The IASC Deputies Group serves as a critical platform for strategic dialogue and decision on issues and processes that require senior leadership, championship, and institutional change in the IASC, and that have an impact on humanitarian action. It reports to the IASC Principals and is charged to drive forward progress on key strategic issues tasked by the IASC Principals.
The IASC Deputies Group provides strategic steer and delivers on critical areas set by the IASC including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA); racism and racial discrimination; review of the humanitarian response in the context of IDP settings; climate change; humanitarian financing; cash; and gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls. The Group ensures that decisions of the IASC are implemented within the respective organizations. It also serves as a decision-making platform on issues that do not rise to the attention of the IASC and are not addressed by the Operational Policy and Advocacy Group (OPAG) or the Emergency Directors Group (EDG) in the implementation of IASC Principals decisions.
The Group promotes the streamlining of efforts among IASC entities, including by working in close coordination with the OPAG and EDG, and whenever required, it unblocks and links issues and decisions that require an interagency strategic commitment. The Group also fosters interlinkages between key issues of concern to humanitarian action; promotes coherence and coordination with other key platforms, such as the Executive Committee, Grand Bargain, Global Humanitarian Donorship, among others.
The Deputies Group is chaired by the Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and is composed of Deputy Executive Heads/ASG level (or equivalent) of the IASC full members and standing invitees. The Group meets as necessary on an ad hoc basis.