Interview of Ambassador Michael Koehler in VOICE Out Loud 37 on Anticipatory Action
Under the lead of the Grand Bargain Ambassador Michael Koehler, the Caucus on Scaling up Anticipatory Action, was launched in February 2024.
In this interview featured in Voice Out Loud #37, he explained the aim of the caucus to shift the focus from traditional reactive measures to proactive, anticipatory actions in humanitarian responses. Currently, only 0.2% of humanitarian funding is allocated to these actions, despite their potential to improve efficiency and reduce costs. He emphasised that this shift involves fundamentally changing the organisation and delivery of the humanitarian response, not just increasing funding for prevention. Since the caucus was launched, its members have been focusing on establishing a common understanding of anticipatory action, determining funding commitments, and developing recommendations to improve coordination and cooperation at the international, national, and local levels. Ambassador Koehler sees this collaborative initiative as an opportunity to make humanitarian responses more proactive. He also expressed optimism that these efforts would more effectively align humanitarian aid with development, climate action, and peacebuilding, thus addressing the complexities of modern crises.
The outcome document from the caucus is set to be presented at the Annual Meeting 2024 and the Anticipation Hub Global Dialogue Platform in October 2024.