WHS Summit Will Be An Opportunity "To Build The Political Will, O'brien

Ahead of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), the United Nations top humanitarian official said today that, above all, the summit will be an opportunity “to build the political will” towards an “agenda for humanity.”

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O'Brien said “unlike other summits” WHS will not be strictly a pledging conference, but instead “primarily a focus on making sure people, and leaders in particular, give a commitment to action.”

O’Brien said “the facts on the ground are changing” and “therefore it is incumbent on all of us engaged in humanitarian action to change as well.”

He said “there is a genuine commitment to change, to find better ways to delivering; to change whether we are working more horizontally across the UN family, whether it is to do with making sure that we understand better how to put effect to people at the front and centre of response to crises.”

The humanitarian official said that when crises “are of such a scale, no one country, no one organization, can meet all the needs.”

He said “we need to recognize the scale of challenge, and often the technological requirements, are so huge that we need to find a way of forging bigger and better partnerships.”

Above all, he said “we should start from the human being” and “the perspective of somebody caught up in a crisis, just as you would hope somebody would start from your perspective if you were the one caught up in crisis.”

Set to take place in Istanbul on 23-24 May 2016, WHS is a global call to action by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Summit has three main goals: to re-inspire and reinvigorate a commitment to humanity and to the universality of humanitarian principles; to initiate a set of concrete actions and commitments aimed at enabling countries and communities to better prepare for and respond to crises, and be resilient to shocks; and to share best practices which can help save lives around the world, put affected people at the centre of humanitarian action, and alleviate suffering.

DESCRIPTION
STORY: UN / WHS O’BRIEN
SOURCE: UNIFEED-UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 2 MAY 2016, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
SHOTLIST
FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

2 MAY 2016, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Emergency Relief Coordinator at the dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“This is an opportunity above all to build the political will, the impetus to drive forward what will need to be taken forward to deliver on that agenda for humanity. So, unlike other summits, it’s not where it is deliberately designed to be a pledging conference, although clearly some will come with pledges and they will be warmly welcome and received, whether money or kind, but it will be primarily a focus on making sure people, and leaders in particular, give a commitment to action.”
4. Med shot, journalists
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“The facts on the ground are changing. Therefore it is incumbent on all of us engaged in humanitarian action to change as well. So I think there is a genuine commitment to change, to find better ways to delivering; to change whether we are working more horizontally across the UN family, whether it is to do with making sure that we understand better how to put effect to people at the front and centre of response to crises.”
6. Med shot, journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“I think change is very much the norm now, but secondly I think we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that all these crises, what is becoming clear, was very clear in Ecuador the other day, is that when there are of such a scale, no one country, no one organization, can meet all the needs. We are always going to need partners, collaborations, support, complimentary activities, strategic support. So, I think we need to recognize the scale of challenge, and often the technological requirements, are so huge that we need to find a way of forging bigger and better partnerships.”
8. Wide shot, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Stephen O'Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator:
“We should start from the human being, not start from the money or what we think others might want. Let’s start from the perspective of somebody caught up in a crisis, just as you would hope somebody would start from your perspective if you were the one caught up in crisis.”
10. Wide shot, end of press conference
DURATION: 02:15