In the run-up to the European Humanitarian Forum in March 2023, DG ECHO is organizing a series of global and regional warm up events aiming at informing the forum on key humanitarian questions.
Regional warm-up sessions are organised by DG ECHO’s field network. The objective of these regional consultations is to set the scene with a strong local perspective ahead of the Forum and to critically inform the discussions of the Forum in March. Each of DG ECHO’s five regional offices are gathering local experiences and testimony feeding into one specific session of the Forum. Regional consultations are held between December and February. The results and takeaways of those consultations will be made available here ahead of the Forum.
Global warm-up events gather key speakers on highly anticipated topics, ahead of the forum, and will directly inform some of the sessions of the 20 and 21 March.
DRR and Climate Change: Sustainable Early Warning – Early Action
Friday, March 10th 2023 – 11.00 - 12.30
Please register using the link: CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
More on the event on DRR and Climate Change.
This warm-up session will bring together a panel of humanitarian actors and academic experts, who will look into the challenges and opportunities for building efficient and sustainable multi-hazard early warning systems in fragile settings, bearing in mind the prevention and solution aspect of disaster displacement. The panelists will present existing data sources and digital tools, as well as lessons related to their implementation and governance. The event targets the crosscutting priority of the second European Humanitarian Forum, climate change, while promoting the nexus between disaster risk reduction and climate action.
Key takeaways available here.
Click the play button to listen the recording
Global warm-up session on Ukraine
DG ECHO organized a preliminary warm-up session on Looking back: One year into the Ukraine conflict which took place on 28 February and was organised jointly with the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations.
The event was attended by more than 130 participants and gathered the following key speakers:
- Niklas Nordstrom, Programme Specialist, Humanitarian Division (SIDA)
- Denise Brown, UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine
- Olga Oliker, Program Director, Europe and Central Asia (ICG)
- Christopher Stokes, Country Director, Ukraine (MSF)
- Tetiana Stawnychy, Country Director, Ukraine (Caritas)
More on the event on the Ukraine crisis.
Watch here the recording of the HQ warm-up session :
Read here the final report for the session
Global warm-up session on Climate
DG ECHO organized a preliminary warm-um session on Climate-Induced Crises: Taking Stock of Current Risks and Responses which took place on 13 February and was organised jointly with the Egmont Royal Institute for International Relations.
The event was attended by more than 160 participants and gathered the following key speakers:
- Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, Special Presidential Envoy for Drought Response, Federal Government of Somalia
- Perrine Piton, Coordinator, Building Resilient Communities in Somalia (BRCiS)
- Carina Bachofen, Director (a.i.), Climate Centre, Red Cross Red Crescent
- Sylvie Wabbes, Agronomist and Resilience Advisor, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
More on the event on Climate-Induced Crises.
Watch here the recording of the HQ warm-up session :
Read here the final report for the session
Amman
On 18th January 2023, the Middle East and Eastern Neighborhood regional warm-up session took place in the EU premises in Amman, around the title "Soaring humanitarian needs and limited resources: engaging non-traditional donors and new sources of financing”. More than 120 participants from 50 institutions, representing local and international civil society organizations, UN agencies, government’s representatives from the international community and the Red Cross/Crescent Movement’ delegates had the opportunity to brainstorm on innovative financing to support humanitarian needs. Representatives from Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Iraq, Palestine, Syria and regional officers from Europe and MENA regional offices attended and debated along two main questions:
a) how additional sources of funding beyond traditional humanitarian donors can be mobilized, especially in protracted humanitarian crisis;
b) how innovative financing instruments from the private sector and international financial institutions could be the drivers to frame new strategic partnerships with mutual interests.
Date: 18 January 2023. Key takeaways available here.
Contact: Please contact Massimo La Rosa (Massimo.Larosa@echofield.eu) for more information.
Nairobi
A field warm-up virtual session on "Localisation: enabling equal partnerships with local responders" was organised by DG ECHO East and Southern Africa regional office on 24th February 2023. The session gathered almost 50 participants covering 10 countries of the African continent and representing donors, UN institutions, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement and non-governmental organizations, both international and local. The session aimed at fleshing out realities from the field around the localization agenda, along with recent initiatives, perspectives, and recommendations. Three main areas of focus were worked on:
- Consortia models that increase funding and decision-making of local actors
- Risk transfer and due diligence passporting
- Coordination mechanisms, leadership and decision-making.
Date: 24 February 2023. Key takeaways here.
Contact: Please contact Lisa De La Rubia (lisa.delarubia@echofield.eu) or Christine Mwakai (Christine.MWAKAI@echofield.eu) for more information on how to get involved.
Bangkok
Drawing on the experiences of a diverse group of humanitarian stakeholders present at the ICVA/OCHA Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week, DG ECHO Regional Office in Bangkok gathered local perspectives and inputs to feed into the EHF23 session “Mitigating climate-driven disasters: Scaling up resilience and anticipatory action”. The full report reflecting key takeaways and food for thought to stimulate the discussion at the European Humanitarian Forum in March will be published here soon.
Date: 9 to 14 December 2022. Key takeaways here.
Contact: Please contact Michelle Cicic (Michelle.CICIC@echofield.eu) for more information.
Dakar
Some of the main factors impeding access in the African continent include: insecurity targeting humanitarian workers, declining acceptance, growing misinformation against humanitarian actors, mistrust from the national authorities, persistent or increasing bureaucratic and administrative impediments, national and international counter terrorism regulations or increased reluctancy of several countries to apply IHL. Concrete steps related to humanitarian diplomacy are urgently needed to address them.
66 senior humanitarian professionals from 13 African countries from international and national NGOs, UN agencies, Red Cross movement, together with institutional donors, virtually met on 7th and 8th February 2023 in the lead up to the EHF to discuss how to best "address access impediments through humanitarian diplomacy".
Date: 7 and 8 February 2023. Key takeaways available here.
Contact: The focal point for the Dakar consultations will be Martin Chatelet (martin.chatelet@icvanetwork.org).
Panama
The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) context, with organized crime and gangs operating both locally and transnationally, is experiencing an exacerbation of the regional complexity in terms of humanitarian access with enormous humanitarian consequences.
In continuation of last year's field consultation and building on the regional recommendations shared with the EHF 2022, DG ECHO initiated a follow-up event : “Understanding the specific access restrictions to affected communities and promoting humanitarian diplomacy in LAC”. over 30 participants from humanitarian organisations operating in the region participated in the regional consultations that took place virtually on 27th January 2023. Among them, representatives from OCHA, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, ICRC, NRC, DRC, Save the Children, Oxfam and HIAS were present. Fora of humanitarian organisations, ICG and the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation also participated.
Date: 27 January 2023. Key takeaways available here.
Contact: If you wish to know more about how to get involved, please contact Karla Aleman (karla.aleman@echofield.eu).
