Oslo Guidelines

Key concepts and principles

History…

• Oslo process began in 1992, with first guidelines first released in 1994.

• Following the increasing trend and unprecedented deployment

in 2005 of military forces and assets in support of humanitarian response to natural disasters confirmed the need to update the 1994 "Oslo Guidelines".

• The guidelines have since been updated, and re-launched in 2006, with the most current version (revision 1.1) released in November 2007.

• Guidelines are non-binding.

Aim and Scope• Aim is to establish the basic framework for formalizing and improving the

effectiveness and efficiency of the use of foreign military and civil defence assets in international disaster relief operations

• Apply to situations of natural disaster in times of peace, in the response phase

• Cover both “UN MCDA” and “other deployed forces”

• Intended users include:– UN humanitarian agencies, their implementing and operational partners– Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators– UN MCDA commanders and commanders of other deployed forces performing

missions in support of the UN humanitarian agencies– liaison officers coordinating UN humanitarian activities with foreign military

forces.

Key Concepts

• Recognizes the sovereignty of the Affected State and their primary

responsibility for providing humanitarian assistance on its territory.

• Covers tasks and responsibilities Affected, Transit and Assisting States (including FOREIGN military and civil defense commanders) as well as UN bodies.

• Defines humanitarian assistance and the core principles by which it should be delivered (humanity, impartiality, neutrality) and categorizes types of humanitarian activity that international military assistance might appropriately support…

TYPES OF FOREIGN MILITARY SUPPORT

• Direct Assistance

• Indirect Assistance

• Infrastructure Support

Oslo Guidelines (Rev 1.1 2007)

Types of Foreign Military Support

• Air, land and sea survey and assessment,• Reconnaissance in the disaster zone and of

access,• Search and rescue, evacuation, provision of

relief services,• Engineering,• Communications,• Logistics support,• Medical support

Foreign Military Assets Essential Principles

• Provided at the request or with the consent of the Affected State

• For limited duration

• Mission under the overall control of a Civilian Authority

• Provided at no cost to receiving state

• Unarmed, but in national uniforms

Foreign Military Assets Essential Principles

• Complementarity: assets should complement existing relief mechanisms in order to provide specific support to specific requirements in response to the acknowledged "humanitarian gap" between the disaster needs that the relief community is being asked to satisfy and the resources available to meet them.

• Last Resort: foreign military and civil defence assets should be requested only where there is no comparable civilian alternative and only the use of military or civil defence assets can meet a critical humanitarian need. The military or civil defence asset must therefore be unique in capability and availability.

Time

Intensity

Foreign Military and Civil Defense Assets

InternationalResponse

National Response Reconstruction

Summary

QUESTIONS?

Fourth Asia Pacific Conference Fourth Asia Pacific Conference on Military Assistance to Disaster on Military Assistance to Disaster

Relief OperationsRelief Operations(APC-MADRO 2009)(APC-MADRO 2009)13-15 September 200913-15 September 2009

ARF ISM DRARF ISM DR

16-18 September 200916-18 September 2009

Honolulu, Hawaii, USAHonolulu, Hawaii, USA

UN OCHA

APC-MADROAPC-MADRO 20092009

2008APC-

MADRO

2009APC-

MADRO

2010APC-

MADRO

2006APC-

MADRO

2007APC-

MADRO First Conference

(Singapore) establishes modus operandi and

endorses outline aims and goals of the APC-

MADRO.

Second Conference (Malaysia) conducts

assessment and gap analysis of existing guidance and

recommends development of guidelines for the ‘Facilitation of Foreign Military Assistance to Disaster Relief Operations in the Asia-Pacific Region’ to complement other regional

initiatives.

Third Conference (Australia) studies and

further develops a working draft of the

guidelines for the ‘Facilitation of Foreign Military Assistance to

Disaster Relief Operations in the Asia-

Pacific Region’.

Fourth Conference develops a final draft

incorporating all remaining concerns,

issues and amendments raised by participating

nations.

2006-2007

Preparatory guideline needs assessment and gap analysis table prepared by

OCHA and regional partners for discussion at

the APC-MADRO 2007.

2007-2008

Working draft of guidelines prepared by

OCHA and regional partners for circulation

to the Steering Committee for

comment, amendment and presentation to

the APC-MADRO 2008.

