Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos: Statement at the High-Level CERF Conference, New York, 11 December 2012

I would like to begin with a very brief overview of CERF’s activities in 2012.

David Gressly, the Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, will then talk specifically about the ways in which the CERF has been used to strengthen the humanitarian response in the Sahel, and how it has been used strategically by Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators on the ground.

We’ll then open the floor so that we can hear about your experiences with CERF and hear your suggestions on how we can further improve this valuable mechanism.

So, to give an overview of the CERF in 2012: we have allocated US$465 million so far this year, including more than $303 million through the Rapid Response window. This is the highest amount we have ever allocated in a calendar year. As the film showed, we have been truly global in our activities. In 2012, CERF funds have been used by UN agencies and IOM in 49 countries and territories.

CERF’s support has been critical to saving the lives and livelihoods of millions of people throughout the world. It has bolstered the transformative agenda, which aims to strengthen humanitarian response, and our efforts to have a robust and well-coordinated UN-led humanitarian response in support of national efforts.