The Connecting Business initiative (CBi) will hold its Annual Event at the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week. As the main convening for CBi Member Networks in 13 countries and other key partners to come together, the Annual Event will discuss collective private sector contributions to disaster risk reduction, preparedness, response and recovery. Organized now for the third time, it will allow participants to showcase their work over the past year, share lessons learned and identify further opportunities for collaboration.

The Connecting Business initiative will also convene Working Sessions for its Member Networks (closed doors). These sessions will enable the CBi Secretariat and the Member Networks to provide updates e.g. on tools, resources, activities and governance. Furthermore, the Working Sessions provide an opportunity for CBi Member Networks to exchange good practices and engage in inter-network learning that strengthens their capacity to manage private sector networks for disaster management.

Expected outcomes of the CBi programme

• Sharing lessons learned about collective action from the private sector vis-à-vis humanitarian coordination structures and mechanisms
• Exploring emerging trends in private sector engagement in complex emergencies’ context
• Reviewing government policies on public-private partnerships in disaster management/emergency response and exploring effective impact measurement approaches.

The CBi Annual Event is part of the overall Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) program at the Humanitarian Networks & Partnerships Week (HNPW).