2009-2010

Endorsement of finalised guidelines at the national level in preparation for final endorsement at the

APC-MADRO high-level event in 2010.

APC-MADRO DevelopmentAPC-MADRO Development ‘ ‘ROAD MAP’:ROAD MAP’:

2008-2009

Working draft of guidelines prepared by

OCHA and regional partners for circulation to all participating countries for national comments,

amendment and presentation at the APC-

MADRO 2009.

Fifth Conference (High Level Event).

Finalisation, approval and endorsement of

the Guidelines.

(Brings to an end the APC-MADRO series

of conferences.)

2005Introductory

Meeting

International Seminar (New Delhi) Disaster Management –

Emerging Challenges for the

Armed Forces.

2005-2006

Post-Tsunami initial discussions on necessity

for SOPs for foreign military assistance to

disaster relief operations in the Asia-Pacific region.

APC-MADRO 2009APC-MADRO 2009

AfghanistanAfghanistan JapanJapan PakistanPakistan ASEANASEAN

AustraliaAustralia KoreaKorea PhilippinesPhilippines ICRCICRC

BangladeshBangladesh LaosLaos Papua New Papua New GuineaGuinea

IFRCIFRC

Brunei Brunei DarussalamDarussalam

MalaysiaMalaysia SingaporeSingapore MERCY MERCY MalaysiaMalaysia

CambodiaCambodia MaldivesMaldives Solomon Solomon IslandsIslands

MPATMPAT

CanadaCanada MongoliaMongolia Sri LankaSri Lanka RedR AustraliaRedR Australia

ChinaChina MaldivesMaldives ThailandThailand SAARCSAARC

FijiFiji MongoliaMongolia Timor LesteTimor Leste SOPACSOPAC

FranceFrance MyanmarMyanmar TongaTonga WFPWFP

IndiaIndia NepalNepal USAUSA

IndonesiaIndonesia New ZealandNew Zealand VietnamVietnam

APC-MADRO 2009APC-MADRO 2009

Asia-Pacific Regional Guidelines

for the use of Foreign Military

Assets in Natural Disaster Response

Operations

ver. 7.?, 15 Sept 09

NOTE: This is a draft working document not for distribution. Release is controlled by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Civil-Military Coordination Section.

APC-MADRO 2009

PREFACEPREFACEBackground Background Purpose & ScopePurpose & Scope  GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND

CONCEPTSCONCEPTSPrinciplesPrinciplesConceptsConceptsDisaster Management CycleDisaster Management CycleMilitary Assistance Military Assistance Do No HarmDo No HarmInformation SharingInformation SharingUse of Military AssetsUse of Military AssetsRequests for AssistanceRequests for AssistancePre-disaster PreparednessPre-disaster Preparedness  INTERNATIONAL RESPONDERSINTERNATIONAL RESPONDERSUnited NationsUnited NationsHumanitarian OrganisationsHumanitarian OrganisationsRegional OrganisationsRegional Organisations

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESAffected StateAffected StateAssisting StateAssisting StateUnited NationsUnited Nations

COORDINATION OF MILITARY COORDINATION OF MILITARY ASSETSASSETS

Structure of CoordinationStructure of CoordinationAffected StateAffected StateAssisting Military Assisting Military Humanitarian CommunityHumanitarian Community  OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

ANNEXES:ANNEXES:A. Key definitions.A. Key definitions.B. References.B. References.C. Requests for Assistance C. Requests for Assistance

Process.Process.D. D. Global Cluster Leads.Global Cluster Leads.

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

APC-MADRO 2009APC-MADRO 2009

Way forward:Way forward:• Guidelines to be “cleaned up” by OCHAGuidelines to be “cleaned up” by OCHA• Copies forwarded to participants for final Copies forwarded to participants for final

review and comment.review and comment.• Final document forwarded to participants Final document forwarded to participants

for delivery to their respective for delivery to their respective governments.governments.

• Final document forwarded to Permanent Final document forwarded to Permanent Missions in Geneva and New YorkMissions in Geneva and New York

• APC-MADRO 2010 endorsement before APC-MADRO 2010 endorsement before mid-2010.mid-2010.

DiscussionDiscussion

UN OCHA