KEY MESSAGES: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity

OVERVIEW
Advancing the Agenda for Humanity

One Humanity, Shared Responsibility

Credit: OCHA/Ivo Brandau
 OVERVIEW: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity

The Agenda 3

for Humanity
The world is at a critical juncture. 130 million people around the world
are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection – the
highest numbers since the Second World War. Millions more are affected
by fragility, conflicts and vulnerability.

This is why Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon put forward a new Agenda

for Humanity, calling on global leaders to stand up for our common
humanity and reduce humanitarian suffering.

The Agenda consists of 5 Core Responsibilities and 24 strategic

transformations to achieve them that are needed to achieve progress to
address and reduce humanitarian need, risk and vulnerability.

Agenda for Humanity: 5 Core Responsibilities

#2 Respect rules
#1 Prevent and of war
end conflicts

#4 Working differently
to end need
#3 Leave no
one behind

#5 Invest in humanity
4 Agenda for Humanity
transformations
The Agenda for Humanity consists of 24 strategic transformations
that are necessary in order to achieve progress on the five Core
Responsibilities and make the Agenda a reality.

These transformations guide the major changes that are needed in order
to reduce the suffering of millions of people, and address and reduce
humanitarian need, risk and vulnerability.

Together, they form a framework for action, change and mutual

accountability against which we can collectively assess and review
progress in the years to come.

Agenda for Humanity: 24 Strategic Transformations

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Credit: UN/Christopher Reardon

6 Core Responsibility 1
Prevent and
end conflicts
This Core Responsibility calls for political solutions, unity
of purpose, and sustained leadership and investment in
peaceful and inclusive societies.

Leadership to prevent Stay and Invest Be inclusive in

and end conflict Governments and the
decision making
More determined and bold international community Robust engagement of people
leadership is required to set must invest in dedicated and civil society in political
aside differences entrenched and sustained capacity to and governance processes is
in political positions and to handle more than one crisis critical to sustained conflict
guide national discourse and at a time. This must go along- prevention and resolution.
decision-making that supports side predictable and long- Women and women’s groups
the humanity of others. Leaders term political engagement must be actively involved
should use their positions to and financial investment in decision-making. Young
deliver better outcomes for in promoting peaceful people part of developing and
people in need and to commit to and inclusive societies, implementing solutions that
sustained engagement. strengthening legitimate create stability. Faith-based
institutions and reactivating dialogue supported to promote
Act early markets and economies. stability, reconciliation and
National governments, social cohesion. Knowledge,
regional and international technology and influence
organizations must be more of business leaders used to
proficient in identifying early promote sustainable solutions
signs of human rights violations to bring stability and dignity to
and deteriorating situations people’s lives.
and be willing to act before
situations further deteriorate.
The international community,
including the UN Security
Council, must demonstrate
greater resolve to work quickly
towards political unity to
address tensions and de-
escalate violence. Success
stories on conflict prevention
and resolution should be
captured and promoted.
 OVERVIEW: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity
KEY MESSAGES: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity

Core Responsibility 2 7

Respect rules of war

This Core Responsibility reminds us that even wars
have limits, and calls for strengthened compliance
with international law to minimize human suffering
and protect civilians.

