Asia-Pacific Regional Cash Working Group (APRCWG) Q3 2024 Meeting notes (8 October 2024, 14:00 – 16:00 Bangkok time - Online) [Meeting Minutes]

A. Summary of the discussion

Initial remarks (RCWG)

The Regional Cash Working Group meeting covered a range of topics related to anticipatory cash assistance to cash for communities. Vlad Cozma introduced the new RCWG OCHA co-chair, Lorenna Dib Oliveira.

Outcome of the CVA Policy Dialogue on locally-led response and people-centred aid with CALP (Chrys Chamaa)

Chrys Chamaa, CALP Network, presented an the CVA Policy dialogues outcomes. The process began with a Policy Dialogue High-Level Meeting, held in collaboration with BHA, in June 2023. This initiated a review of CVA policies and strategies. Extensive consultations were conducted with over 500 individuals globally, including local and national actors from Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. Additionally, key stakeholders such as INGOs, RCRCM, UN agencies, donors, and financial service providers were involved in the discussions. The outcomes were the following;

§ Mixed definitions of locally-led CVA are creating challenges.

§ Multiple understandings of people-centered CVA exist but are not hindering progress.

§ There is consensus that CVA can be made more people-centered in various ways.

§ Locally-led CVA is widely acknowledged as not inherently peoplecentered.

§ The need for equitable CVA partnerships is recognized, but progress is slow.

§ Investing in local CVA capacity is universally accepted.

§ Changes in mindsets and risk appetites are required to drive faster progress in some areas.

There remains a significant gap between policy commitments and practical implementation. While there is broad agreement at the conceptual level, there is less clarity on what specific changes should take place, how they should be implemented, to what extent, and at what pace. Advancing collective action will require further efforts. A critical aspect of progress involves increasing direct funding to local organizations. Additionally, tensions between adhering to technical standards and addressing people’s preferences must be resolved to ensure more effective outcomes. To conclude Chrys highlighted that all this is underpinned by the need for mindset changes to help move the humanitarian system to one which recognizes and is guided by crisis affected populations who are all too often the first and last responders.