Act local, think global: Humanitarian action and the private sector (CBi Annual Event)

Watch the recording here

Studies have consistently shown that locally led humanitarian action is more effective, efficient, inclusive, and sustainable than “traditional” internationally led humanitarian response. As such, a common goal is for humanitarian action to be “as local as possible, as international as necessary”.

A wide range of donors and aid organizations have committed to increase support to local actors and meet a target of at least 25% of humanitarian funding going directly to local and national responders. These calls have only become more urgent in the context of global conversations about the legacies of colonialism and racism. Despite the increasing importance of the “localization agenda”, in 2021 only 1.32% of funding against the Global Humanitarian Overview went to national and local organizations directly, mostly to governments.

Local businesses are key members of the communities affected by humanitarian crises. The private sector is often among the first responders on the ground with staff, financial resources, and material support for the communities where they operate. Many businesses have pre-established relationships with local NGOs, community leaders, and local and national governments. During situations with limited humanitarian access for international partners, local business can play a critical role in getting aid to those who need it most. Finally, businesses are often a source of innovation and efficiency gains and can greatly assist the humanitarian community to approach challenges in new ways.

Speakers

CBi Member Network in Haiti – Ms. Fania Joseph, Executive Director, L'Alliance pour la Gestion des Risques et la Continuité des Activités (AGERCA)
CBi Member Network in Sri Lanka – Mr. Firzan Hashim, Country Director, Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Sri Lanka (A-PAD SL)

CBi Member Network in the Philippines – Mr. Rene Butch Meily, President, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF)
Ms. Katherine Younker, Team Leader – Private Sector Engagement – Office of Global Policy, Partnerships, Programs, and Communications – Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, USAID

Moderator: Mervat Shelbaya, Chief, Inter-Agency Services Branch and IASC secretariat

The Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) is the largest annual event on emergency preparedness and humanitarian response, gathering humanitarians from all over the world to share ideas and best practices. CBi is organizing public events on why partnering with the private sector is key to increasing localization of humanitarian aid (see details below), how local businesses are responding to the climate emergency, and integrating the private sector into anticipatory humanitarian action. Visit our HNPW 2022 page for more information and to find out about other hybrid public events.