About Early Recovery
Early Recovery is defined as recovery that begins early in a humanitarian setting. It is a multi-dimensional process, guided by development principles. It aims to generate self-sustaining nationally owned and resilient processes for post-crisis recovery. Early recovery encompasses the restoration of basic services, livelihoods, shelter, governance, security and the rule of law, environment and social dimensions, including the reintegration of displaced populations. It stabilizes human security and addresses underlying risks that contributed to the crisis.
The populations affected by the crisis require life saving support; their communities, institutions and livelihoods have often been physically destroyed and weakened. Recovery programming works to restore services, livelihood opportunities and governance capacity. This must start as soon as possible in the humanitarian or emergency phase. While most attention initially will be given to life saving interventions, the sooner the planning and work on recovery begins, the sooner the affected areas are stabilized and the shorter and more effective the recovery process is likely to be, as national and regional institutions progress with providing basic services and assuming governance functions such as security, local administration and justice.
Early recovery occurs in parallel with humanitarian activities, but its objectives, mechanisms and expertise are different. Early recovery aims to:
- augment on-going humanitarian assistance operations;
- support spontaneous recovery initiatives by affected communities; and
- establish the foundations of longer-term recovery.
GLOBAL CLUSTER LEAD
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
MAIN PARTNERS AT THE GLOBAL LEVEL
The CWGER is comprised of 31 UN agencies and non-UN organisations. The main partners at the global level are engaged in a Strategic Advisory Group (SAG), which is currently an informal arrangement until approved at the IASC Principals level.
The SAG members are OCHA, UN Habitat, UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, the Danish Refugee Council, Action Aid, and Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB).
SUPPORT AND TOOLS PROVIDED TO THE GLOBAL CLUSTER TO THE FIELD
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The IASC Guidance Note on Early Recovery (April 2008) is the predominant tool that is disseminated to the field, and provides the basic guidance for Early Recovery Advisors. The Guidance Note is complemented by several other papers, the most notable listed below:
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UNDP Policy on Early Recovery (April 2008) and numerous other guides, including:
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Joint Lessons Learned and Good Practice Toolkit: Transitioning humanitarian coordination mechanisms to support longer term recovery and development (UNDP, OCHA, DOCO, June 2012), awaiting finalisation and publication.
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Early Recovery Inter-Cluster Action Plan (CWGER, October 2010)
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Mainstreaming Early Recovery in Clusters: Implementing the Early Recovery Agenda (Report from the IASC Standing Committee 75th Working Group Meeting, November 2009)