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HUMANITARIAN COUNTRY TEAM
DRAFT_ Minutes for 13th January 2016
Venue/Time:
Chair:
Secretariat:
Participants:
OCHA – Kabul 13th January 2016
Humanitarian Coordinator – Mark Bowden
OCHA
Core HCT: ACTD, Afghanaid, COAR, DRC, ECHO, ICRC, IOM, OCHA, ORCD, UNDP, UNHCR, UNICEF, WHO, WFP
The Humanitarian Coordinator welcomed participants to the first core HCT meeting of 2016. He opened the meeting with a brief analytical look at the year ahead noting the
potential humanitarian impact of a deteriorating military and security situation; forecasts suggesting the current El Niño will lead to a wetter spring thus higher risk of floods; and
recurring earthquake activity, of which we should seek to gain better understanding risk of further seismic large scale events. Overall, 2016 is likely to be a year in which we see
humanitarian resources far more stretched. The fluidity of the context and influence of external drivers that may lead to increased undocumented returns for instance, will likely
require us to question assumptions currently articulated in the 2016 HNO and HRP. The humanitarian community will both need to more regularly update our Humanitarian
Needs Overview and ensure capability to provide a flexible and agile response as needs arise. Many of the donor community are already attuned to this reality and have
recognised the importance of the CHF as a mechanisms to ensure predictable and somewhat flexible financing to respond to spikes as they emerge. On this note the HC
referred to meetings he had held in New York to convey how the processes the CERF and CHF, in being over burdensome, were significantly reducing the flexibility of these
humanitarian financing tools to support rapid response.
The ICRC representative seconded the challenging outlook for 2016, noting an organisational budget increase of 10% which they believed would be still insufficient owing to
the deteriorating security and increasing displacement.
Additional discussion took place around:
 The upcoming 2016 Warsaw and Brussels conferences and preparations for both to ensure improved linkage between the two sets of issues;
 Increased civilian casualties in 2015, particularly the increase in those attributable to ANSF and the potential for the humanitarian community to help mitigate this trend;
 The positive overtones of the Quadripartite meetings albeit to date these serve only as a precursor to set up the process for actual peace talks.
 IMF economic growth measured for 2015 @ 1.5% with projections of 3% for 2016. However more realistic expectations are more like 0% which would have significant
implications in terms of rising poverty and migration;
 The President is beginning to explore options for revision of the current BPHS system and a meeting is taking place today to discuss a move away from the contracted
out system towards a Government led system, initially looking to expand MoPH leadership beyond the current 3 Government led provinces. Reservations and concerns
around the proposed shift given current service delivery, capacity and financing constraints were discussed, and the advantages of NGO independence in
maintaining health services in contested areas noted. All agreed the decision making needed to be based on evidence of current performance and a review of how
services could most optimally be delivered, therefore the planned BPHS review must first take place and form the basis of planning any revised approach.
 UNICEF are working on a proposal under jobs for peace to further the fight against malnutrition in Afghanistan through provision of cash payments to support families
of children with acute malnutrition and also to provide financial incentive or payment to the current volunteer based CHW network.
 UNHCR also emphasised 2015 significant increase in IDPs and given continued fluidity in the security situation the likelihood of the displaced returning to their place of
origin was significantly reduced and more focus was required on supporting local integration. UNHCR also noted expectations of Pakistan refugee returns had been
revised given that military operations in North Waziristan continue.
In summary the HC noted that given the likely deterioration it was essential for the humanitarian community to get our instruments right and ensure focus on the most
critical issues.
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HUMANITARIAN COUNTRY TEAM
DRAFT_ Minutes for 13th January 2016
Substantive Issues:
1.
Protection of Civilians – restarting a higher-level policy engagement with the authorities; and reinforcing the protection of civilians role in Afghanistan
The HC noted a number of concerns raised in the past weeks regarding protection issues, higher civilian casualties, increasing number attributable to Government forces and
a wish to see more effective measures taken by the Government to address this. The HC has taken steps through discussions with Resolute Support and NATO to pursue
engagement from Government at higher levels and the SRSG has raised such concerns with the President.
The HC put it to the group that the former Protection of Civilians group should be reconvened and requested input from the group regarding its membership and remit.
ACTION: Drawing on the suggestions made and further consultation, OCHA will prepare a concept note in collaboration with protection cluster & others proposing the role
and issues to be addressed by the PoC group.
2.
Update on IDP Task Force Transition – UNHCR
UNHCR provided an update on the transition of IDP coordination functions to OCHA led multi-sector coordination through the OCTs / HRTs and noting specifically the
requirement of increased engagement from the ICCT and Clusters.
Please refer to the attached powerpoint presentation and two related supporting documents: 1. Roles and responsibilities Conflict IDP Response 2016; 2. Assessment of conflict
induced IDPs Principles and Scenarios.
In discussion OCHA emphasised that in taking over the coordination of the conflict displaced assessment and response, the same level of dedicated resources would not be
available, the functions will be absorbed into current OCHA led coordination structures. Realistic expectations of cluster presence and participation at sub-national level had
to be acknowledged and current divergent assessment tools and response packages and modalities between NGOS and UN agencies need to be addressed.
ECHO further reiterated the need to harmonise criteria, tools and modalities for needs assessments and response noting that divergence in approach opens opportunities for
local stakeholders to unduly influence the targeting and response. Afghanaid further highlighted a need to ensure more frequent communication to NGO stakeholders in
terms of briefing on the relevant coordination structures and tools.
WFP also noted numerous operational questions outstanding
ACTION: Following on from initial discussions at the Tuesday 12 th ICCT a further ad hoc ICCT meeting will be called this month to address a number of outstanding issues
related to the transition.
