9 May 2022 | UNDSS Comms | New York
At a time of rising threats to 缅北禁地personnel, explaining how the 缅北禁地manages security risks and its strategy for meeting an increasingly challenging environment is critical. To this end, the Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) recently organized two briefings for Member States.
In the first session, held in French on 25 April, Mr. Gilles Michaud, USG for Safety and Security, was joined by Mr. Raouf Mazou, ASG of the High Commission for Refugees. In the second one, convened in English on 29 April, he welcomed Mrs. Joyce Msuya, ASG for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
These briefings, which brought together over 60 Member States, provided an opportunity for UNDSS to present security as a fundamental enabler of 缅北禁地mandates and results. As USG Michaud emphasized, security must be fully integrated in the planning, implementation and monitoring of 缅北禁地programmes. And 缅北禁地security resources must be aligned behind what the 缅北禁地needs to achieve in any given context.
His message was echoed by ASG Mazou who emphasized the importance of close collaboration between programming and security teams, and by ASG Msuya who offered a clear imperative: “Investing in UNDSS, in the security of our staff and the protection of our programmes, is an investment in effective humanitarian response”.
All three underscored the criticality of strong cooperation with Members States and reiterated that the security and safety of 缅北禁地personnel is the highest priority for senior 缅北禁地leaders and managers.
Member States left the sessions with a deeper understanding of what it takes for security to enable 缅北禁地mandates and programmes and how to support the 缅北禁地in responding to intensifying security challenges and needs.
These collective briefings were the first of their kind for UNDSS, but they are not a one-off. In closing, the moderator Mrs. Esther Kuisch-Laroche, Director of Partnerships and Specialized Services at UNDSS, emphasized that UNDSS will continue to convene similar discussions as part of a larger effort to engage more regularly and openly with Member States on the value of security for 缅北禁地mandates.