MIKTA Statement Delivered At the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment General Discussion (27 June 2016)

MIKTA Statement Delivered At the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment General Discussion

27 June 2016

I have the honour to deliver the following statement on behalf of the MIKTA countries – Mexico, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Turkey and Australia (MIKTA).

We the MIKTA countries believe that, given the unprecedented scale of human suffering that is faced globally today, concerted attention of the international community on the humanitarian agenda is essential to address the magnitude of challenges before us.

Just as we need to work across sectors, like humanitarian and development, we also need to work across regions. Cross-sectoral platforms such as ECOSOC and cross-regional groups such as MIKTA, remain relevant in this regard.

We attribute importance to the valuable work of the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment, which provides a unique opportunity for Member States to progress operational and normative issues on the humanitarian policy agenda. We welcome the focus of this year’s meeting on “Restoring humanity and leaving no one behind: working together to reduce people’s humanitarian need, risk and vulnerability”. Our countries are making / have made contributions to the deliberations at the panel discussions on (i) Working together to reduce need, risk and vulnerability, (ii) Leaving No One Behind: Addressing Forced Displacement and (iii) Impediments to the Protection of Civilians.

This year’s Humanitarian Affairs Segment is taking place at a particularly important juncture, following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the convening of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit; and prior to important upcoming high level gatherings pertaining to the large movements of refugees and migrants in New York in September.

We welcome the convening of the World Humanitarian Summit held last month in Istanbul, which reaffirmed international community’s shared commitment to humanity in all related areas of the humanitarian ecosystem. These commitments were aimed at strengthening the efforts to reduce and prevent human suffering.  We look forward to the Secretary-General’s report on the outcomes of the Summit and for implementation of these commitments.

Mr. President,

Building on areas of established MIKTA cooperation, MIKTA representatives came together on the margins of the Summit to exchange views on the impacts of global humanitarian emergencies in our regions, and discuss how the global system could respond more effectively to the more frequent and complex crises.

MIKTA countries announced joint commitments at various sessions of the Summit. MIKTA countries will build a concerted program of action and advocacy to support accelerated implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction within our regions; and will work to advance the relevant outcomes of the World Humanitarian Summit, to maintain momentum and ensure the success of the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico, in May 2017.

MIKTA members are also committed to support gender equality and women’s empowerment including through working closely with local and national women’s groups to provide them with practical support to bolster their capacity to deliver in humanitarian settings.

Mr. President,

We believe that there is a strong need to build on the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the World Humanitarian Summit. Contributing to the efforts aimed at transcending the humanitarian-development divide while reinforcing the importance of respecting humanitarian principles and space remains high on our agenda. Striving for better humanitarian-development cooperation will bear sustainable results on the ground.

Humanitarian issues require shared responsibility and common ownership. We as MIKTA countries are ready and determined to cooperate to ensure we are unwavering in our collective commitment to leave no one behind.

Thank you.