Humanitarian Country Team Meeting

17 August 2016

HCT member / Present / HCT member / Present
FAO / X / WFP / X
IOM / X / WHO / X
INGO SC / X / IICO / X
OCHA / X / SCOVA / Temporary absence due to registration issues
UNDP / HCT Observer
UNFPA / X / ICRC / X
UN-HABITAT / IFRC / X
UNHCR / X / MSF
UNICEF / X / UNAMID / X

Additional participants: RCO, RC Early Recovery Advisor, UN Women

A.  Main decisions and action points:

(1)  The HCT approved the inclusion of the SRCS in the HCT as an observer, in line with the status of ICRC and IFRC in the Sudan HCT and the global IASC arrangement;

(2)  The HCT to provide comments on the draft HCT Advocacy Strategy by COB 23 August; the final version will then be circulated for endorsement by 31 August.

B.  Agenda items, key points, decisions and actions agreed:

Issue / Key Points/Action
I.  Opening
Opening by
the HC / ·  The HC welcomed the HCT members and the DHC for Darfur to a meeting.
·  On flooding situation, there is ongoing discussion with GoS on flood response. It is important that all sectors compile information on ongoing flood responses from UN agencies and communicate these to OCHA (for the moment, OCHA has information only from ES/NFI and Education). The HC requests all members to take an immediate action as a matter of urgency.
·  Relevant Agencies are working on the implementation of the HCT Protracted Displacement Strategy. Once a durable solutions strategy is ready, close coordination between the two strategies would be required.
·  The HC provided an update on the Addis talks (under the AUHIP on the Two Areas). The negotiations were blocked, partly due to disagreement on humanitarian access. The HC will engage with AUHIP on a technical level in relation to humanitarian assistance, and will rely on the HCT for support.
·  The DHC for Darfur briefed on the Golo mission (also refer to attached briefing note):
-  The purpose of the mission was to gain access, and see how we can support the GoS response plan. Significance of the mission is that it actually took place, which was the first time we visited Golo since 2012. During the mission, the UN built some trust with government and local counterparts that needs to continue in order to support advocacy/access efforts.
-  The team agreed that there were some returns in Golo, but not up to the numbers that had announced by the GoS. The team agreed that a verification exercise for the returnees is needed, and observed some needs in a number of sectors. The technical teams tried to get as much information as they could despite being on the ground for 30 minutes with ‘supervision’ from authorities.
-  The DHC suggested a multi-sector approach as a follow up, and to discuss this proposed a meeting with the ISCG on 22 August in Khartoum.
-  Mission report will be shared with the HCT once it is ready.
-  On flooding, the DHC noted that humanitarian actors in Darfur try to focus on technical side of flood response; however some NGOs have been suspended. In line with humanitarian principles, humanitarian actors should be able to conduct independent assessment of the situation and select implementing partners based on needs.
·  WFP: Outgoing Representative, Mr. Adnan Khan, thanked all HCT members, including local NGO representatives and ICRC/IFRC for the strong support over the last 4 years. The HC expressed her appreciation to Mr. Khan, on behalf of the HCT, for his contributions.
II. Draft HCT Advocacy Strategy
Presentation by OCHA / ·  The draft HCT advocacy strategy was developed by the Information and Advocacy Working Group. It replaces a previous document that was approved by the HCT a couple of years ago. The messaging in the draft strategy is in line with the HNO/HRP, and HCT strategies (Gender Strategy, Protracted Displacement Strategy, Protection Strategy, etc). (See an attached presentation for detailed information on priority issues, goals, objectives and key messages)
·  While this is a living document, it needs initial HCT feedback on the draft, with the aim of endorsing it today or over the coming week.
·  OCHA took an opportunity to inform the HCT of the resumption of the Information Management Working Group (IMWG: a UNCT WG, co-chaired by OCHA and RCO), which meets every two weeks and has had good buy-in from humanitarian and development partners. The HC stated that she would like the IMWG to be able to consolidate the databases on humanitarian and development situations. While acknowledging that separate humanitarian or development snapshots were necessary and should be available, it should be possible to be able to obtain these from one location.
Q&A/Discussion / ·  Participants congratulated those who worked on the strategy, and made comments, among others, on the need to include in the messaging ‘health protection’ in line with International Health Law; the need to consider how the charter of demands from women’s groups could be incorporated into and inform the Advocacy Strategy; and a suggestion to prepare a mapping of who within the HCT has access to which GoS institutions to support advocacy efforts.
·  The HC acknowledged efforts of those who prepared the strategy, and proposed that comments/suggestions to be sent to OCHA by COB next Tuesday 30 August, before the final copy is circulated for endorsement.
III.  HCT Gender Strategy
Briefing by UN Women / ·  UN Women presented highlights of the HCT Gender Strategy, progress made over the past six months (during the deployment of a Senior Gender Advisor), main challenges and a way forward (for detailed information, see attached power point presentation on the subject). Many of the challenges were associated with the dedicated human and financial resources, as well as the need for a dedicated gender expertise under the HC.
Feedback/
Discussion / ·  The HC requested the HCT members to take time to review the HCT minimum commitments and the monitoring framework; and hold a dedicated discussion on how agencies are doing on the HCT commitments.
·  On the dedicated gender expertise in the office of the HC, the HC informed that the idea is to have the post funded through the donor community to ensure continuity of the gender efforts; and welcomed financial support from agencies if possible.
·  Participants noted that the HCT Gender Strategy is achievable, realistic and contains concrete activities. The process to develop the strategy was also recognized as inclusive.
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Action points: OCHA to re-circulate the HCT Gender Strategy and related documents; and schedule a dedicated discussion in the coming weeks/months.
IV.  Other HCT related issues
Joint HCT/donor visit to Nertiti / ·  The HC provided an update that the draft ToR for the proposed joint mission is still under discussion with HAC. The HCT will be kept updated.
HCT membership of the SRCS / ·  The Sudanese Red Crescent Society (SRCS) has sought to be part of the HCT for some time. The SCRC is the largest national NGO in Sudan, with wide presence across the country. It is used extensively in implementing humanitarian response, and it also reports to the Presidency.
·  After discussions, the HCT voted to include SRCS in the Sudan HCT as an observer, in line with the status of ICRC and IFRC in the Sudan HCT and in the global IASC framework.
V. AOB
·  NSTR

Next regular HCT meeting: Tuesday 20 September