Brussels, 02/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 2 September, the first steps were taken for an EU position at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul (23-24 May 2016), with the adoption by the European Commission of a communication - “Towards the World Humanitarian Summit: a global partnership for principled and effective humanitarian action”.
The two big priorities that the Commission recommends for this summit - which has been convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon - are the respect of humanitarian principles and the effectiveness of aid. These priorities should enhance the international humanitarian system, which has reached the limit of its capacities.
“The World Humanitarian Summit takes place at a critical time as the number of people suffering from the consequences of conflicts and natural disasters is constantly increasing. Future responses will need to adapt to new realities, so we need to be bold in our thinking and act decisively in partnership. The summit must conclude with clear and concrete ideas to help the people who need our assistance better”, said European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides.
The European Commission has identified seven areas of priority action to build and consolidate global partnerships enabling the international community to progress in achieving the common goals of saving lives, preventing and reducing suffering, and maintaining human dignity. Principled humanitarian action will thus require: - reaffirming humanitarian values; - ensuring access to assistance; - and putting protection at the heart of the response. For effective humanitarian action, the Commission recommends: - consensus on the basics of humanitarian effectiveness; - subsidiarity and solidarity; - efficient and effective funding; - and partnership with the development community.
There are currently around 80 million people in need of humanitarian aid and the number of displaced people is approaching 60 million - an unprecedented figure since the Second World War. The humanitarian system is being challenged to do more, for more people, and at greater cost. Given the scale of today's crises and disasters, funding to cover humanitarian needs can no longer keep up with demand, despite record contributions by donors. (AN)