Reforming for Impact: Delivering better outcomes for people through a Fit-for-Purpose Aid system

Length: 120 minutes

Format: UNGA Open Side Event 

Date: Tuesday, 23 September 

Time: 15:00 – 17:00 

Location: Trusteeship Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York

Background:

The multilateral humanitarian model, established in 1991 under the UN auspices, has reached an inflection point of high-magnitude change. The system, long overstretched and underfunded, has no choice but to reform, whilst keeping intact its underlying foundations, anchored in the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence. The launch of the Humanitarian Reset by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator in early 2025 marked a bold effort to fundamentally rethink how the global humanitarian system operates in the face of unprecedented challenges. Whilst wars and conflicts remain the main driver of humanitarian needs, further amplified by the climate emergency, non-compliance with International Humanitarian Law has resulted in staggering loss of life, destruction and human suffering. 2024 was the deadliest year ever recorded for humanitarian workers. The humanitarian system, itself under attack, now has to deal with a massive protection crisis, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations: women, older people, persons with disabilities, and children. This unfolds against a  backdrop of rising needs, declining funding, and eroding trust that have converged to create a moment of both crisis and opportunity. Now is the time to act on the changes we have been discussing for years. 

To meet this moment, we need a more efficient and effective system that is closer to the affected people, delivering outcomes defined by them. This is the overarching premise  of GA Resolution 46/182 and reflects the broad promise of humanity to accompany  those hardest  hit. The Reset prioritizes actions to sharpen the humanitarian mission while deepening its impact on affected people. We are moving towards a system that is locally led and globally supported and therefore fit for the future. In parallel, the UN80 initiative offers a complementary track for broader structural reform across the UN system, creating a critical opening  for both strategic and operational renewal.

Following the commitments made by the ERC and the IASC Principals under the Reset, the humanitarian community must take stock on progress and challenges. This session aims to facilitate constructive dialogue on how to build upon the strengths of the humanitarian system and renew international solidarity while addressing critical areas of reform, including: 

• Accountability to Deliver the Priorities of Affected People Through Context-Specific and Inclusive Coordination. Are we fulfilling the promise to simplify and decentralize coordination and decision-making in a way that is truly accountable to affected populations and devolves power to local actors? How effectively are Humanitarian Coordinators and Country Teams delivering on priorities identified by communities—through inclusive coordination, institutionalized community consultations, and integrated programming?

• Empowering Humanitarian Coordinators to lead a coordinated and principled response. How can we enable Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Teams to lead more strategic, context-driven responses? How can we shift decision-making closer to affected populations, and what barriers remain to fully realizing this ambition?   

• Leveraging the UN80 dynamics to strengthen system-wide humanitarian diplomacy How can we effectively pool resources across UN entities to build a robust, system-wide capacity for humanitarian diplomacy? What mechanisms are needed to ensure sustained engagement on access, and how can leadership be reinforced to advance political solutions that address the root causes of crises? 

• Financing that Empowers Local Actors Without Increasing Overall Funding Requirements. Are pooled funds being positioned at the heart of a more agile, cost-effective and responsive humanitarian financing system? Are donors willing to provide a significant portion of their funding through pooled funds to support a coherent, collective response?  In the context of significant funding gaps, how can pooled funds and other financing mechanisms effectively empower local actors without placing additional strain on the system?

The session will explore linkages to the opportunities offered by the UN80 initiative, with a focus on striking the right balance between normative and operational mandates to ensure “UN as one” delivery at country level, simplifying humanitarian processes, scaling up common services, integrating humanitarian supply chains, strengthening coordination and coherence at the country level, including in mixed operational settings, and enhancing common services for strengthened humanitarian diplomacy, as well as increasing programmatic effectiveness across the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding nexus,  in particular in conflict and fragile settings.

By reinforcing multi-layered partnerships across governments, donors, international, national, and local NGOs, the private sector, and affected communities, we can unlock the full spectrum of resources, expertise, and solidarity needed to transform humanitarian action into a more responsive, inclusive, equitable and effective system.

This event provides a unique platform to bring together a diverse range of stakeholders to reflect on opportunities and challenges and make the political and institutional commitments necessary to drive the Humanitarian Reset forward, while utilizing the UN80 initiative towards a more coherent, efficient, and accountable multilateral system.

Objectives

1. Reaffirm Impartial and Independent Leadership and Advance the Humanitarian Reset and UN80 Reform: Bolster international solidarity and political leadership to implement the Humanitarian Reset and the humanitarian cluster of UN80, prioritizing reforms that empower Humanitarian Coordinators, devolve decision-making, and adapt and simplify coordination and financing.

2. Promote Inclusive, Accountable, and Locally Led Humanitarian Action: Elevate humanitarian delivery by systematically consulting  affected people , strengthening local leadership, and fostering accountability through context-specific  coordination frameworks, safeguarding and enhancing the protection, participation and accountability to crisis-affected women and girls.

3. Making Humanitarian Financing  Fit-for-Purpose: Encourage organizations to deliver maximum impact and mobilize Member States and donors around approaches and tools that enable timely, responsive, and locally driven humanitarian outcomes.

4. Promote development action that addresses drivers of risk, engages in fragile and even politically complex settings and supports Governments in delivering essential services in complementarity to humanitarian assistance. 

Expected Outcomes

• Stronger multilateral consensus on the value of principled humanitarian action as a vital public good in the global system and investment in stability and community resilience in an era of fragmentation and fiscal constraint.

• Increased support, tangible commitments toward empowering and engaging local actors 

•  Advance systemwide partnerships that are inclusive, equitable, and driven by mutual respect and accountability.

• Establish links with the private sector.

• Identification of key gaps or risks in the current reform trajectory and shared approaches to address them.