ACTION: The HC also committed to engage further with the Government on clarifying the primary interlocutor on the issue from their side.
3.
Improving timeliness and quality of humanitarian needs assessments
Following up from the useful discussion at the December expanded HCT further guidance was sought from the core HCT in terms of what information is required for decision
making in terms of allocating or mobilising funding, identifying gaps, and general response analysis at a more strategic level separate from the more technical information that
the sector specific cluster leads may lean toward.
Further discussion around the current tools (the RAF and PMT) and appropriate use and timeliness of household versus key informant methodologies took place.
Agreement was reached to convene a relevant technical working group to report back to the HCT, incorporating a broader membership to include programme managers
and decision makers prior to seeking additional, more technical inputs through the clusters.
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DRAFT_ Minutes for 13th January 2016
4.
Implementing the Architecture Review recommendations
At the December expanded HCT the recommendations of the final report of the Afghanistan Coordination Architecture Review were adopted by the HCT and clusters and
OCHA tasked with developing an action plan for implementation of the recommendations along with monitoring milestones.
The workplan will be presented for discussion at the expanded HCT on February 4th however some progress has been made in preparing tangible outputs to realise a number
of the recommendations already including the planned checklist for CLA monitoring of cluster key performance indicators.
4. Cluster Performance and Accountability
A well‐run cluster is one of the formal deliverables of CLAs. The HCT forum should be updated by the relevant cluster UN agency Country Representative on progress against
cluster key performance indicators on a quarterly basis. A checklist of key deliverables and steps required to strengthen the overall performance of the clusters will be
prepared within the ICCT and published in January 2016. The checklist will be used to regularly monitor adequacy of the clusters in meeting their core normative functions.
Functions to be regularly assessed will include: preparedness actions; availability of current assessment data; gap analysis to support strategic decision making and allocation
of pooled funds; strategic planning and prioritisation; development of contextualised standards; information management and activity and financial reporting.
ACTION: The checklist was discussed at the ICCT with no further inputs or edits requested and has been circulated to the HCT group for any comments or input. If no
feedback is received the checklist will be considered endorsed and adopted for monitoring on a quarterly basis.
5.
Update on Humanitarian air services
ECHO updated on the on-going interruption of PACTEC air services and the potential options for PACTEC approval to work in Afghanistan as either an exceptional approval
from the Government (judged unliekly by the HC) or to operate under UNHAS umbrella as a contractor. A discussion ensued on issues around contractual limits and decisions
for PACTEC if contracted by UNHAS.
6.
HCT membership
The HC thanked the HCT core group for their active participation since the reform last January and noted the value of the more focused policy and decision making forum.
He also noted the start of a new year as a good time to review participation and membership of the HCT. The structure of the HCT has been set as 6 UN agencies and 6 NGOs.
ACTION: The HC requested the NGOs to consult with ACBAR regarding any proposals for rotating current membership and committed to review the current UN members.
AOB.
Launch of the 2016 HRP on 27 January at the GMIC –invitations will be sent out shortly by OCHA.
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DRAFT_ Minutes for 13th January 2016
ACTION POINTS
Action points arising 13 January 2016
Action
1. OCHA to prepare concept note for revival of PoC group.
Responsible
OCHA / APC
2. Ad hoc ICCT meeting plus WFP rep to be scheduled to agree outstanding issues – including
ICCT
Comments
Status
Comments
Status
Completed
operational modalities - related to IDP transition.
3. OCHA to convene a relevant technical working group on needs assessments to report back to the
OCHA
HCT.
4. HC to re-engage with govt. on ANDMA / MoRR role in emergency response
HC
5. HCT to provide input to CLA Cluster Performance Monitoring Framework. When finalised HCT to be
HCT / CLAs
updated quarterly on this basis.
6. HCT membership review
ACBAR & HC
Action points arising 09 December 2015
Action
1. HDG to share 2016 donor plans / priorities
Responsible
HDG
2. ICCT to take forward critical review of assessment tools and methodology
ICCT
Ongoing
3. Action plan for implementation of Architecture Review Recommendations to be presented at next
OCHA / ICCT
Ongoing
Clusters
Pending
UN Agencies &
Ongoing
expanded HCT
4. Clusters to upload cluster strategies/workplan on to humanitarian response info to be linked
electronically to the HRP document.
5. All agencies to cooperate with FTS reconciliation process to reduce discrepancy with cluster
reporting and reduce huge funds in unspecified
6. ICCT to take forward review of HRP process
NGOS
ICCT
Pending
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HUMANITARIAN COUNTRY TEAM
DRAFT_ Minutes for 13th January 2016
Action points pending from 2015
Action
1. OCHA to circulate a TOR for the Kunduz lessons learned.
Responsible
OCHA
1.
Provide more detailed update on rollout plan of IDP coordination/transition at next HCT
OCHA/UNHCR
Ongoing
1.
Humanitarian community to establish a common position on the most effective way forward in
HCT
Comments
Status
Pending
2.
HC/HCT to request reports as required from AAG
HCT
Ongoing
W.Barmak
ANDMA
Ongoing
1.
ESNFI to develop a shelter strategy in order to prioritise existing needs and those arising and
ESNFI Cluster
Pending
ESNFI Cluster
Pending
addressing current weaknesses in disaster response management.
discussion
with
to
strengthen
establish a policy and position in terms of response, including the incorporation of DRR
considerations to pursue with Government.
2.
ESNFI to provide clarity on remaining gaps of the 2014 flood affected caseload
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