Humanitarian action is needed now more than ever. The growing number of vulnerable people, the rise in disasters, and the failure to address many fragile states effectively will increase humanitarian needs. While Western-based donors, the United Nations and international non-governmental organisations have a vital role to play, there are significant, and growing, contributions made by emergent or rising powers and the inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations based in these countries. These actors are a complex and diverse group, each donor and humanitarian actor having its unique history and political, economic and social development.
Against this background, the conference sought to:
- Strengthen mutual understanding among humanitarian actors on matters of policy and practice;
- Broaden common understanding of an effective and complementary humanitarian system, based on shared humanitarian principles, and build support for a multilateral approach from all humanitarian actors,
- creating new partnerships to enhance global effectiveness as well as respecting the diversity of different approaches;
- Encourage more active collaboration in international humanitarian response;
- Encourage increased financial and other contributions to ensure the humanitarian community is able to respond promptly and effectively to humanitarian need.
Further information
Conference on Urban risks: moving from humanitarian responses to disaster prevention
Conference on Environmental emergencies: strengthening the multilateral humanitarian and environmental response
Conference on Supporting democracy: engaging and developing policies with transition countries–the role of rising global actors?