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Global Humanitarian Policy Forum 2015 (1-2 December 2015)

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Summary Note

OVERVIEW

OCHA’s fourth annual Global Humanitarian Policy Forum took place 1-2 December 2015 in New York, with the participation of more than 100 representatives of agencies, NGOs, think tanks, universities, the private sector and Governments from around the world. Organized by OCHA’s Policy Analysis and Innovation Section within the Policy Development and Studies Branch, the 2015 GHPF saw the launch of OCHA’s newest policy study, “Leaving No One Behind: Humanitarian effectiveness in the age of the Sustainable Development Goals,” followed by two days of workshops addressing key issues and potential solutions. With over thirty nationalities represented, and more than half of the participants being women, the Forum benefited from diverse voices and rich expertise. More than 500 viewers also tuned into the discussion online; an online archive is available on UN Web TV.
The Forum opened with a panel discussion including the following speakers:

  • Amir Abdulla, Deputy Executive Director, World Food Programme

  • Kate Gilmore, Deputy Executive Director, UN Population Fund

  • Yasmin Haque, Deputy-Director, Office of Emergency Operations, UNICEF

  • Abdurahman Sharif, Director, Somalia NGO Consortium

  • Philip Spoerri, ICRC Permanent Observer to the UN - Marcelle Hopkins, Journalist (moderator)

Panellists ofered their perspectives on the applicability of the five shifs within the humanitarian efectiveness study: “reinforce, don’t replace existing capacities and coping strategies”; “enter with an exit: collaborate to reduce and end humanitarian need”; “leverage comparative advantage: strengthen connectivity and strategic leadership”; “see the whole picture: 360-degrees of needs and risk”; and “measure shared results for collective accountability.” Panellists pro1 Since participating in the Forum, Kate Gilmore has been appointed UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. vided a resounding endorsement the study’s direction and a snap poll taken during the discussion revealed that participants viewed “reinforce, don’t replace” and “see the whole picture” as the most important changes for the humanitarian sector to undertake.

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