Global Humanitarian Policy Forum 2017

OCHA’s sixth annual Global Humanitarian Policy Forum (GHPF) took place on 13 December 2017 in New York with the participation of approximately 300 representatives of UN agencies, NGOs, think tanks, universities, the private sector and Member States. Under the broad theme “Reaching for the future: Humanitarianism in 2030”, the event explored the scale and depth of change required by the humanitarian sector to contribute towards the 2030 Agenda.

Deputy-Secretary-General Amina Mohammed opened the High-Level Symposium. The DSG reflected on the universal vision provided by the 2030 Agenda and how some of the UN development system reforms decreased people’s humanitarian need. This was followed by remarks by USG Lowcock, who focused on progress since the World Humanitarian Summit and where humanitarian and development actors have been working together. The high-level event continued with a panel debate that included the participation of Ms. Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, Chair, Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; H.E. Ms. Koki Muli Grignon, Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations; Mr. Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator and Mr. David Miliband, President and Chief Executive Officer, International Rescue Committee. The event was moderated by Ms. Laura Trevelyan, anchor and correspondent, BBC News America. Panellists spoke about the need to innovate humanitarian financing, the need to invest in prevention and use early warning analysis as well as the importance of supporting local actors and building local capacities.

A closed afternoon session, consisting of three workshops, was attended by 169 participants. The workshops, respectively, focused on the New Way of Working, local humanitarian action and the protection of civilians in urban warfare.

A recap of the actions discussed at the Forum to move humanitarians closer to the 2030 agenda can be found here. An official summary of the Forum is forthcoming and will contain more information about the Forum sessions and outcomes.

The archived broadcast of the event on UNTV is available here.