Skip to main content

Related Platforms

  • Peer 2 Peer
  • Grand Bargain

Other OCHA Services

  • Financial Tracking Service
  • Humanitarian Data Exchange
  • Humanitarian ID
  • Humanitarian Response

 

  • Inter-Agency Standing Committee
  • OCHA website
  • ReliefWeb
  • Virtual OSOCC
See all

User menu

  • Log in
Home

Search form

Main menu

  • About the IASC
  • Tools & Services
  • Library

Humanitarian Leadership Strengthening

Image
Two groups of people sit on opposing benches, UN delegates on the right and locals on the left. A local and a UN delegate are standing between them, wearing longyi - a cloth wrapped around their torso, a traditional garment.
Credit: OCHA/Nancy McNally
A group of three stylised figures stand shoulder to shoulder with their hands on their hips.

The Humanitarian Leadership Strengthening (HLS) works on behalf of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) to strengthen the humanitarian coordination leadership function
 

Effective coordination of humanitarian action in the field hinges upon humanitarian coordination leaders: the HCs or Resident Coordinators (RCs). In effect, while the primary responsibility for coordinating humanitarian assistance rests with national authorities, if international humanitarian assistance is required the HC or RC is responsible for leading and coordinating the efforts of humanitarian organizations (both UN and non-UN) with a view to ensuring that they are principled, timely, effective and efficient, and contribute to longer-term recovery.

Four tracks to strengthen the humanitarian coordination leadership function:

  1. Promoting dialogue and building consensus among humanitarian partners on key normative issues relating to humanitarian coordination leadership;
  2. Expanding the pool of potential Humanitarian Coordinators;
  3. Improving the leadership and coordination skills of Humanitarian and Resident Coordinators; and
  4. Ensuring that Humanitarian and Resident Coordinators get the support they need to be effective.

Sections

  • Documents
  • HLS Home
  • HLSS Team
  • HC Pool
  • High Potential Pool
  • Mandate of Humanitarian Leadership
Key Reference Materials
IASC, Terms of Reference for the Humanitarian Coordinator, 2009
List of Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs), January 2021
UN Resident Coordinator Generic Job Description
Handbook for RCs and HCs on Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2010
IASC Checklist for RCs and HCs on Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2020
Relevant to Our Work
  • The impact of the UNDS Reform on the Resident Coordinator system
  • The impact of the UNDS Reform of the Resident Coordinator Offices
  • The impact of the UNDS Reform on funding
  • Where our financial resources come from?
  • Our responsibility as humanitarians regarding Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
  • The IASC Task Team on accountability to affected populations on PSEA
  • Transformative Agenda
Some Humanitarian Coordinators in Action

A Humanitarian Coordinator in a UN vest and cap walks alongside a tall man in a dusty-white robe through the bush.

Follow our Humanitarian Coordinators on twitter.

Recent documents

  • List of Humanitarian Coordinators (HCs), January 2021
    Published Date
    15 January 2021
  • IASC Checklist for RCs and HCs on Emergency Preparedness and Response, 2020
    Published Date
    29 October 2019
  • UN Resident Coordinator Generic Job Description
    Published Date
    29 October 2019
  • IASC, Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation. Frequently Asked Questions, 2018
    Published Date
    20 November 2018
  • IASC, Humanitarian System-Wide Scale-Up Activation. Frequently Asked Questions, 2018
    Published Date
    20 November 2018
View all documents

Subscribe to the IASC Newsletter

Footer

  • Contact
  • Terms of use
  • Privacy
Facebook Twitter
Service provided by UNOCHA OCHA coordinates the global emergency response to save lives and protect people in humanitarian crises. We advocate for effective and principled humanitarian action by all, for all.
Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons BY 4.0 International license. Creative Commons BY 4.0