Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks
HNPW 2024 (29 April - 10 May 2024)
          

HNPW Inter-Network Collaboration

The HNPW is a platform for inter-network collaboration in Areas of Common Concern (AOCC) with the aim to improve humanitarian preparedness and response.

The AOCC are reviewed every year by the Leading-Edge Program Strategic Group, the HNPW governing body, comprising representatives from HNPW networks and partnerships and AOCC leads, co-chaired by OCHA and SDC. 

In addition, the LEP Strategic Group has identified "Enablers", which are cross cutting themes that facilitate the implementation of humanitarian action, such as information management, logistics, or training.

Areas of Common Concern and "Enablers" at the HNPW

Areas of Common Concern


Accountability to Affected Populations (more..)
The Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) priority topic was introduced in 2020 under the lead of UNICEF in close cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and OCHA. AAP is an increasing priority for Humanitarian Coordinators and was discussed extensively at the Humanitarian Coordinators’ retreat in 2021. A framework for AAP has been developed and endorsed, and will be tested in several countries to determine the elements required to ensure collective accountability. The issue has also begun to be addressed at the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Results Group on Accountability and Inclusion. A key challenge remains to ensure sufficient capacity for technical support, and the establishment of a surge mechanism and a training program are being discussed with Standby Partners.




Climate Crisis (more..)
The Climate Crisis has been on the HNPW agenda since 2020, reflecting the increasing recognition across the humanitarian community of the need to scale up our action and adapt our responses in light of the climate crisis and the humanitarian needs it is generating. In 2022 the IFRC, ICRC, and ICVA joined the UNEP/OCHA Joint Environment Unit to coordinate the climate workstream at the HNPW 2022. We have identified 6 themes, informed by the commitments in the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, that frame the various components of the humanitarian response to climate change. We invite session organizers to link their sessions to the subthemes they consider most relevant. We hope this contributes to a program that is coherent and mutually reinforcing, and that can lead to concrete outcomes.
Three in-person/hybrid high level events - one on offering inspiring examples of the humanitarian response to date, one on adapting humanitarian programs and incorporating climate risks into program design, and one on greening and sustainability in the humanitarian sector were held on the Internetwork day, Wednesday May 11th.


Inclusion (more..)

Introduced in 2021, the priority theme on “Inclusion” commemorated the five-year milestone of the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), a landmark event that urged humanitarians and donors to shift away from an "one size fits all" response to one centered on addressing the unique needs of the most vulnerable pars of the affected populations. Over the ensuing years, significant strides have been made in tailoring humanitarian responses to address the often-overlooked needs of frequently marginalized groups, notably women and girls and persons with disabilities. Yet, in 2022, a comprehensive three-year study conducted by the British think tank ODI on inclusion and exclusion in humanitarian action, uncovered persistent challenges in translating rhetoric on inclusion into tangible action. One stumbling block they identified is the failure to recognize inclusion as an inherently life-saving endeavor, resulting in its frequent neglect. While efforts to mainstream inclusion into programming have shown promise, the response to the needs of the most vulnerable was found to remain fragmented and siloed. As a result, insufficient attention is often devoted to the nuanced requirements of various segments of the population, particularly those that are harder to reach. Moreover, the intersectionality of race, age, gender, disability and other diversity elements such as language can compound existing vulnerabilities and engender new ones, particularly in contexts of conflict, pandemic response, and displacement. Thus, there persists a pressing need for heightened advocacy and resource allocation to prevent the continued de-prioritization of vulnerable groups and issues. 

The “Inclusion” area of common concern at the HNPW is a way to allow humanitarian stakeholders to come together to learn more about processes and tools, celebrate successes and discuss remaining challenges towards an inclusive and quality humanitarian response. Sessions typically focus on the inclusion of diverse parts of the affected populations, such as older persons, women and girls, youth, persons with diverse SOGIESC, indigenous people, persons with disabilities. They also allow to discuss related issues such as mainstreaming inclusion into a variety of areas and complementary to other cross-cutting issues such as AAP, protection and localization.  Checkout the keyword “inclusion” in the event programme to learn more. 



Localization and Coordination (more..)
The Localization and Coordination priority topic was introduced at the HNPW 2020. Localization is a diverse area with a growing interest among NGOs, UN Agencies and other partners. After the close of the session application process for HNPW 2021, additional sessions were proposed which were subsequently organized separately and not included under the Localization priority topic. Since the HNPW 2021, work on this topic has progressed through the efforts of the Inter Agency Standing Committee but also the Grand Bargain (annual meeting, localization workstream and now localization caucuses being established). The engagement in the priority topic should be revised as further efforts are needed across the system and the HNPW has a reach that is wide and reaches different players. However, we should clarify the role the HNPW can play in bringing further synergies to these efforts, and advance discussions involving other humanitarian actors. While the HNPW serves an important role as a platform for showcasing efforts, more thought should be given to how it can contribute to achieving tangible outcomes.


