The Foundation took part in the 4th edition of the National Humanitarian Conference (NHC), which took place on March 22nd in Paris. The conference, which was opened by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, M. Jean-Yves Le Drian, officially launched France’s humanitarian strategy until 2022, following several months of negotiations with different actors in France and abroad.

The opening speech by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, highlighted the fact that “it has never been so important to find the right formula”, given the 135 million people in need of aid and protection.

To address this, the Ministry wanted to bring together the aid sector’s main players: the UN, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the International Organisation for Migrations, and Coordination Sud, representing French NGOs. In this regard, Djemilah Mahmood, Under-Secretary General of the IFRC, recalled the importance of better coordinating population movements and epidemics, with two priorities: the entire international community’s investment in local resources, and in innovation.

As the intensity and continuation of the crises foreshadow growing needs, a number of states, including France, have committed to the Grand Bargain, and many sponsors and NGOs support the movement initiated at the World Humanitarian Summit for more direct and local international aid. Four issues came out of the discussions:

– Humanitarian funding

– The respect of international humanitarian law

– The development of common emergency and long-term strategies

– A shared vision between local and international actors

Le Drian announced an increase in resources: ODA is to reach 0.55% of the GDP by 2022, with a greater share dedicated to humanitarian aid, which will amount to 500 million euros, representing a threefold increase compared to 2017. He noted that it was a question of putting France “at the vanguard of the movement of transformation of humanitarian aid”, stating that humanitarian action should be “as local as possible, and as international as necessary”.

These themes resonate with the research interests of the Foundation. In 2017, the Foundation organised France’s first ever conference on the “localisation of aid”. It has just launched its fourth call for applications on the theme of humanitarian transition, with the 2018 edition focusing on the dynamics of empowerment of actors from the Global South.

Consult France’s new humanitarian strategy for 2018-2022, as well as photos and videos of the day, on the MEAE website