UN Integration and Humanitarian Space An Independent Study Commissioned by the UN Integration Steering Group

In June 2008, the United Nations Secretary-General (SG)
reaffirmed that ‘integration’ is the guiding policy for all conflict
and post-conflict situations where the UN has a Country Team
and a multi-dimensional peacekeeping operation or political
mission/office (Secretary-General Decision No. 2008/24 (SG
Decision 2008 – see Annex 1) Noting the concerns expressed
by many in the humanitarian community, the SG Decision of
2008 also stated that integration arrangements ‘can yield
significant benefits for humanitarian operations … should take
full account of recognised humanitarian principles, allow for
the protection of humanitarian space, and facilitate effective
humanitarian coordination with all humanitarian actors’ (UN,
2008: para i (e)). Intense debate has, however, continued
within both the UN system and the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) on whether UN integration supports or
undermines humanitarian space.2 This debate has tended
to focus on principled arguments rather than an analysis of
empirical evidence. In order to address this, in its meeting of
12 March 2010 the UN Integration Steering Group (ISG) agreed
on the need for an independent analytical study to assess
the impact of UN integration arrangements on humanitarian
space based on evidence collected at the country level.3 The
decision was welcomed by the IASC and the various consortia
of non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
In January 2011, on behalf of the ISG, the Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the Department
of Political Affairs (DPA) and the Department for Peacekeeping
Operations (DPKO) commissioned the Humanitarian Policy
Group (HPG) at the Overseas Development Institute and the
Stimson Center to jointly undertake this study, noting their
research and policy expertise in the fields of humanitarian
action and peacekeeping, respectively. The research team
comprised HPG Research Fellows Victoria Metcalfe and Samir
Elhawary, and Alison Giffen, Research Fellow at the Stimson
Center.