Brussels, 20/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - At the first ever World Humanitarian Summit, in Istanbul on 23-24 May, the EU and its member states are to call for a global partnership to fashion a more effective international system of humanitarian aid, which is to be given sufficient financial resources to address the current multiplicity of crises.
The effectiveness of aid through a rapid response to and prevention of crises, and the respect of international humanitarian law, which is too often trampled on, have for long been the two priorities of the EU and its member states for this summit (see EUROPE 11549 and 11548).
The European Commission will be represented at the summit by its Vice-president for Budget and Human Resources Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides and European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.
Funding gap estimated at $15 billion. “Our goal over the next five years is to bring an additional billion dollars into the hands of people in dire need of live-saving help, by making efficiency savings on the backroom activities of donors and aid organisations”, Georgieva said on Friday 20 May.
In Istanbul, the “Grand Bargain” will be launched. This is the name given to the proposal of the United Nations secretary-general's high level panel on humanitarian funding, which is co-chaired by Georgieva. “In the space of a few months, we have been able to negotiate a deal between major players in the humanitarian ecosystem - a deal addressing issues that have hindered and hampered life-saving work for years”, Georgieva stated in a press release. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)