The unbiased Overview Group – appointed in session with UNRWA Commissioner-Basic Philippe Lazzarini – will look at whether or not the company is doing every little thing it may possibly to make sure neutrality and to reply to allegations of significant breaches after they come up.
It is going to be led by former French International Minister, Catherine Colonna, who will work with three analysis organizations: the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden, the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway, and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.
Work will start on 14 February and an interim report is predicted to be submitted to the Secretary-Basic in late March. The ultimate report, which will likely be made public, is predicted to be accomplished by late April.
Parallel investigations
The evaluate is in response to a request made by the UNRWA Commissioner-Basic final month.
It can happen in parallel with an investigation at the moment underway by the UN Workplace of Inside Oversight Companies (OIOS) into allegations of the involvement of 12 UNRWA personnel within the 7 October assaults.
“The accusations come at a time when UNRWA, the most important UN group within the area, is working beneath extraordinarily difficult circumstances to ship life-saving help to the 2 million individuals within the Gaza Strip who rely upon it for his or her survival amidst one of many largest and most advanced humanitarian crises on the planet,” the Secretary-Basic stated in a press release.
The UN warned final week that assist operations in Gaza are at risk as 16 donor nations have slashed assist to the company.
Establish procedures, make suggestions
The Secretary-Basic stated the cooperation of the Israeli authorities, who made the allegations, will likely be crucial to the investigation’s success, and his assertion outlined the unbiased Overview Group’s phrases of reference.
The panel will establish the mechanisms and procedures that UNRWA at the moment has in place to make sure neutrality and to reply to allegations or data indicating that the precept might have been breached.
It can verify how these mechanisms and procedures have, or haven’t, been applied in apply and whether or not each practicable effort has been made to use them to their full potential, contemplating the actual operational, political and safety surroundings during which the company works.
One other process will likely be assessing if these mechanisms and procedures are match for objective, together with in relation to the administration of dangers, and once more taking into consideration the operational, political and safety context.
Lastly, the Overview Group will make suggestions for the advance and strengthening, if mandatory, of the mechanisms and procedures which might be at the moment in place, or for the creation of latest and various mechanisms and procedures that may be higher match for objective, whereas contemplating the actual operational, political and safety context during which UNRWA works.
