United Nations
A/RES/50/19
72nd plenary meeting
28 November 1995
50/19.

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming its resolution 49/139 B of 20 December 1994,

Reaffirming also its resolutions 46/182 of 19 December 1991, in particular the guiding principles on humanitarian assistance embodied in the annex thereto, 47/168 of 22 December 1992 and 48/57 of 14 December 1993,

Recalling Economic and Social Council decision 1993/205 of 12 February 1993 and the agreed conclusions of the coordination segment of the Council of 1993, and Council resolution 1995/44 of 27 July 1995,

Recognizing, in the light of the increasing number and growing magnitude and complexity of natural disasters and other emergencies, the need to utilize fully the national potential of countries in providing the United Nations system, on a stand-by basis, with support for its activities in the area of humanitarian emergency assistance, as well as in the promotion of a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and development, which should contribute to more coordinated responses in these fields,

1. Takes note with interest of the report of the Secretary-General and the note by the Secretariat, prepared in pursuance of Economic and Social Council resolution 1995/44, on the participation of volunteers, "White Helmets", in activities of the United Nations in the field of humanitarian relief, rehabilitation and technical cooperation for development, as well as of the initial projects undertaken in the implementation of resolution 49/139 B;

2. Commends the activities and experiences of the United Nations Volunteers, including the White Helmets, deployed in the context of the implementation of resolution 49/139 B, as well as other experiences developed to improve, in accordance with resolutions 46/182 and 49/139 B, the capability for a quick and coordinated response to natural disasters and other emergencies, while preserving the non-political, neutral and impartial character of humanitarian action;

3. Encourages voluntary national and regional actions aimed at making available to the United Nations system, through the United Nations Volunteers, national volunteer corps such as the White Helmets on a stand-by basis, in accordance with accepted United Nations procedures and practices, in order to provide specialized human and technical resources for emergency relief and rehabilitation, and in this regard notes with satisfaction the establishment, in particular in developing countries, of national volunteer corps such as the White Helmets;

4. Encourages also the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat, as part of its function of coordination of humanitarian assistance, and the relevant bodies of the United Nations, in accordance with their respective mandates, to make use of the White Helmets and other United Nations volunteers in the area of humanitarian emergency assistance, as well as to support a smooth transition from relief to rehabilitation, reconstruction and development;

5. Recognizes, in this context, the operational role of the United Nations Volunteers in the selection, training, deployment and effective utilization of the White Helmets at the field level;

6. Calls upon countries in a position to do so to contribute to the distinct window created to this end, in accordance with paragraph 6 (b) of resolution 49/139 B, within the Special Voluntary Fund of the United Nations Volunteers;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-second session, in the context of the cluster of issues related to the item "Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance", on the technical, institutional and financial viability of the initiative.

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