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Decade of Disorder: A Humanitarian View

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF BUCERIUS & AMERICAN COUNCIL ON GERMANY

TRANSATLANTIC GLOBAL AGENDA

The Rt. Hon. David Miliband: “Decade of Disorder: A Humanitarian View”

November 3, 2014, 12-2 pm, Alston + Bird LLP, New York, NY

David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, spoke on the humanitarian challenges in what he terms a “decade of disorder” on November 3 as part of the Transatlantic Global Agenda Series organized by the American Council on Germany in cooperation with American Friends of Bucerius and made possible through the generosity of Alston & Bird LLP.

Mr. Miliband opened his remarks by noting that President Obama has said that if you take a look at the news, it seems that the world is falling apart. Last year, there were 52 million refugees. We are in an age of wars without end, and wars fought without rules. These civil wars are not confined within the borders of the countries where they first erupt; they quickly become regional. In the case of Syria, the surrounding countries are affected. What happens in Afghanistan has repercussions across South Asia. An increasing number of states are unable to contain ethnic and religious differences within the boundaries of a peaceful political order. There are states that are both democratic and prosperous, but more and more countries are succumbing to identity politics. The international system is unable to contain these conflicts.

He said the situation is asymmetric. A non-state actor like al-Qaeda was able to convulse the United States by its 9/11 attacks. ISIS is destabilizing Iraq and Syria. The global economy was negatively impacted by the collapse of the economy of a small country like Greece, which represents only 3 percent of the economic power of the European Union. In a situation like this, the weakest link can threaten the entire chain. As a result, the humanitarian sector is growing fast for all the wrong reasons. There are now new constraints and pressures: Refugees are no longer in refugee camps and they might remain refugees for as long as 20 years; humanitarian workers are threatened with violence; and humanitarian organizations depend on government grants that do not permit the development of institutional infrastructure.

Mr. Miliband said the humanitarian sector needs to be stronger in setting goals. The IRC has now defined desired outcomes to include safety, health, education, income, and having a voice. Investment is being aligned with these outcomes. But evidence and Research and Development are critical to provide confidence and real breakthroughs.

The International Rescue Committee was founded by Albert Einstein when he sought refuge from the Nazis in the U.S. Marc Chagall and other prominent Europeans were beneficiaries of the IRC. The IRC meets 10,000 new arrivals in the U.S. every year, and looks after their health, education, and employment. The IRC is the largest NGO in New York. However, most of its work is around the world. Today the IRC has a budget of $560 million and a staff of 12,000 in 35 countries.

Mr. Miliband is the first non-American to lead the IRC, and he stated that he is determined to strengthen this organization on its home territory. Einstein came to New York as a refugee. It’s a good time to forge new leads with German people and private sectors to support his legacy.

H.  Kane Finn

David Miliband is the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. He oversees the agency’s relief and development operations in over 40 countries, its refugee resettlement and assistance programs throughout the United States, and the IRC’s advocacy efforts in Washington and other capitals. Mr. Miliband had a distinguished political career in the United Kingdom over 15 years. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the youngest Foreign Secretary in three decades, driving advancements in human rights and representing the United Kingdom throughout the world. As Secretary of State for the Environment in 2005/6, he pioneered the world’s first legally binding emissions reduction requirements. His accomplishments have earned him a reputation, in former President Bill Clinton’s words, as “one of the ablest, most creative public servants of our time.” Earlier, Mr. Miliband was Minister for Schools (2002-2004) and Head of Downing Street’s Number 10 Policy Unit (1997-2001). He has also been a Member of Parliament representing South Shields. He is Co-Chair of the Global Ocean Commission. Mr. Miliband graduated from Oxford University in 1987 with a first class degree in philosophy, politics, and economics, and received his master’s degree in political science in 1989 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he attended as a Kennedy Scholar. Mr. Miliband’s parents were refugees from Belgium and Poland to the UK in the 1940s. As the son of refugees, he brings a personal commitment to the IRC’s work.