Attachments
1. Introduction
1.1 Context
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The humanitarian landscape is undergoing a major transformation. In response to a global contraction of humanitarian funding in the first quarter of 2025, the UN Secretary General launched the UN 80 Initiative aiming to enhance operational efficiency and explore structural reforms with the UN system.
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In line with this broader reform agenda, the UNSG Emergency Relief Coordinator outlined a bold agenda for systemic reform (a Humanitarian Reset) in March 2025. The initiative calls for a transformation of how humanitarian operations are organized and delivered, focusing on three strategic priorities: delivering effective crisis response within limited means, rethinking how humanitarian work is organized, and shifting power closer to local leaders and affected communities.
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To realize this transformation, the Humanitarian Reset outlines ten priority actions to be implemented by June 2025. These include, among others, promoting a more people-centered response led by local and national actors, having Humanitarian Coordinators prioritize life-saving activities, pooling resources to collectively finance common services and operational enablers, and empowering in country leadership.
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A key focus is the review of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) structure, along with the simplification and streamlining of the humanitarian clusters, with the aim to modernize the existing systems for humanitarian coordination. In March 2025, the IASC Operational Policy and Advocacy Group co-chairs have been tasked to lead on this work in collaboration with cluster lead agencies. During this period of change, IASC partners will continue uphold their existing accountabilities and responsibilities as cluster leads agencies.