The localisation of humanitarian aid "Act Global, think Local"

Recalling that the World Humanitarian Summit which took place in Istanbul in May marked strong commitments towards increased localisation, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Carl Hallergard, said that particular importance had been placed on transparency and funding of local and national aid agencies. "Local organisations are often best placed to respond quickly to disasters and in a culturally sensitive, context-specific and sustainable manner," he explained and added. "The increasing role and responsibility of local actors in humanitarian action should therefore be recognised more clearly in the way international responses are designed, coordinated and implemented." Under Secretary General for Partnerships at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC, Dr Jemilah Mahmood, pointed out that often large international organisations try to implement their own models locally without taking into account local practices that could be beneficial to the process.  Nan Buzard, Executive Director of the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), stated that a "one-size fits all" UN guided humanitarian system may not be the best option. She called for a diverse ecosystem and also stated that collective engagement was the hardest issue, since it is difficult to reach consensus with so many different members within the group. "We call on donors to implement their part of the Grand Bargain" said Gordana Jerger, Director of the World Food Programme (WFP) Office in Geneva. Tristen Slade, Counsellor at the Australian Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, explained that local and/or locally led actions and solutions are not necessarily about cost-saving, but aim to provide aid in a more dignified manner.