Publications

This position paper represents the views of the members of the VOICE Resilience-Nexus Working Group, which aims to provide the humanitarian NGO perspective on the European approach to resilience, climate change and the implementation of the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

This edition of the VOICE Out Loud explores the transformative potential of Anticipatory Action in humanitarian response, showcasing innovative strategies and localised approaches that enhance community resilience and proactive disaster mitigation.

Maria Groenewald, VOICE Director, discusses the role of European support in international humanitarian aid, emphasising the essential collaboration with European institutions and the ongoing challenges of funding insufficiency.

Video recording of the VOICE Webinar on the Grand Bargain and the drive for efficiency in the humanitarian sector : Where do we stand? Discussing an NGO perspective with EU stakeholders (19 November 2020).

Power Point presentation on the Réseau Logistique Humanitaire shared by Handicap International/Humanity & Inclusion at the VOICE Webinar on the Grand Bargain and the drive for efficiency in the humanitarian sector (19 November 2020).

Power Point presentation on Cost-Efficiency Analysis: Protection CM, CCE, ECA by CARE Jordan at the VOICE Webinar on the Grand Bargain and the drive for efficiency in the humanitarian sector (19 November 2020).

This position paper sets out views expressed by members of the VOICE Grand Bargain Task Force to improve the humanitarian sector and to strive for more efficiency for the 167.6 million people in need of humanitarian intervention worldwide. There is an urgent need for European actors to follow up on the commitments made, and to put the people in need first by making our collective work more efficient. With this goal in mind, this position paper proposes recommendations to improve the efficiency of the humanitarian sector.

WEBINAR: European response to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the delivery of humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, technical issues prevented VOICE Director Kathrin Schick to participate directly in the webinar. Her video intervention has been recorded afterward. Please click here to watch it!

In May of this year, governments, NGOs and international agencies came together at the World Humanitarian Summit to discuss the future of humanitarian aid worldwide. Also present, and involved in the process leading up to the Summit particularly around funding, were representatives from the private sector. Humanitarian NGOs and different private sector actors have worked together for years, but increasingly donors, including the EU, identify that there may be further potential benefits of private sector partnerships in times of ever-increasing humanitarian need. Such partnerships, though largely considered necessary, do not come without a challenge, particularly when applied in conflict settings where NGOs focus first on maintaining the humanitarian principles and standards. When NGOs seek to engage they must always carefully weigh the benefits and limits of the relationship with private sector actors.

Starting off this edition of the VOICE out loud, Handicap International and Welthungerhilfe write about the benefits and risks of working with the private sector, and explain what systems and criteria they use to choose companies to work with. Several members give examples of their successful collaborations with the private sector in the field and at home. HelpAge writes about the conditions for successfully working with cash in emergency situations with help from business partners. Mercy Corps UK showcases how partnerships can vary in different country settings, giving examples from Greece and Syria. Finally, Polish Humanitarian Action writes about working with companies to raise funds for programmes in the field.

In the view on the EU, Civil Society Europe presents outcomes from civil society reports that show evidence of shrinking civil society space in Europe. The section continues with an interview with Isabelle Brachet from the Action Aid EU office on the experience of development NGOs working on the role of the private sector in EU development policy and practice.

The 'field focus' is written by Plan UK about continuing displacement from the Burundi crisis, the importance of protection for young people in a forgotten crisis, and the work Plan is doing in neighbouring Tanzania to address this.

The VOICE @ work section highlights the networks' latest activities and publications, including roundtables and high-level meetings.

In this issue, different contributors look at the evolution and future of the humanitarian NGO sector, and the continuing relevance of professionalism and humanitarian principles. We hear about the instrumentalisation of aid in Afghanistan and the impact of the European External Action Service on humanitarian action.