Integrating Security Risk Management Across Humanitarian Action (more..)
This priority topic was introduced at the HNPW 2021 under the lead of the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) and the World Food Programme (WFP). The objective for the HNPW 2022 to examine how a more person-centred approach to security risk management may replace “one size fits all” solutions. The objective is also to review security in the digital world in light of technology’s influence on humanitarian action, with the overall objective that staff safety becomes proactive rather than reactive. The discussion will build on activities in the broader sector, including discussions led by the European Union (EU) delegation that feed into the EU Humanitarian Forum in 2022, which will feature an important session on staff safety and security, and a discussion on the UN special envoy related to staff safety.




Anticipatory Action (more..)
The Anticipatory Action priority topic was introduced at the HNPW 2020 and led by the Anticipatory Action Task Force (FAO, IFRC, OCHA, START, WFP), ACAPS and the Anticipation Hub. At the HNPW 2021, over 10 specific sessions on this topic were held, reflecting a common interest in scaling-up anticipatory action. The sessions displayed recent risk analysis methodologies, highlighted network activities, and explored synergies between humanitarian and development actors. The event helped in creating a community of donors, networks, and practitioners who collaborate in finding innovative ways of adapting the humanitarian system from being reactive to acting in advance of disasters. To support this objective, five key policy goals were identified by the Anticipatory Action Task Force (AATF) based on collective experience in the humanitarian sector:

-Flexible, coordinated, and predictable financing for anticipatory action;
-Investment in early warning and preparedness capacities, especially at local level;
-Application of anticipatory action to a wide variety of hazards;
-Strengthening of collective learning, coordination, and partnerships;
-Inclusion of anticipatory action in national disaster management systems.

Throughout 2021, a range of follow-up activities by the Anticipation Hub, the Risk-informed Early Action Partnership (REAP), and the Crisis Lookout Coalition continued to scale up related activities involving a broad range of stakeholders, including local actors and communities. Anticipatory Action stakeholders collectively took part in events such as the G7, ECOSOC and COP26.


Organizational Culture and Power Relations (more..)
The topic was introduced at the HNPW 2021 led by the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Alliance and International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA). The topic was triggered by an increasing concern created in the humanitarian community through initiatives such as #AidToo, Black Lives Matter and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of the priority topics is to advocate for living our values such as compassion, accountability, solidarity and equity inside aid organizations. At the HNPW 2021 several interactive sessions were held to examine how power manifests in aid organizations, and how that experience can differ based on employee characteristics like gender, race, educational background, and professional status. The discussion on the role leaders can set the tone at the top in modelling organizations’ values was supported by the ICVA-CHS Alliance joint report “Leading Well,” featuring aid CEOs in Kenya and Pakistan. The sessions also examined why the aid sector struggles in making more tangible progress in promoting duty of care, gender equity and in decolonizing aid. The connections made during the HNPW resulted in continued work on culture and power throughout 2021, including the CHS Alliance Global Gathering “Living our values: Care, Culture and Power in Aid”. A “Leaders Dialogue” on organizational culture was held in Cox’s Bazaar in June 2021, and a CULTURE Lab was jointly designed in July 2021 to experiment with people-centred and value-aligned ways of working in aid organizations. These topics continue to gain traction, including among IASC principals and in a IASC guidance paper and a SCHR event in Nov 21. The issue was also discussed at other events in 2021 such as the International Civil Service Commission’s (ICSC) Global Perspectives Gathering, the CHS Exchange, and the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP) Annual Meeting.


Nexus Environment (more..)
The Nexus Environment priority topic was introduced at the HNPW 2020, but no lead has been identified. The Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus has been advanced in several inter-agency fora such as the Joint Steering Committee, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Results Group 4, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), as well as nexus discussions within the UNSDG with main development actors within the UN. Those fora have formalized guidance based on lessons learned from the field and support concrete field operations under the leadership of Governments and Regional Chairs/HCs. The IASC Results Group has issued a publication of nexus best practices in 16 countries and the Joint Steering Committee continues its work on eight priority countries with plans to include a few new ones. The OECD, donors and the UN are operationalizing the DAC Nexus recommendations. UNDP is leading a Nexus Academy with the aim of training nexus advisors, governments and UN Country Teams.


Emergency Response in a Pandemic (more..)
This priority topic was introduced at the HNPW 2021 without an identified lead. At the HNPW 2021, seven sessions were organized around this topic by different networks, primarily for the purpose of sharing good practices and lessons learned. All contributions were spontaneous and were not coordinated towards a common goal.




Enablers

  1. Information management, data and data quality

  2. Logistics and supply chain

  3. Research and innovation

  4. Training and Exercises
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