Publications

Table of contents

VOICE Briefing: Diversity, Complementarity and Local Leadership in EU Humanitarian Action
VOICE calls for respect for International Humanitarian Law amid escalating violence in the Middle East
Humanitarian Action Works: A VOICE EU-wide communications campaign
Shaping EU Humanitarian Leadership in a Time of Crisis: VOICE sets priorities for the upcoming EC Humanitarian Communication
VOICE key highlights: VOICE - Global Focus roundtable in Copenhagen “Shaping the EU’s humanitarian and development agenda: From Lessons to Action"
VOICE Out Loud 40 "Fragility: The Cost of Inaction"
Interview with MEP Barry Andrews in the VOICE Out Loud #40
European Parliament DEVE Exchange: VOICE Director Highlights Humanitarian Principles and Funding Needs
VOICE Position Paper on Fragility
All Eyes on Gaza: Israel bans international NGOs amid deepening humanitarian crisis
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Events and webinars

Table of contents:

Von der Leyen Acknowledges Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza in State of the Union Speech
The Next MFF: Ensuring Humanitarian Action Takes One Step Forward, Not Two Steps Back
VOICE Policy Resolution 2025 - Time for Action: Humanitarian NGOs call for a bold response to fragility
Reforming the Humanitarian System: 5 Key Actions the EU must take!
VOICE Event: Navigating Geopolitical Change: Challenges and Opportunities for Humanitarian Action
VOICE Out Loud 39 "The Challenge of Humanitarian Communication Bridging Principles and Public Perception"
VOICE Annual Report 2024
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

Table of contents:
A Call for Humanity: Urging EU Leaders to Take a Stand after the US funding aid freeze on aid
CONCORD EPLO VOICE Joint Statement on the MFF
VOICE Statement - Humanitarian Action at a Crossroads: Why the EU Must Boost Funding in the Next MFF
Unlocking the Full Potential of Anticipatory Action: VOICE Position Paper
Dear EC President: European NGOs Call for Stronger Commitment to Humanitarian Aid, Development and Climate Action
VOICE Out Loud 38 “Upholding Humanity – The Role and Future of International Humanitarian Law”
Decolonising Humanitarian Action: VOICE Key highlights
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

Table of contents:
Open Letter for President von der Leyen: VOICE calls for a strengthened EU leadership on humanitarian efforts
VOICE Policy Resolution 2024 - Take a stand: Pledge for Humanitarian Action!
VOICE President meets with Commissioner Lenarčič
Where is DG INTPA's approach to fragile contexts?
EU Humanitarian Budget 2025: VOICE continues its advocacy
Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU
European Humanitarian Forum 2024: VOICE Key Highlights
New VOICE President: Pauline Chetcuti
Former VOICE President Dominic Crowley: Reflections on the last six years
VOICE General Assembly 2024
New VOICE Strategic Plan 2024-2029
The Mediterranean Sea: A Neglected Humanitarian Crisis? – Event wrap-up
VOICE Out Loud 37 "Anticipatory Action: Shaping the Future of Humanitarian Response"
World Humanitarian Day 2024: #ActForHumanity
Meet VOICE's new members
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

Table of contents:
European Humanitarian Forum 2024: wrap-up
Humanitarian Partnership Watch Group: 2023 in review
Migrants shipwrecked in the Mediterranean: European NGOs can lead joint advocacy to improve relief - Pierre Micheletti
Multiannual Financial Framework revision: a step backwards for EU humanitarian funding
VOICE Video Series: "From Neglect to Awareness! Uncovering Humanitarian Crises"
Artificial Intelligence: disruption or opportunity for humanitarian aid? - VOICE Key highlights
VOICE Out Loud 36 'From crisis to recovery: women's role in humanitarian action'
COP28: VOICE members' engagement
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

In the interview of the VOICE Out Loud 36, a female Afghan aid worker delves into the multifaceted humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with a focus on gender-related issues.

