Donors encouraged to take advantage of available tools to help ensure faster, more effective and coordinated humanitarian action

During the two-day event, participants are exploring the mechanisms that exist in order to enable a faster, more effective and coordinated international response to humanitarian crises, including joint funds and consolidated appeals.

Today, participants from UAE donor organizations discussed the practical benefits of engaging with multilateral humanitarian planning and financing mechanisms. Among these are the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), a pre-positioned fund for humanitarian action that is managed by the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP), a tool used by aid organisations to plan, implement and monitor their activities together, and the country-level Emergency Response Funds. Tomorrow's sessions will provide Information Management Officers with an opportunity to raise technical questions about the objectives, standards and requirements of reporting to the UN FTS (Financial Tracking Service), including how to improve project-level data recording techniques.

The workshop is being facilitated by Steve O'Malley, Chief of the Central Emergency Response Fund Secretariat, UN OCHA New York, and Rob Smith, Chief of Consolidated Appeal Process Section, UN OCHA Geneva.

Speaking at the event, H.E. Hazza Mohammed Falah Al Qahtani, OCFA Director General, said, "We recognize the critical importance of the role of the Emergency Relief Coordinator and OCHA in coordinating the international response to humanitarian emergencies."

He added, "We are collaborating closely with OCHA on several initiatives, including the timely reporting of the UAE's humanitarian aid to the Financial Tracking Service, and this workshop comes as part of our efforts to encourage even closer interaction between the UAE and the multilateral system. It's only with a clear picture of humanitarian funding flows that donors are able to identify resource gaps and avoid the duplication of efforts."

"The CERF and other pooled funds provide immediate funding to UN agencies in the wake of new humanitarian emergencies, and supports faster emergency response efforts," said Steve O'Malley. "We are pleased to cooperate with OCFA on this important event, and to have the opportunity to discuss the international humanitarian financing system with UAE donors and encourage them to use the tools available, in order to ensure the best possible assistance to those in need."