is contingent upon consultation with the pertinent national organizations and government authorities of each State, for their evaluation and approval.
The participating Delegations thanked the Government of Panama for its hospitality and the local Office of the OAS General Secretariat, the IDB and White Helmets Initiative/Argentina for the organization of the Seminar.
Panama City, December 17, 2004
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Costa Rica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Jamaica
Nicaragua
Panama
Trinidad and Tobago
Venezuela