WHY A GLOBAL IMPACT AND VULNERABILITY ALERT SYSTEM?
Asha-Rose Migiro
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
To deal with a crisis effectively and promptly, policy makers need accurate and timely information. Today a
major gap exists in the information that is available when a crisis emerges. As this report shows, we encounter
particular challenges in assessing the impact of global crises on the poorest and most vulnerable populations.
The lack of data and analysis makes it difficult to develop targeted responses based on needs, evidence
and priorities.
The GIVAS is being designed to fill these information gaps. The initiative will link together existing databases
and early warning systems. Using new technologies, novel approaches to monitoring and innovations in rapid
data collection and aggregation, the GIVAS will seek to create a connective tissue between the various data
systems of the United Nations family and its partners. It will make information available in real-time that policy
makers and development practitioners can use to design and take appropriate actions.
The GIVAS is a work-in-progress. It must bring together our collective experience and expertise in a flexible and
light system that will help us better hear and respond to the voices of the poorest and most vulnerable. We
will work with national experts to develop a set of indicators that is highly sensitive to immediate changes in
people’s welfare and can be monitored cheaply and easily.
The GIVAS is a truly collective endeavour that underscores the commitment of the UN system to work more
coherently and deliver its services more effectively to people in need around the world. Member States’ leadership in the development of the GIVAS is indispensable. The System will be designed to address Member States’
needs and will provide an important bellwether of changing vulnerabilities. Our hope is that it will assist policy
makers and the UN system to better respond to crises and help protect our common pursuit of the Millennium
Development Goals.
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