HIGHLIGHTS
- The World Humanitarian Summit concluded on 24 May in Istanbul, with over 9,000 participants attending the first ever event.
- There are 20,000 returnees from Chad in Kornoi, North Darfur who need support, according to an inter-agency mission.
- The lean period in Sudan began unusually early in March due to the impact of El Niño, according to Sudan’s Federal Food Security Technical Secretariat.
- Almost 70,000 South Sudanese have arrived in Sudan since January 2016 as a result of conflict and deteriorating food security conditions in South Sudan.
World Humanitarian Summit concludes in Istanbul
The first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on 23-24 May convened 9,000 participants from 173 Member States, including 55 Heads of State and Government, hundreds of private sector representatives, and thousands of people from civil society.
The United Nations in its 70 years has never come together at this scale, with this many different stakeholders, to discuss pressing humanitarian challenges.
The Summit brought to the forefront of global attention the scale of the changes required to address the magnitude of challenges in the humanitarian sphere and beyond. The participants made it clear that humanitarian assistance alone can neither adequately address nor sustainably reduce the needs of over 130 million of the world’s most vulnerable people. A new and coherent approach is required based on addressing root causes, increasing political diplomacy for prevention and conflict resolution, and bringing humanitarian, development and peace-building efforts together.
Some of the key commitments and achievements of the World Humanitarian Summit and UN Secretary-General’s Agenda for Humanity are as follows:
I. POLITICAL LEADERSHIP TO PREVENT AND END CONFLICT
Global leaders recognised the centrality of political will to prevent and end conflicts, address root causes, reduce fragility and strengthen good governance.
II. UPHOLD THE NORMS THAT SAFEGUARD HUMANITY
Enhancing the protection of civilians in armed conflict was at the very heart of the Summit, recognising that the fundamental norms embodied in international humanitarian and human rights law provide a universal safeguard to ensure the protection of civilians in armed conflict.
III. LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND
The Summit demonstrated the international community’s resolve to live up to the pledge to leave no one behind in the quest for sustainable development for all.
IV. CHANGE PEOPLE’S LIVES: FROM DELIVERING AID TO ENDING NEED
The Summit reinforced support from all stakeholders to go beyond meeting humanitarian needs, by changing people’s lives through ending needs.
V. INVEST IN HUMANITY
The Summit reinforced the crucial role of financing as the key enabling and catalytic factor towards both meeting and reducing needs.
VI.WAY FORWARD
The World Humanitarian Summit was a wake-up call for action for humanity. It generated global momentum and political will to move forward on the Agenda for Humanity and the five core responsibilities to deliver better assistance for people across the globe.