The Tokyo eCentre and Jakarta Partnership Evaluation of UNHCR’s contribution to emergency preparedness, contingency planning and disaster management in the Asia Pacific region (2000-2003)

The report describes and analyses the significant achievements and value of
UNHCR’s emergency preparedness and capacity building interventions in the Asia
Pacific region, brought about through eCentre and Partnership activities. Over the
past four years, these activities have achieved most of their stated original objectives
and have also had an effect well beyond the stated objectives.
The activities have had a positive impact on the learning and practice of over 2,000
participants and many agencies. Also, through these activities, UNHCR’s credibility
with governments and organizations in the Asia Pacific region has improved and,
thereby, has indirectly contributed to UNHCR’s overall long-term goals in Asia.
There has been a large expansion of UNHCR’s network of participant and agency
contacts, in effect an active emergency early-warning and response system of
agencies and individuals.
The report concludes that field-based emergency preparedness and capacity building
(EPCB) activities in Asia should continue and become a core, integral component of a
UNHCR’s long-term strategy in the Asia Pacific region. UNHCR’s EPCB activities
should be clearly linked to the overall organizational goals in the region. In other
words, there are direct emergency preparedness and capacity building objectives,
focused on organizational and personal as well as building and maintaining an
emergency preparedness and response network. But there is also a parallel longterm
goal to expand, reinforce and maintain a network of good relations with
government agencies, regional institutions and national NGOs (as members of civil
society) in order to influence long-term refugee policies and practices.