Motion: The Association recognizes that the Executive faces immense complexity and many constraints in its efforts to implement MSF’s life-saving work. That said, it remains the core responsibility of the Association to define, embody and protect the raison d’être of MSF and its fundamental principles.
It must be noted that the Association is very concerned about and extremely uncomfortable with the acceptance of armed escorts in countries such as Pakistan and Somalia. The Association believes that this policy has a profound negative impact on what we do and who we are.
Therefore, the OCB Gathering requests that the OCB executive must approach the OCB Board for discussion and presentation of the rationale before undertaking decisions that have such an impact on our identity and principles.
Similarly it is requested to bring a motion at the IGA level asking for similar procedure in all MSF Operational Centres.
Background Information: To complement this motion, it is worth knowing that in Pakistan two operational centers have accepted the use of armed escorts (OCA for Dera Murad Jamali and OCB for Timergara). While many volumes could be written on the complicated and shrinking humanitarian space in strong sovereign states such as Pakistan, the succinctness of our charter does not detract from its profundity:
“Médecins Sans Frontières observes neutrality and impartiality in the name of universal medical ethics and the right to humanitarian assistance and claims full and unhindered freedom in the exercise of its functions.”
Our fundamental principles of neutrality and independence stand not only as the very cornerstone of who we are as a movement, but more importantly they contain the time-tested and proven wisdom of decades of humanitarian action on the ground. It is not by chance MSF has the proximity, even in dangerous areas, which other aid actors could only hope for: it is due to our reputation for practicing what we preach. The “No Guns” icon MSF uses is nearly as well-known as our actual logo and it serves as so much more than just an image. Indeed, it represents an idea to the powers at be that MSF is a neutral party to any conflict and we only seek to treat patients based on need alone. By accepting armed escorts we may gain access to a troubled area but we jeopardize and erode this core idea, locally and worldwide, of MSF as a neutral humanitarian organization. Given the adverse impact this has on our current and potential future patients, the Association in Pakistan wishes to see the Executive make all possible efforts to negotiate the end of our acceptance of armed escorts, without sacrificing our access to patients in the process, and puts forth the aforementioned motion to the International General Assembly to protect MSF’s identity, safety and access to patients moving forward.
Pakistan FAD