European aid groups welcomed the European Commission’s latest communication calling for a makeover of the present setup of the global humanitarian response, but the devil — as always — is in the detail.
In the communication, “Toward the World Humanitarian Summit — A Global Partnership for Principled and Effective Humanitarian Action,” the multilateral donor identifies two main priorities. One focuses on keeping with humanitarian principles; the other on ensuring “effective humanitarian action.”
Under each priority is a set of recommendations that while most humanitarian actors agree with, are challenging to implement, particularly in places of conflict. For example, the commission suggests humanitarian actors engage in dialogue with parties involved in a conflict to “ensure access to assistance, protection and security,” and calls on governments to provide a “safe and secure environment for humanitarian action.”
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
