In two weeks representatives from relief organizations, United Nations agencies, donor governments, and civil society will assemble in Istanbul to advance a humanitarian reform agenda. The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit will highlight the gap between the humanitarian sector that exists and the challenges it is supposed to address: 60 million people displaced from their homes and communities, ongoing violence and attacks against supposed safe zones, and $20 billion in annual humanitarian need.
But according to some prominent voices, moving the humanitarian agenda forward in a meaningful way will be difficult unless the international community can answer a simple question: who is in charge?
Speaking at Georgetown University last month, David Miliband, president and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, put it bluntly. “It is vital to acknowledge the widespread skepticism about whether there is sufficient unity of leadership in this diverse sector to deliver change,” he said.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
