The United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC): The Genesis of a Humanitarian Relief Coordination Platform

The case describes the genesis of the United Nations Joint Logistics Centre concept from its birth, in the context of the Eastern Zaire 1996-97 crisis, up to its imminent activation in response to the Afghanistan crisis (2001). The facility's evolution as well as deployment mechanisms and results highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the concept and its institutional set-up as a non-organization under the custodianship of the UN's World Food Programme.

The case aims to demonstrate the importance of logistics coordination among humanitarian organizations. More specifically it highlights the types of emergencies that require intensive and temporary coordination platforms to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian relief operations. By recounting different deployment scenarios, the case sheds light on the necessary conditions required for such logistics coordination platforms to satisfactorily meet their objectives.