World Humanitarian Summit (Istanbul 2016). Photo credits ECHO
"Time for action not for complacency. The inevitability of change. The system, as it stands, will not stand. Change is happening, and the system can catch up, or not catch up. Fewer people will die unnecessary deaths if humanitarian stakeholders manage the transition to a different and deeper partnership. But to do so will require those who have the most vested interests in the current system to surrender and share power, and embrace change. When did turkeys ever vote for Christmas?" (Enrique Guerrero).
Humanitarian Funding Status May 2016
More than 50 world leaders and 5000 humanitarian, development and political stakeholders gathered at the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit, in Istanbul, on 23-24 May to seek ways to reverse the trend of ever-increasing humanitarian needs and to make the international aid system more efficient and effective.
The Summit, called by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2012, has been marked by his report 'One humanity: shared responsibility', a strong and bitter document in which Ban Ki-moon asks global leaders to assume their responsibilities for a new era in international relations, one in which safeguarding humanity and promoting human progress must drive their decision-making and collective actions.
"As I enter my final year, despite the progress made in agreeing on new frameworks and norms, I remain deeply concerned about the state of our humanity. In too many places, peace, stability and sustainable economic growth remain elusive. Brutal and seemingly intractable conflicts have devastated the lives of millions of people, threatening the futures of entire generations. More countries are slipping into fragility, marked by extreme poverty and weak institutions and compounded by natural hazards and climate-induced disasters. Violent extremism, terrorism and transnational crime are creating persistent instability. Growing economic inequality within countries and the widening gap between the rich and the poor are further marginalizing the most vulnerable people in society. Climate change continues to cause increased humanitarian stress as it exacerbates food insecurity, water scarcity, conflict, migration and other trends. Disasters are becoming more frequent and intense. Pandemics, epidemics and other global health threats continue to emerge frequently, and at worrying levels. As millions of people leave their homes in search of safety or opportunity, the capacity and willingness of countries to absorb them is being seriously challenged. Although towns and cities provide new opportunities, rapid unplanned urbanization combined with natural hazards, pandemics and aerial bombardments are placing even more people at risk.
Terror and the deliberate brutalization of women and children, aerial bombardments and indiscriminate shelling of residential neighbourhoods, with thousands of people trapped and starved in besieged areas, tens of thousands escaping war and destruction on dangerously overcrowded boats and millions on the move in search of a better life have all acquired a harrowing familiarity..." Ban Ki-moon said.
The EU has been actively involved in the two-year long preparations. More than 23000 stakeholders such as governments, business, aid organisations, civil society, affected communities and youth groups were consulted in the run-up to the Summit to find ways to better tackle the growing humanitarian needs.
In Istanbul, the European Union has committed to strengthen prevention and preparedness, improve the international response and help find solutions to support an overstrained humanitarian system.
The EU is committed to strong progress on each of the five core responsibility areas, for which core commitments have been formulated by the UN. It pledged individual commitments at the WHS concerning policies, programmes and funds it is responsible for. The key priorities advanced by the EU at the Summit include: investment in resilience, efficient and effective financing, respect for International Humanitarian Law, preventing and ending crises, and bridging the divide between humanitarian and development work.
Five Core Responsibilities. WHS Istanbul 2016. Credits UN WHS.
Summit outcomes: 'Standing up for humanity, Committing to action' and the Grand Bargain
The major outcomes of the Summit have been captured in the UN Secretary-General Chair’s Summary of the proceedings titled ' Standing up for humanity, Committing to action' and in the Grand Bargain, a summary of the main Commitments to Action gathered at the Summit, endorsed by the European Union and 11 EU Member States as donors along with 16 aid organizations including OCHA, UNDP, UN Women and UNICEF.
The Chair's Summary reflects Ban Ki-moon's vision of the World Humanitarian Summit as a wake-up call for action for humanity, a call which has generated global momentum, political will to move forward on the Agenda for Humanity and the five core responsibilities to deliver better for people across the globe working in partnership with all stakeholders.
A final report of the United Nations Secretary General on the outcomes of the Summit will also be prepared in accordance with the General Assembly resolution 70/106 and presented to its 71th session in September 2016.
UNSG Ban Ki-moon at the WHS
EU commitments and concrete actions
The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit has been an opportunity for the global community to strengthen and reshape humanitarian action for the coming years. The European Union, represented by Vice-President of the European Commission Kristalina Georgieva, EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides and EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, announced concrete actions at the Summit.
The EU welcomes the launch of the "Grand Bargain" at the Summit and is ready to help tackle the funding gap in humanitarian action, estimated to be USD15 billion by the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on Humanitarian Financing. The Grand Bargain will redirect at least USD1 billion over the next five years to the frontline of humanitarian action. The launch of the Grand Bargain, an efficiency pact proposed by the HLP and negotiated by major donors and aid organisations, is an opportunity for more donors and aid implementers to join up and endorse more than 50 commitments, including gearing up cash programming, more direct funding for national and local responders, improving joint and impartial needs assessments and reducing bureaucracy through harmonised reporting requirements.
The EU is one of the first donors to have reached in 2016 the global target of 4 per cent of humanitarian funding earmarked for education. With the announcement of its EUR5 million of support to the 'Education Cannot Wait – A Fund for Education in Emergencies' platform, the European Union has taken further concrete action to support this priority at the World Humanitarian Summit. The platform will initially be hosted by UNICEF and is designed to generate greater shared political, operational and financial commitment for education for children and young people affected by crises. It aims to raise USD150 million in the first year, with an ambition to bring in funding of USD1.5 billion by the fifth year to provide education to a total of 75 million crisis-affected children and young people.
Finally, the EU has reconfirmed at the Summit that it is in the process of mobilising a grant contribution of more than EUR500 million to support countries most affected by the current food security crisis caused by El Niño. This is a joint initiative by the EU's Development and Humanitarian Directorates. A first tranche of EUR125 million to fund emergency actions was approved in December 2015. The approval procedure for a second tranche of EUR414 million supporting both humanitarian and development assistance related to El Niño is under way.
HLP on Humanitarian Financing. World Humanitarian Summit.
Kristalina Georgieva, Neven Mimica and Christos Stylianides closing joint statement on the outcomes of the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit
"Every day, thousands of innocent people are the victims of natural disasters and conflict. Over 130 million men, women and children depend on humanitarian assistance across the world, and the needs are constantly growing. At this critical juncture, the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit has brought together the international community to seek ways to prevent and end crises as well as to strengthen and reshape the way aid is delivered. We welcome the political communiqué endorsed on this occasion. The European Union pledged individual commitments at the Summit concerning policies, programmes and funds it is responsible for and is committed to strong progress on each of the five core responsibility areas, for which core commitments have been formulated by the UN. The World Humanitarian Summit has come to an end today, but our work towards a new global partnership linking political action to prevent crises, development assistance and more effective and principled humanitarian aid has only just begun. The challenges we are facing are complex, and there is no simple solution. This is the moment to roll up our sleeves and transform the Summit commitments into concrete action. The European Union, as the world's largest donor of Humanitarian Aid, will play its full part in reshaping aid to better serve people in need and calls on all world leaders to do the same."
@eu_echo @StylianidesEU @europeaid @MimicaEU @KgeorgievaEU @WHSummit #ShareHumanity #ReShapeAid
/image%2F1027532%2F20160806%2Fob_c45e21_fb-portada)
/https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fh1uQB6gENcQ%2Fhqdefault.jpg)