A/HRC/27/57 79. Human rights constitute the legal framework of all humanitarian work related to disasters and conflicts. There is no other legal framework to guide such activities. If humanitarian assistance is not based on the human rights framework, there is a risk that the approach adopted will be too limited and may not integrate all the basic needs of the affected people in the wider planning process. 80. States should invest in humanitarian disaster relief in a planned way, avoiding budgetary risks that jeopardize public investment in normal times. The establishment of national funds for recovery and reconstruction could be important initiatives. 81. Local mechanisms for denouncing human rights violations in disaster and conflict situations should be put in place to ensure the safety, security and freedom of the people affected. Complaints and feedback systems can be designed and implemented as participatory processes as well as democratic-based actions. 7. Transparency of administration 82. Systems to ensure the sharing of information between administration and assistance providers at local and regional levels, including fire-fighting agencies and social workers, should be put in place. 83. In some States, systems have been put in place to ensure transparency and accountability. More States are in the process of developing such systems. Examples of such systems were cited by Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Myanmar, Slovakia, Thailand and Uruguay. 8. South-South cooperation (Brazil) 84. As an example of South-South cooperation, a culturally relevant disaster response was implemented in Somalia, where Brazil helped the United Nations Population Fund to distribute veils to women so that they could leave their homes to access health services. Personal care kits were also distributed. 9. Sphere Project (Ecuador) 85. Ecuador has established that the Risk Management Secretariat will be the focal point in Ecuador for the Sphere Project (see para. 28 (b) above). 86. The Sphere Project sets minimum standards for water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion, food security and nutrition, shelter, settlement and non-food items, and health action. 87. Ecuador has specific programmes for vulnerable groups, including the Manuela Espejo Mission, which addresses the needs for people with disabilities. Under the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion, there are programmes that address the specific needs of children and the elderly, and the Ministry of Health deals with the health needs of children, pregnant women and new mothers. C. Challenges 88. In the rush to provide humanitarian aid and save lives, little attention is often paid to protecting the human rights of people affected by disasters and conflicts. In addition, not much attention is paid to the rights of vulnerable people. 89. Access to water following disasters was identified in the responses to the questionnaires as a significant challenge and was described as fundamental to preventing certain human rights violations, such as rape, as women are very vulnerable when they have 20