Identical letters dated 17 September 2014 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council
A/69/389–S/2014/679
18 September 2014 :: 5 pages
Editor’s excerpts and text bolding

…In recognition of the rapidly evolving situation on the ground, including the rapid spread of Ebola virus disease, and following consultations with Dr. Margaret Chan and Dr. Nabarro, I have decided to establish a United Nations Mission. The Mission will harness the capabilities and competencies of all the relevant United Nations actors under a unified operational structure to reinforce unity of purpose, effective ground-level leadership and operational direction, in order to ensure a rapid, effective, efficient and coherent response to the crisis. The singular strategic objective and purpose of the Mission will be to work with others to stop the Ebola outbreak. To achieve this, the strategic priorities of the Mission will be to stop the spread of the disease, treat the infected, ensure essential services, preserve stability and prevent the spread to countries currently unaffected.

The Mission, through presences within the affected States, will provide needed field-level support to the Governments and peoples of West Africa as they respond to the crisis. The Mission will assist Member States and regional and sub-regional organizations, upon request, as well as other partners, including non-governmental organizations, in delivering their bilateral and multilateral assistance in a coordinated and coherent manner on the ground. In particular, the Mission will coordinate with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and the Mano River Union.

Under the joint initiative of the Director-General of WHO and myself, Dr. Nabarro will continue to represent the United Nations system and provide overarching strategic leadership, coordination and guidance, including through consultations with the Member States and other stakeholders participating in or contributing to the international efforts in response to Ebola virus disease. He will lead international efforts to mobilize and sustain the political will and strategic resources necessary to combat this crisis. I invite all Member States, other intergovernmental organizations, civil society and the private sector to join a broad international coalition at the earliest opportunity and to contribute decisively to the international response to the disease.

At the operational level, I intend to immediately establish a United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), to be headed by a Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Under-Secretary-General) whom I shall appoint following consultation with Dr. Chan and who will report directly to me. The Mission will build and maintain a regional operational platform, ensuring the rapid delivery of international assistance against the needs identified in the affected States, lead the response at the operational level and provide strategic direction to the United Nations system and other implementing partners on the ground. It will also work closely with all Governments and partners contributing to this effort….

…The Mission will bring together the range of United Nations actors and capabilities, as well as Governments, Member States, non-governmental organizations and other relevant stakeholders, in order to provide effective leadership, avoid unnecessary duplication and ensure the efficient prioritization of available assets and resources. The Mission will work closely with the national Ebola operational centres established by the Governments concerned, as well as with contributing Member States that are providing assistance within affected countries. The Mission will also engage closely with the private sector in order to ensure that the collective international community is drawing upon all possible assets to overcome the outbreak and its destructive secondary effects.

The Mission will be guided by six principles:
1.Reinforce government leadership;
2.Deliver rapid impact on the ground;
3.Closely coordinate and collaborate with actors outside the United Nations;
4.Tailor responses to particular needs in the different countries;
5.Reaffirm WHO lead on all health issues;
6.Identify benchmarks for transition post-emergency and ensure that actions strengthen systems.

Furthermore, the Mission will be responsible for catalysing a rapid and massive mobilization of international human, material, logistic and financial resources, under a single overarching framework, in pursuit of the objectives of the mandate and strategic priorities cited above. To achieve those strategic objectives, the Mission will focus on 12 mission-critical actions identified by the Senior United Nations System Coordinator, following consultations with major stakeholders, including the Governments of the affected countries, including:
1. Identification and tracing of people with Ebola virus disease;
2. Care for the infected and infection control;
3. Safe and dignified burial;
4. Medical care for responders;
5. Food security and nutrition;
6. Access to basic health services;
7. Cash incentives for health workers;
8. Economic protection and recovery;
9. Supplies of material and equipment;
10. Transportation and fuel;
11. Social mobilization;
12. Messaging.

…The Ebola situation has highlighted the need to determine if and how early identification systems need to be improved and how those systems can better translate into more timely action. I intend to consult with Dr. Chan on this issue in order to make recommendations to accelerate the global response in the future. Input from the affected Governments, Member States and other relevant stakeholders will be an essential part of this process….

…I count on the support of the Security Council, the General Assembly and all Member States in this vital endeavour. A more detailed report outlining the required resource requirements will be submitted for the approval and consideration of the Assembly. I also intend to establish a trust fund to mobilize the necessary voluntary contributions and other resources to further this task and to assist in funding the broader effort, including by addressing any gaps in the activities of United Nations system partners. I intend to make maximum use of the authority provided to me, including in the area of human resources, in order to promote the timely and effective response to the Ebola crisis.
No one country, no one organization has the resources to stem the tide of the Ebola crisis. Each Government is ultimately responsible for its own people.

The Governments and the people of West Africa have asked for our help. We must come together as one United Nations, and we call upon Member States to join us in answering their call….