Humanitarian Affairs and the United Nations: An Intern's Perspective.

A spirit of humanitarianism underpins every facet of the United Nations Charter. and it is arguably in humanitarian affairs along with peacekeeping, that the United Nations has achieved its most prominent role in world affairs. As a UN intern during the Fall of 1998. I felt very fortunate to be assigned to my area of first choice humanitarian affairs.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provided an invaluable opportunity for me to be immersed in the daily management of international humanitarian crises and the ongoing policy-making processes aimed at preventing human suffering. I felt privileged to be able to work alongside a team of hard-working, talented Humanitarian Affairs officers who, on a daily basis, confronted widespread human suffering and conflict in their countries of responsibility. They also incurred a degree of personal risk when going regularly "on mission" to these countries to assess the level of humanitarian aid required, and ascertain death tolls, rebel movements and tactics, numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the consequences of natural disasters.

I also felt fortunate to be able to attend meetings at which both UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata and Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson spoke eloquently about the challenges confronting their respective mandates on refugees and human rights, and then' strategies for addressing them.

Another highlight of my internship was an inspirational briefing provided by Olara Otunnu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. Mr. Otunnu spoke convincingly to a consortia of non-governmental organizations on the imperative to eradicate the use of children in conflict roles, and eliminate their widespread "abuse" - physical and psychological - by parties to the conflict.

The final week of my internship saw OCHA resources strained to meet the dual emergencies of Hurricane Mitch in Central America and the possibility of United States military action against Iraq and their likely humanitarian consequences. The professionalism and promptness of OCHA's response, demonstrated dearly during this period, continues to be an integral part of the effectiveness of the humanitarian dimension of the UN mission.

In the international arena, the United Nations is not alone in its drive to alleviate human suffering. A plethora of humanitarian agencies work tirelessly in often forgotten corners of the globe to save lives and preserve human dignity.

During the last decade, the United Nations has used its considerable organizational capacity to regularly bring together agency representatives, through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, to achieve coordinated responses to international humanitarian emergencies. This ensures that all aspects of humanitarian aid-for example, medicine, food, housing-are addressed, and available resources maximized. The inter-agency process also serves as an information-sharing tool and maintains unity of purpose and policy direction.

One of OCHA's greatest challenges is to remain politically neutral while seeking, at least to some extent, to address the root causes of the humanitarian crises that continue to plague so many regions of the world. Its close working relationship with the UN's Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and of Political Affairs ensures that the humanitarian dimension of conflict remains a key consideration in international political negotiations and the conduct of UN peacekeeping.

I felt privileged to have been selected for an internship in 1998 - the fiftieth anniversary of both the UN peacekeeping operations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Yet, it was also the year that saw a marked increase in casualties among humanitarian field workers. While injury or death incurred through any form of international civil service is tragic, the increasing incidence of specific targeting of humanitarian personnel is a disturbing trend. Ensuring that these personnel can have safe access to those in need and that the aid delivery process itself remains free from manipulation are ongoing challenges for OCHA and all aid agencies.

Humanitarian emergencies are recurring, intractable and rarely predictable. But the United Nations is continually fine-tuning its mechanisms to provide for early warning of disasters and for their immediate and effective management when they do occur.

Ms. Susan Moore contributed this article from Australia, where she Is an editor at the Australian Department of Defence.