Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks

Session title: Panel Discussion: Humanitarian leadership on collective AAP approach: are we heading in the right direction?

Organizer(s): IOM; IASC AAP Task Force WS1

8 May 24 09:00-10:30 UTC+2 (Salle Geneva)

SessionAbstract

Accountability to Affected People (AAP) has been part of the humanitarian reform agenda for over two decades. AAP is one of the mandatory responsibilities of the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) outlined in the HCT terms of reference endorsed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Principals. However, gaps remain on AAP advocacy in crisis operations and the engagement of country leadership to effectively raise community voices to steer a people-centered humanitarian response priorities and address issues on the lack of community acceptance and trust.

To understand the gaps to guide our way forward, a global survey and consultations were conducted in 2023 that was participated in by more than 100 HCT members and in-country leaders in over 70 countries from all regions. The results of the surveys and consultations gave insights about the need for practical guidance and good practices that would enable country leadership to take action on AAP collectively and how training and tools should be designed for them. IOM as lead, and select members of the IASC AAP task force, collaborated in the past 18 months to develop the inter-agency AAP training package tailored for in-country leadership as a start to address the needs for capacity and engagement.

This panel session is created for in-country humanitarian leaders, humanitarian professionals, and AAP/Community Engagement practitioners to explore areas of opportunity for integrated and joint work on AAP and in reinforcing other cross-cutting commitments throughout the crisis continuum.

Agenda

The session will open with welcome remarks from the IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels, and officially launching the Inter-Agency AAP Training Package for Humanitarian Leadership In-Country.

IOM as project lead will present anoverview of the inter-agency project, the results of the global survey and mapping exercise, and the outcomes of the collective efforts in developing and designing the training package.

Panel Discussion: The panel facilitator will open the discussions with the country directors/country representatives/chiefs of mission to discuss the challenges and the experience of being part of the global efforts in enhancing leadership engagement and capacity to be more accountable to the people affected by crises. They will respond to some key questions on collective AAP among others:

1. How are leaders in-country championing the commitment to be accountable to the people affected by crises and is the humanitarian community doing enough to ensure the efforts are sustained?

2. What can we learn from this inter-agency global project? Are the efforts for capacity strengthening of humanitarian leadership cohesive and consultative enough?

3. How can in-country leadership and humanitarian practitioners bring affected populations at the centre of decision-making structures moving forward? What kind of support is needed to sustain the learnings from the training?

Question and Answer (15-20 minutes)

Speakers

Opening Remarks: IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels

Facilitator: Manisha Thomas

Overview: Christie Bacal-Mayencourt, IOM, Inter-Agency AAP Project Manager

Panel Resource Speakers:

UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis

IOM Somalia Chief of Mission Frantz Celestin

UNHCR Slovakia Head of Office Danijela Popovic-Efendic

IOM Cambodia Chief of Mission Kristin Parco

Lutheran World Federation Global Humanitarian Coordinator Allan Calma

WFP and IASC AAP Task Force co-chair Jesse Wood