| The Grand Bargain 2.0 Bimonthly Updates |
|
|
Latest news from the Grand Bargain 2.0 | July 2021
|
|
|
Dear Grand Bargain Signatories,
We are pleased to share with you our July newsletter, which includes updates on the follow up to the Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2021, where you demonstrated a strong commitment to continue our collective efforts in a more focused, strategic and politically elevated manner under the Grand Bargain 2.0.
Since the Annual Meeting, the EP and the Facilitation Group focused their work on closing some of the remaining structural questions - you can read more about the way forward under the Facilitation Group update, including information regarding the plans to initiate caucuses after September 2021.
We wish you pleasant reading and best regards,
The Grand Bargain Secretariat
|
|
|
| Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2021 |
|
|
Five years after the Grand Bargain was launched, the Signatories met for a virtual Annual Meeting on 15 and 16 June 2021 to acknowledge progress made and to ensure a commitment to the Grand Bargain 2.0. The high-level participation, as well as the strong commitment expressed, speak to the enthusiasm and dedication of the Signatories to pursue the Grand Bargain’s objectives, and to expand its strategic outreach. This was further demonstrated by virtually all speakers both at Principal and Sherpa level.
A summary note is available of both the spoken interventions during the meeting and contributions to the chat.
|
|
Signatory Statements
The Signatories shared their statements on the occasion of the Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2021. Please note that this is not the exhaustive list, as not all statements that were read at the Annual Meeting were shared for publication on the website. >> Click here to read the statements
|
|
|
| Update from the Facilitation Group |
|
|
Following the Grand Bargain Annual Meeting 2021, the Facilitation Group has been working with the EP office to action some of the agreements. This includes following up on the remaining structural questions:
- Political caucuses: In addition to existing workstreams, a new approach was introduced in the Grand Bargain 2.0 – political caucuses, which will be focusing on specific strategic issues in an ad hoc manner, with clear objectives and a limited timeframe. As announced in the letter by EP Egeland to the Signatories and based on suggestions from some of the Signatories, the EP and Facilitation Group (FG) will prioritise three strategic time-bound and objective-driven caucuses at a time to ensure effective support and engagement by the EP office, FG, and the Secretariat:
1) The cascading of funding through better intermediation to enable both quality funding and locally-led humanitarian action.
2) Cash coordination, which will support the quality funding enabling priority.
3) Concrete steps on quality funding for local and international actors while ensuring the accountability, transparency, and visibility required by donors
Once the first three caucuses are tackled, other three will be prioritised. This approach does not preclude other caucuses from being formed, as long as the criteria are respected. Based on the endorsed annex of the Grand Bargain 2.0 Framework and reflecting the various necessary elements that the Signatories highlighted at the Annual Meeting, the outgoing and incoming FG members and EP will further define the basic criteria for establishing the caucuses that were outlined in the recent letter by EP Egeland. This will ensure a holistic approach and allow to monitor the accountability of the caucuses and their champions to the Signatories. The criteria is expected to be shared with the Signatories in September 2021, after which the Signatories will be welcome to create caucuses that address specific issues of interest to a constituency or a group of Signatories. The criteria will include guidelines on how to establish and communicate a caucus.
- Round two of workstream consultations: The next step following the Annual Meeting is to determine the role of the existing workstreams in the structure in support of the strategic objectives and the enabling priorities of the Grand Bargain 2.0. Workstream Co-convenors submitted their exit/continuation strategies in March 2021. The Facilitation Group asked the Co-convenors to update the exit/continuation strategy for the individual workstream if needed before the end of August 2021, and map the remaining political challenges, and the technical support needed to overcome them. The outcome of this exercise will be an updated Grand Bargain 2.0 structure, with a clear overview which workstreams will continue their work in support of the political objectives, and which will transfer their work to other relevant fora.
The Facilitation Group is currently chaired by OCHA, and will be chaired by the UK in August 2021, after which OCHA will take over for September 2021. At the end of September 2021, there will be an official handover between the outgoing and incoming members of the Facilitation Group, which will be extended by one seat from October 2021 to ensure a representation of the local actor constituency. The seat will be taken by NEAR Network in 2021/2022.
|
|
| Latest from the workstreams |
|
| Workstream 2 (More support and funding tools for local and national actors) |
|
Bridging the intention to action gap: The future role of intermediaries in supporting locally led humanitarian action
This study results from a shared ambition of the members of the Grand Bargain Localisation Workstream to increase clarity and ambition as to how the role of intermediaries should be evolving. In consultation with its co-convener, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and members of the Workstream, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation commissioned the project to explore the future role of organisations when acting as intermediaries. The study was conducted during April and May 2021 and involved over 100 stakeholders from 36 countries from across the humanitarian system. >> Click here to read the full study |
|
|
| Latest from the Signatories and other relevant updates |
|
Reducing the humanitarian financing gap: review of progress since the report of the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing
In January 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing (HLP) published its report Too important to fail – addressing the humanitarian financing gap, which formed the basis for the Grand Bargain negotiations in early 2016. Besides the Grand Bargain, the HLP made recommendations under two other pillars. Five years on, this report, commissioned by the Netherlands, seeks to identify, assess and analyse initiatives taken in the spirit of the HLP’s recommendations under these two pillars, and to identify possible links with progress on the Grand Bargain. >> Click here to read the full report
|
|
|
Follow-up to the ‘reducing humanitarian financing gap’ side-event
On the third day of the Grand Bargain Annual Meeting the Netherlands hosted a side-event on the other two recommendations of the High-level Panel on Humanitarian Financing in 2016, namely shrinking humanitarian needs and widening the resource base. >> Click here to read about the planned follow-up and watch the recording |
|
Localisation in Covid19 - Experience of Caritas national organisations with humanitarian funding, partnerships and coordination in the Covid19 pandemic
In 2020 and early 2021, the Caritas Internationalis humanitarian policy taskforce partnered on a research initiative to gather views on experiences of local leadership in the humanitarian response to the Covid19 pandemic. The taskforce brings together both Caritas partners with an international mandate and Caritas national organisations in contexts as diverse as Bolivia, Myanmar, Nigeria, the USA, Germany and UK, amongst others. A survey was developed and interviews conducted to gather insights from different parts of the confederation. Over 55 Caritas national organisations completed the survey, and over 15 interviews were conducted. >> Click here to read the full report
|
|
|
ActionAid Policy Brief “Bargaining for Better: Bringing a Feminist Lens to the Grand Bargain 2.0”
ActionAid has collaborated with over twenty WROs and WLOs partners in 10 countries to gather their thoughts and perspectives on how to shape and implement the Grand Bargain 2.0 so that it is more effective for women and girls. This brief compiles the findings and through their collective voices has developed key recommendations for the implementation and future of the Grand Bargain 2.0. >> Click here to read the full brief
|
|
|
A4EP position paper - WHS Five Years on National and local actors: Voices in the Humanitarian Wilderness?
The Alliance for Empowering Partnership (A4EP) outlines recommendations how to transform the inequity in the humanitarian aid structure. >> Click here to read the full position paper
|
|
The Netherlands and ICRC Statement on Risk Sharing
Statement from the ICRC and the Netherlands on sharing of risks to support the implementation of the Grand Bargain 2.0 commitments. The Statement proposes specific actions to help Signatories and collective initiatives to move towards actual sharing of risks. >> Click here to read the full statement
|
|
|
