Ban announces seven new members of advisory group of UN emergency fund
The Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) was approved by the General Assembly in December 2005, and was created to speed up relief operations for emergencies, make funds available quickly after a disaster and finance under-funded emergencies.
Its funds are also made available to address the existing imbalance in global aid distribution which results in millions of people in so-called neglected or forgotten crises remaining in need.
Since its inception, the CERF has allocated nearly $1.3 billion for humanitarian aid in almost 70 countries.
The 16-member Advisory Group, created at the same time as the CERF, provides periodic policy guidance and expert advice on the use and impact of the Fund, which is managed by Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes on behalf of the Secretary-General.
The Group’s members – who serve in their individual capacity – include government officials from countries that have contributed to or received funding from CERF, representatives of humanitarian NGOs and academic experts.
- Luz Amanda Pulido, Director of Colombia’s Risk Management Department in the Ministry of the Interior and Justice;
- Satu Helinä Lassila, Senior Adviser for Finland’s Humanitarian Assistance Unit in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
- Silvano Langa, Senior Adviser in Mozambique’s Ministry of State Administration;
- Janina Ochojska, founder and head of Poland’s Polska Akcja Humanitarna;
- Brigadier General Abdullah Muhammad Alsuwedi, General Manager of Qatar’s Directorate of Civil Defence;
- Elena Madrazo, Secretary-General of Spain’s Agency for International Aid and Development (AECID); and
- Jon C. Brause, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).