IASC Statements

Joint Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) statement on the post-WHS period as agreed by the Principals during our last meeting from 7-8 June in Washington, D.C.

This statement indicates the IASC's collective commitment following the Summit to translate discussions on new ways of working together into action, strengthen alignment across the humanitarian-development nexus and promote a stronger role for local responders. It was agreed that the IASC would jointly focus more intensively on places of protracted need and prolonged conflict, as well as on crosscutting complex global thematic challenges like health crises or climate change. The IASC Principals will take these actions forward with immediate effect.

On 11 December 2015, the IASC Principals adopted a statement affirming their commitment to actively prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian workers, and the role of the PSEA Senior Focal Points, Humanitarian Coordinators, and the Humanitarian Country Teams to implement this commitment in all humanitarian response operations. They re-affirmed their determination to eradicate acts of sexual exploitation and abuse by their personnel and actively respond to incidents that are perpetuated against their beneficiaries.

Referenced documents:

1. Secretary General’s Special Bulletin
2. Statement of Commitment on Eliminating Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN and Non-UN Personnel
3. Minimum Operating Standards
4. Report of the Secretary-General, Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse A/69/779 (13 February 2015)
5. Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, 17 June 2015, A/70/95–S/2015/446
6. A Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, 2015
7. IASC, Global Review of Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by UN, NGO, IOM and IFRC Personnel, July 2010
8. Independent Whole of System Review of Protection in the Context of Humanitarian Action, Commissioned by the Norwegian Refugee Council on behalf of the Inter Agency Standing Committee and the Global Protection Cluster (May 2015)
9. IASC, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: Compendium of Practices on Community-Based Complaints Mechanisms (2012).
10. UN Resident Coordinator Generic Job Description, February 2014
11. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
12. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
13. Convention on the Rights of the Child
14. Convention on the Rights of the Child - Optional Protocol
15. General recommendation on women’s access to justice - CEDAW/C/GC/33
16. UNSG Guidance Note on Reparations for Victims of Conflict-related Sexual Violence (June 2014)

Sexual violence is being systematically and rampantly used in conflict situations as a method of war to brutalize and instilinstill fear in the civilian population, especially women and girls. The individual and collective responsibility to respect the highest standards of the law and to fully comply with the UN Secretary-General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13) must be re-emphasized. The IASC commits to urgent and concerted action aimed at preventing gender-based violence, in particular sexual violence, ensuring appropriate care and follow up for victims/survivors are accessible and working towards holding perpetrators accountable.

An estimated five to 30 percent of cluster munitions fail to explode when fired or dropped, either penetrating below the ground on impact, or remaining on the surface. Those underground can seriously impede the safe cultivation of land and the development of infrastructure. From a humanitarian worker’s perspective, it is essential that Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) pollution be limited. Parties to conflict must be held accountable for the use, the clean-up and the long term effects of the weapons they employ. Based on the work in the field, the IASC is convinced that within the overall problem of ERW, cluster munitions pose an exceptional humanitarian threat both during and after conflict.

The IASC is concerned that the issue of cluster munitions has not been adequately addressed. Those who use cluster munitions are unable to prevent the negative impact that these weapons have on civilians both during and after conflict. The IASC members therefore call for an immediate freeze on the use of cluster munitions until effective legal remedies aimed at resolving humanitarian concerns are in place.