Governance
VOICE is legally established in Belgium.
The VOICE Statutes can be viewed here
General Assembly
The VOICE General Assembly (GA) is the highest body of governance of the association. The high level of participation of its membership shows the great commitment of VOICE members in their network.
During the GA, members’ approval is requested on a number of key decisions linked to administrative, financial, organisational and strategic issues, including reviewing the Statutes when appropriate. In addition to electing the members of the Board of Directors, members vote on the approval of new members of the network.
The General Assembly is usually an opportunity to meet with the highest representatives of DG ECHO and exchange on the orientation and implementation of the European humanitarian aid.
Each VOICE General Assembly approves a Policy Resolution providing key recommendations related to the major humanitarian issues that together the network’s members wish to bring to the attention of the EU institutions and of the Member States.
VOICE usually organises an event prior to the General Assembly to discuss key humanitarian topics of interest for the network together with other major humanitarian actors in Brussels.
VOICE Strategic Plan 2024-2029
The current Strategic Plan was approved by the General Assembly in 2024.
This plan has been developed through a continuous dialogue with members and consultative workshops at the General Assembly in 2023.
The strategic plan focuses on three strategic goals to ensure an efficient and effective EU humanitarian system:
- Advocate for principled humanitarian response: Ensure that humanitarian aid is needs-based and in line with International Humanitarian Law (IHL), safeguarding humanitarian actors from the impacts of sanctions regimes and counterterrorism legislation.
- Secure adequate funding and coherent policies: Mobilise collective efforts to influence EU and Member State policies, addressing protracted crises and building climate resilience, while ensuring better coordination and harmonisation among European donors.
- Strengthen the role of humanitarian NGOs: Enhance partnerships between NGOs and the EU, focusing on localised responses and including local responders in decision-making processes to improve the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of humanitarian aid.
The above information is extracted from the full Strategic Plan. To learn more about how we work on these objectives see VOICE’s activities. Each year, the Secretariat produces an Annual Report. This report looks back on the implementation of the main objectives of the Strategic Plan, according to the Annual Work Programme. It also gives an update on the organisational developments of the network and its structure.
