The purpose of this research is to present a plan for the development of the humanitarian assistance system for North Korea through an analysis of the UN's humanitarian system. The research also deals with the humanitarian assistance system centered o...
The purpose of this research is to present a plan for the development of the humanitarian assistance system for North Korea through an analysis of the UN's humanitarian system. The research also deals with the humanitarian assistance system centered on the newly organized ‘National Committee for Humanitarian Assistance Policy to North Korea,’ as well as the ‘Joint Program’ and ‘Common Humanitarian Action Plan’ (CHAP) that were implemented in 2005. These three sectors are not only the vital essence of the humanitarian assistance system but are also representative of the changes in the system for humanitarian assistance to North Korea since 2004.
The UN's humanitarian system was constructed with the goal of doing away with the inefficiency and redundancy present in the wide array of UN humanitarian agencies. To this end, the UN has adopted concrete measures to integrate and regulate the agencies. First, it was considered important to strengthen the UN's ability to coordinate them. Second, a coordinating body that is responsible for regulating these agencies was set up, and third, while ensuring the independence and individuality of each of the various agencies, diverse programs and instruments were developed to scientifically and efficiently integrate them.
Research on this UN case revealed the following about the development of the current humanitarian assistance system for North Korea:
First, the institutionalization of cooperation between the government and NGOs is necessary. The institutionalization needs to be supported by legislation, officially clearing up its representativeness and responsibilities. This is because under the current system, 300 billion won (approx 288.5 million USD) per year is being sent to the North without effective policies or plans by way of unofficial and discrete public-private sector cooperative relationships.
Second, there is a need to coordinate and integrate aid organizations helping North Korea. As more organizations are involved in these assistance projects, the higher level of integration and coordination is necessary.
Third, it is necessary to intensify the specialization of assistance for social and economic development. Through sufficient advance preparation under a mid- to long-term development assistance plan, the North's social and economic indices need to be systematically collected and analyzed in order to establish appropriate development schemes for individual areas within the economy, and set up an overall, integrated development assistance plan.
This research divided the development scheme of the humanitarian assistance system on the National Committee for Humanitarian Assistance Policy to North Korea, Joint Program, and CHAP. Details were as follows:
First was the organization of the standing body of the National Committee for Humanitarian Assistance Policy to North Korea, and its expansion through the ‘Inter-Korean Cooperation Foundation’ (proposed name). Step by step, through temporary committee currently in use, a standing body needs to be established so that it can take on the responsibility of complex integration and regulation functions. Looking at the mid- to long-term, this committee needs to be expanded through the Inter-Korean Cooperation Foundation in order to act as a professional aid agency to North Korea much the same as does the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Second, in Joint Program, through the division of tasks such as preparing for planning, monitoring, and evaluating manual; introducing Project Cycle Management and Logical Framework Approach; improving the means of project propulsion; and developing the methods used to support and evaluate these groups, a plan for concrete expansion was specified. Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund needs to provide support for the projects according to the outstanding policies. Therefore, it is necessary to objectively screen and evaluate those projects receiving aid support, as these groups' transparency and responsibility need to be guaranteed. This means that there needs to be a major overhaul of the current system of integrated projects.
Third, there is still a difference in perception between the government and NGOs as to what is necessary to build CHAP. CHAP must be considered first for the successful operation of the Joint Program. To this end, the preparation of guidelines for preparing CHAP, and conjunction with making a big donation needs to be detailed.
In conclusion, the need for the development of a system of coordinated, efficient cooperation would be expanded as the volume of development cooperation increases. It is, for sure, needed for both domestic and international agencies in order to strengthen negotiation capability to North Korea, encourage donor agencies to actively join development assistance, and develop an integrated strategy.
Also, humanitarian assistance to the North should expand based on both experience and theory. The development of theory on the humanitarian assistance makes each organization be able to prevent repeated problems, gives them opportunities for self-criticism. This means that more materials need to be made public so that more open discussion can take place regarding the benefits and detriments of these cooperative ventures. Then, it is possible to find diverse and concrete ways to solve problems we have in doing many projects in North Korea only if this type of project operates closely related with the humanitarian assistance system for North Korea.