ECOSOC HAS 2024 opens with calls to put humanity first
By Elayne Wangalwa
The UN Deputy Relief Coordinator, Joyce Msuya, urged the world to put “humanity first” and “at the centre of everything we do.” She was addressing the opening of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) at the UN Headquarters in New York. The theme of this year’s three-day event is ‘Putting humanity first in the face of conflicts and climate change.’
“Putting humanity first isn’t just a nice slogan,” said Msuya. “It is a radical response to today’s increasingly complex, entangled and existential crises.”
She added that putting humanity at the centre will “require innovation and courage” and “changing our institutional cultures so that we are fully accountable to the people we serve.”
In his video message at the event, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, called on Member States to “draw on their spirit of humanity, solidarity and commitment to multilateralism.”
Underlining the event’s theme, he said: “I call on all to put humanity back at the centre of our common endeavours.”
The event, which ends on Thursday 27 June, has a packed agenda for international leaders and experts gathering to tackle urgent humanitarian issues exacerbated by conflicts and climate change. Meanwhile, side events began on Monday and will conclude on Friday.
Panel discussion: Reversing the erosion of respect for international humanitarian law and its humanitarian consequences.
Edem Wosornu, the Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division, highlighted the dire state of international humanitarian law, noting widespread civilian suffering due to conflicts. “All States, whether or not they are party to a conflict, have a critical role to play in preventing and stopping others from committing violations,” she emphasized, noting that violations persist due to impunity.
On the sidelines
Nelly Mbangu, a human rights defender and the coordinator of Sauti Ya Mama Mukongomani, a non-governmental organization promoting the voices of women in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, spoke to OCHA on the sidelines of the event.
“Human rights violations are starting to become more prominent,” she said. “We thank OCHA for giving us a voice. This event [ECOSOC HAS] has helped us convey the concerns of the women and girls in our community – those women who are suffering, those women who are in displaced persons camps, who lack everything, live in precarious and vulnerable conditions, while some people take up arms.”
Side events
Today’s side event focused on the urgent need to address famine risks and acute food insecurity. Participants noted that the global food security crisis is worsening, with acute food insecurity expected to deteriorate in 18 hotspots, including 17 countries and one regional cluster, from June to October 2024. Major areas of concern include Gaza, Haiti, Mali, South Sudan and Sudan, with children under age 5 at high risk of malnutrition.
Speakers said that factors such as conflict, economic shocks and climate change are driving the crisis, necessitating urgent and increased assistance to protect livelihoods and improve food access.
Addressing the event were representatives from Member States including Guyana, Norway and Sierra Leone, and from organizations including the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, World Vision, Global Network Against Food Crises, International Rescue Committee and Save the Children.
For more information, visit the ECOSOC 2024 website.