Promoting Local and National Actors’ leadership in clusters and AoRs through co-coordination approaches

Session abstract

Effective co-coordination within humanitarian coordination is key in fulfilling the localisation agenda, and in contributing to ensuring that aid is efficient, effective, and accountable for affected communities – in line with the Grand Bargain commitments. Under the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Transformative Agenda, Cluster Lead Agencies are encouraged to consider developing a clearly defined, agreed, and supported sharing of cluster leadership with local and national actors wherever feasible.

Research and evaluation have found that often when leadership is shared between international actors and local and national actors in clusters, there is a high quality of partnerships, advocacy, capacity sharing, and accountability. Shared leadership produces stronger engagement and better coordination. Local and national actors are often well established within affected communities, including in remote locations where international actors have limited or no presence. They can offer technical expertise, different approaches to accountability to affected people, long-term involvement in and knowledge of the community.

As part of the great Humanitarian Network and Partnership Week Event, this (virtual) session will present how the UNICEF-led/co-led clusters and AoR are promoting co-coordination with local and national members in humanitarian coordination mechanisms. The panelists will include local leaders who will discuss and share some of their experiences and learn from their roles with any advice for other country clusters wanting to roll out a similar initiative.

This event will take place on 1 May, 2024 from 15:00 - 16:30 CEST and will be conducted in English with translation available in Arabic, French, and Spanish.