Global Agenda - World Humanitarian Summit 2016

The Secretary-General announced the first World Humanitarian Summit will be held in early 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.

The purpose of the summit is to set a forward-looking agenda for humanitarian action to collectively address future humanitarian challenges. The aim is to build a more inclusive and diverse humanitarian system committed to humanitarian principles.

The three main goals of the summit are:

1. Reaffirm our commitment to humanity and humanitarian principles.
2. Initiate actions and commitments which enable countries and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and be more resilient to shocks. 
3. Share best practices which help save lives around the world, placing affected people at the centre of humanitarian action and alleviating suffering. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   World Humanitarian Summit
   

   
   

The Secretary General's Agenda for Humanity   calls on global leaders to commit to five core responsiblities:

CORE RESPONSIBILITY 1: Global leadership to prevent and end conflict.

Preventing conflicts and finding political solutions to resolve them is our first and foremost responsibility to humanity.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY 2: Uphold the norms that safeguard humanity.  Every day, civilians are deliberately or indiscriminately killed in wars. We are witnessing the erosion of 150 years of international humanitarian law.

But even wars have limits: leaders must recommit to upholding the rules that protect humanity.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY 3: Leave no one behind

The World Humanitarian Summit is the first test of our commitment to transform the lives of those most at risk of being left behind.

This means reaching everyone and empowering all women, men girls and boys to be agents of positive transformation. It means reducing displacement, supporting refugees and migrants, ending gaps in education and fighting to eradicate sexual and gender based violence.

CORE RESPONSIBILITY 4: Change people’s lives- from delivering aid to ending need

Success must now be measured by how people’s vulnerability and risk are reduced, not by how needs are met year after year. Ending need will require three fundamental shifts in the way we work:

• Reinforce, don’t replace national system
• Anticipate, don’t wait for crises
• Transcend the humanitarian-development divide

CORE RESPONSIBILITY 5: Invest in Humanity

Accepting and acting upon our shared responsibilities for humanity requires political, institutional and financial investment.

As a shift is needed from funding to financing that invests in local capacities, is risk-informed, invests in fragile situations and incentivizes collective outcomes. We must also reduce the funding gap for humanitarian needs.

Summary of Provisional WHS Programme

To see the draft provisional agenda details please click here.

1. An opening ceremony and plenary: Opening statements to start the WHS.
2. Announcement Plenary: Statements by global leaders announcing commitmentsto take forward the Agenda for Humanity.
3. High-Level Leaders’ Roundtables: The seven round tables will provide Heads of State and high level representatives to make commitments in support of the 5 core responsibilities of the Agenda for Humanity (see above).
4. Special sessions: These will focus on important partnerships and initiatives spurred by the Summit process.
5. Side events: Governments, international and non-governmental organizations, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders will have the opportunity to organize events for the summit.
6. Exhibition fair and Innovation marketplace: Spaces dedicated to showcasing the work, products, and programmes of governments, organizations, agencies, companies and other institutions and partners in support of humanitarian action.
   
   http://www.worldhumanitariansummit.org/