UN tsunami envoy Bill Clinton launches major review of key challenges

Former United States President Bill Clinton continued his advocacy as United Nations Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery today by launching a six-month intensive examination of key challenges facing groups working in the area affected by the disaster, which sparked unprecedented financial contributions for relief efforts.

“I am very grateful for the willingness of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to undertake this review,” he told InterAction, a coalition of 160 US-based NGOs at its annual Forum in Washington, DC. “It demonstrates the commitment of your community to effective relief and development aid, and to the highest standards of professionalism.”

Among the areas to be addressed by the review are accountability, capacity-building, professionalism, coordination, and human rights as they relate to the relief effort, which is benefiting from the largest-ever mobilization of funds for an emergency and reconstruction effort.

“The size of the challenge and the unprecedented resources at our disposal have raised the stakes,” said President Clinton. "Now more than ever, we need to do things right; we need to spend money wisely.”

In another development today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan lauded President Clinton for being awarded the Fulbright Prize for International Understanding. In a video message to the ceremony, Mr. Annan praised the US leader’s contributions for peace, development, human rights and other global goals.

Mr. Annan cited in particular the former president’s work as the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, saying he had worked to “build back better” than what was there before. “In this way, you have given practical meaning to your passion for development, and helped improve millions of lives,” the Secretary-General said.