learning with professionals - Higgins Counterterrorism Research ...

Early notification allows the operational elements of the UNHCR to prepare for a
potential emergency. One senior UNHCR official indicated that operational elements of
the UNHCR develop their own, informal “early warnings” of impending crises using a
variety of information sources that they monitor themselves. In this case, the purpose of
early warning is to ensure the UNHCR’s emergency response capability is prepared to
meet the eventuality of a refugee emergency. Mr. Bernard Doyle of UNHCR likened the
UNHCR’s mission to that of an ambulance driver. The ambulance driver cannot prevent
an accident from occurring, but he can anticipate the conditions (such as a snowstorm)
under which accidents are likely to occur and plan accordingly.
Thus, early warning within the UNHCR means different things to different people.
There is considerable institutional skepticism over the value of early warning, in its purest
form, because of the UNHCR’s inability to take preventive action in most situations.
Operational elements of the UNHCR consider early warning to be linked to emergency
preparedness, and Mrs. Ogata considers most early warning to be early notification. The
CDR has institutional responsibility for coordinating early warning efforts with DHA and
for overseeing the UNHCR’s warning systems, and it is these warning systems which will
be considered next.
The UNHCR’s warning “systems” do not produce warning messages per se. Rather,
they share information and intelligence that can be useful throughout the UNHCR and the
international relief community (Ruiz: 155). While the UNHCR considers IRENE and the
COIP to be warning systems, they really represent a communications system and a database
that can support other early warning efforts.
IRENE. IRENE is a system of electronic bulletin boards that allows refugee agencies
around the world to exchange information using electronic mail. It evolved from a project
known as the International Refugee Documentation Network (IRDN) which originated
following a 1986 conference attended by 25 different relief agencies. Conference participants
recommended the UNHCR administer the IRDN, and in June 1987, the High Commissioner
agreed to assume a “coordinating function” for the project (IRDN b: 10).
Unfortunately, IRENE “suffers considerably from lack of participation by other IRDN
members” (IRDN a: 6).
COIP. The COIP is really just a database with a modicum of intelligence analysis.
According to the CDR, the COIP acts as the principal resource within the UNHCR for the
provision of “relevant, credible, reliable, and current” information, including political,
economic, social and legal structures, and human rights, in likely refugee producing or
receiving countries (Ruiz: 155).
The COIP supports early warning efforts solely by making information and intelligence
available to a wide variety of users throughout the UNHCR and the international
relief community. Neither IRENE nor the COIP routinely produce warning products that
are publicly available. However, the intent is eventually to produce warning reports for
UN and UNHCR decisionmakers.
264