Protect civilians and Speak out on violations Stand up for the

civilian property States, regional, national and
rules of war
State and non-State parties to international organizations must A global effort to mobilize
armed conflict must comply with make use of every available States, civil society and other
the international customary rules tracking, investigative, reporting global leaders to demand greater
of distinction, proportionality and and decision-making mechanism compliance with international
precautions. Schools, hospitals, to enhance compliance with humanitarian and human rights
places of worship and other international humanitarian law. law must be launched. All States
critical civilian infrastructure Global leaders, governments, should accede and implement
must be spared from military the United Nations and other core international humanitarian
force and military use. Constraint institutions must speak out law and human rights instru-
should be exercised in the use of against violations, make the ments with regular meetings
explosive weapons in populated facts known and systematically of States parties convened to
areas and political commitments condemn them. discuss progress and challenges
made to this effect. in implementation with the aim
Improve compliance to strengthen mutual account-
Ensure delivery of and accountability ability. Other international and
humanitarian and All States must use their political regional forums should be uti-
medical assistance and economic leverage to ensure lized to increase regular dialogue
Parties to armed conflict must that parties to armed conflict on compliance.
ensure essential needs for food, comply with international hu-
water, medical care, shelter and manitarian and human rights law.
protection are met. Where those Governments need to combat
needs are not being met, parties impunity through enacting robust
to armed conflict must allow and legislation, investigating violations
facilitate access for impartial and prosecuting perpetrators.
humanitarian assistance. Access Increased attention must be given
cannot be arbitrarily denied. All to preventing and prosecuting
State and non-State parties have the gender-based violence. The UN
responsibility to ensure humanitarian Security Council should automat-
and medical health-care workers ically meet and support timely
and facilities are protected and that and decisive action whenever
all necessary political, legal, social serious violations of international
and safety measures are put in place humanitarian or human rights law
and strictly adhered to in order to are alleged and the protection of
protect them. civilians is in jeopardy.
8 Core Responsibility 3:
Leave no one behind
Honouring our commitment to leave no one behind
requires reaching everyone in situations of conflict,
disaster, vulnerability and risk.
secondary education and
Address displacement End statelessness
provide vocational opportunities.
A new approach to addressing States should commit to ending States should commit to
and reducing displacement statelessness by 2024 through providing education and
is required through meeting supporting the “I Belong” cam- certification for displaced
immediate humanitarian needs paign and acceding and imple- persons, in line with national
and improving displaced per- menting the Convention relating qualifications and standards.
sons and their host communities to the Status of Stateless Per-
resilience and self-reliance. A sons and the Convention on the Empower young people
measurable target of at least 50 Reduction of Statelessness.
Empower and promote the
per cent should be set to reduce
participation and leadership
new and protracted internal dis- Empower and protect
of young people in national,
placement by 2030 in a dignified women and girls
local and international conflict
and safe manner. States and the Full and equal participation by prevention and resolution
international community must women and girls in civil, political, responses and in the recovery of
also prepare for cross-border economic and social spheres communities. Programmes that
displacement owing to disasters and in decision-making must successfully integrate refugee
and climate change. Countries become the standard to which youth into communities, provide
and communities must receive all actors are held accountable education, vocational training and
adequate support to ensure in their development and employment opportunities should
displaced persons can receive humanitarian programming and be increased and supported.
better services and economic funding. Access to livelihoods
opportunities. opportunities must be scaled Include the most
up and expanded. Priority vulnerable
Address migration must be given to providing
The needs and risks faced
women and adolescent girls
A collective and comprehensive by the most vulnerable and
with comprehensive sexual
response to displacement, disadvantaged groups, including
and reproductive health-care
migration and mobility is required. women and girls, persons with
services without discrimination.
States should provide more disabilities, older persons,
legal pathways for migration and adolescents and ethnic
Ensure education for
provide humanitarian visas and minorities must be identified
all in crisis
protection for those who do not and prioritized. National and
fall under the 1951 Convention Sufficient domestic and international organizations
relating to the Status of refugees. international funding must should put in place strategies
The specific vulnerabilities of be made available for quality and programmes with a specific
migrants should be integrated into education programmes, during focus on protecting and
humanitarian and other response and after crises. Education respecting the rights of the most
plans. Effective cooperation to must be safe, inclusive, free vulnerable and disadvantaged
combat human trafficking and of exploitation and protected underpinned by comprehensive
migrant smuggling is critical. from attacks and abuse by data analysis.
military groups. All education
programmes should include
 OVERVIEW: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity
KEY MESSAGES: Advancing the Agenda for Humanity

Core Responsibility 4: 9

Working differently
to end need
Ending need requires the reinforcement of local
systems and the anticipation and transcendence of the
humanitarian-development divide.

Reinforce local systems Transcend

International actors should
humanitarian-
enable people to be the central
development divides
drivers in building resilience Humanitarian and development
and be accountable to them actors need to move beyond
through consistent community traditional silos and work with
engagement and ensuring their a greater diversity of partners
involvement in decision-making. toward collective outcomes
The international community over multiple years that meet
should respect, support and humanitarian needs and reduce
strengthen local leadership and people’s risk and vulnerability in
capacity in crises and not put support of the achievement of
in parallel structures that may the 2030 Agenda.
undermine it.

Anticipate crises
Strengthening local and national
response in risk-prone countries
outside of crises must be a
priority. Investment in data and
risk analysis should be increased
and action taken early to prevent
and mitigate crises.
10 Core Responsibility 5:
Invest in humanity
Accepting and acting upon our shared responsibilities
for humanity requires political, institutional and
financing investment.

Invest in local Invest in stability Diversify resources and

capacities Investment must increase in
increase efficiency
Local actors are the best placed situations of fragility including a Resources for humanitarian action
to know the underlying risks and greater focus on strengthening must be increased from a more
priorities of communities. Direct national and local inclusive diverse range of actors. At the
and predictable financing, where institutions. Investment in fragile same time efforts must be made
possible, should be provided situations also requires more to improve the cost-efficiency
to national and local actors sustained, intense and concerted and transparency of humanitarian
along with long-term support political and financial investment financing and response.
to develop their capacity to to prevent and end conflicts.
prevent, respond and recover
from crises. Shift from funding
to financing
Invest according to risk A shift is required from funding
The international community short-term individual projects
needs to invest more in crisis and activities to financing
prevention and building up outcomes that meet needs
community resilience. National and reduce vulnerability.
and international investments in Financing should be flexible,
sustainable development should predictable and over multiple
be risk-informed. Commitments years so that actors can
to the Sendai Framework for work toward outcomes in a
Disaster Risk Reduction and sustainable manner.
other relevant international
frameworks to increase support
to countries vulnerable to
disaster risks or the negative
consequences of climate
change should be implemented
with urgency.
Credit: OCHA/Naomi Frerotte