Table of contents:
Israel-Palestine: humanitarian crisis situation and VOICE members' statements
European Humanitarian Forum 2024
Additional funding for humanitarian aid at EU level!
Preserving humanitarian space: advocating for humanitarian exemptions in EU sanctions
“Neglected crises: from commitments to actions”- Round table in Madrid
Fighting hunger: a women-led response - Event key highlights
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

Table of contents:
-European Humanitarian Forum 2023: VOICE reflections
-Engaging with the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU
-Multiannual Financial Framework revision
-VOICE Policy Resolution 2023 - World hunger is rising sharply: let’s stop it NOW!
-Fighting hunger: a women-led response - Event highlights
-VOICE General Assembly 2023 - Key highlights
-VOICE out loud 35 - Localisation: Exploring a multifaceted agenda
-Meet VOICE's new members
-Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
-VOICE Members' publications
-Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
-Events and webinars

VOICE at Work 3

Table of contents

-European Humanitarian Forum 2023
-Türkiye - Syria earthquake: VOICE members providing life-saving aid
-Engaging with the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU
-EU’s humanitarian budget : More support to people in need
-COP27: wins and losses from VOICE members’ perspective
-NGOs call for the release of Olivier Vandecasteele
-VOICE out loud 34 - Fighting against hunger: a humanitarian lens
-Humanitarian principles under threat? Key highlights of the Brussels launch of the State of the Humanitarian System Report 2022
-Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
-VOICE Members' publications
-Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
-Events and webinars

VOICE at Work 2

Table of Contents:

Increase the humanitarian aid budget line : our advocacy at the EU level continues
Moving forward the localisation agenda of EU humanitarian aid.
New humanitarian trends and challenges in delivering humanitarian aid in light of the conflict in Ukraine: Round table in Prague
VOICE Event on Funding Imbalances in Humanitarian aid
VOICE General Assembly 2022: Highlights
An Urgent Call to Protect Principled Humanitarian Aid: VOICE Policy Resolution 2022
VOICE Out Loud 33: Enabling principled humanitarian aid
#ItTakesAVillage to support people in crises
Meet VOICE's new members
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
Other relevant Humanitarian Aid publications
Events and webinars

The first issue of our public newsletter "VOICE at Work".
Table of contents:
The First European Humanitarian Forum – VOICE’s reflections
Supporting the most vulnerable: Our Members work in Ukraine
Climate resilience: We need to act now!
More funds to communities in need: Increased Humanitarian aid budget line in the EU annual budget 2023
Humanitarian Partnership Updates
Maria Groenewald, VOICE Director, interviewed by Défis Humanitaires
Humming Word: A humanitarian term explained
VOICE Members' publications
VOICE Secretariat's vacancies
VOICE Network's vacancies
Events and webinars

VOICE has produced this briefing to take stock of the evolving NGO-ECHO partnership – enshrined with the signing of the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) – serving as an update of a previous VOICE publication on the topic from 2004. The briefing is based upon a desk review and a series of semi-structured interviews with former and current members of the FPA Watch Group, ECHO officials, and staff from the VOICE Secretariat. The interviews were carried out either in 2004 (for the initial version) or in 2017 and 2018 (for the updated version). Interviewees were selected so as to ensure a broad range of backgrounds and experiences (different geographic regions, areas of involvement and areas of expertise) in terms of the FPA process, ECHO-NGO relations, and the Watch Group and Task Force.

Dominic Crowley closing remarks at the workshop ‘Risk sharing to reach the Grand Bargain’held in London the 20th of March This workshop, organised in the framework of the VOICE Grand Bargain project funded by the Belgium MFA, is the last one of a series of three organised in the EU.

The VOICE network shares the following remarks and recommendations with the EU Member States and the European Parliament on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

On May 2, the European Commission(EC) released its Proposal for a Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 and Communication ‘A Modern Budget for a Union that Protects, Empowers and Defends’ with its annex, followed on June 14 by a set of proposed regulations for external instruments. On May 23, the EC also presented its proposal for the EU budget 2019. In reaction to these proposals, the VOICE network shares the following remarks and recommendations with the EU Member States and the European Parliament.

The Localisation workstream in the Grand Bargain (GB) generates high expectations and enthusiasm and is expected to contribute significantly to the vision to “Leave No One Behind” as set in the Agenda for Humanity. Through this paper the Grand Bargain Task Force wishes to initiate a conversation with ECHO on localisation and to explore optimal approaches to achieving the 6 commitments of Workstream.

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.