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Self Report 2018

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 2A
    Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Belgian military manuals, doctrine, rules of engagement, operational orders, and other means of dissemination will continue to pay special attention to the protection of civilian objects under international humanitarian law, particularly schools and universities during armed conflicts.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium commits to adopt a military manual on operational law which will emphasize the obligation of the armed forces to strictly comply with international humanitarian law relating to the protection of civilians objects, among which schools and universities in the conduct of hostilities.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium commits to strengthen respect and protection of civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Belgium will support impartial humanitarian actors' efforts to engage in dialogue with and operate in areas controlled by non-State armed groups.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Belgium continues to recall the importance of ensuring the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, stressing that targeting civilians and civilian property was intolerable and violated international law.

    Belgium lately endorsed the Safe School Declaration and the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict in 2017. Belgium also published an Operational Law Manuel detailing the obligations of the armed forces and the measures to take in order to ensure respect for IHL and, in particular, the protection of civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities.

    The Operational Law Manual was adopted in October 2016 and is now in use within the Belgian Armed Forces.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (8)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Belgium commits to actively promote the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in humanitarian action by providing training to civil servants, students and the civil society on these principles; and continuously reviewing and improving the training of the Belgian Armed Forces on the core principles of international humanitarian law.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium commits to further promote principled humanitarian actions and the respect for IHL and to encourage all State and non-State parties to armed conflict to comply with their obligations under IHL and in particular the customary rules of distinction, proportionality and precaution.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Belgium commits to investigate together with its partners how humanitarians and the private sector can team up in partnerships while respecting humanitarian principles.


    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium commits to use leverage and influence to prevent and end any arbitrary withholding of consent to impartial humanitarian relief.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium encourages humanitarian implementing organizations, especially international agencies and INGOs, to increase their presence in remote areas and situations of insecurity by strongly engaging in a dialogue for better access with all parties on the ground. In order to support this process, Belgium will engage in a dialogue with humanitarian organizations on their security protocols, with a special focus on the United Nations Department for Safety and Security (UNDSS).
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium has adopted domestic legislation and its implementation to ensure that it is consistent with the obligation to respect and protect humanitarian and health care workers and facilities against attack.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium will continue to take all feasible precautions when planning or conducting an attack on a military object in the vicinity of a health care facility and to continuously review and improve the measures guiding the conduct of such operation.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium will continue to train the military on the applicable legal framework for the protection of health care as well as ethical duties of health care personnel.
    • Training
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Belgian Defense organises International Humanitarian Law (IHL) courses including a session on humanitarian action and, in particular, its principles. Members of the Belgian Armed forces teach and give lectures in IHL on regular basis to university students and civilians. Those courses include principles of humanitarian action. Belgian Armed forces furthermore review the IHL and Law Of Armed Conflict (LOAC) training on a regular basis.

    Every member of the Belgian Armed forces is trained in IHL. This training includes the protection of health care personnel. Health care personnel within the Belgian Armed Forces received a specific training, which includes their rights and duties according to IHL.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (8)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Belgium calls on states to end all security or military support, including the transfer of arms, to any party where there is a clear risk that this security or military support might be used in the commission of serious violation of international humanitarian law.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium has adopted national legislation encompassing crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes and expanding jurisdiction over them, in accordance with international humanitarian law.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium has joined and is implementing the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium has taken the necessary legislative steps to outlaw all forms of sexual and gender-based violence.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium reaffirms the commitment it has taken at the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015 to ratify the 3rd amendment to the Rome Statute.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium will offer international humanitarian and human rights law training/dissemination sessions for foreign armed forces.
    • Training
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium will take the necessary steps in order to designate focal points in relevant government branches responsible for promoting respect for international humanitarian and human rights law through diplomatic, economic and military relations.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Members of Belgian armed forces who have not attained the age of 18 years are outlawed from taking a direct part in hostilities by Belgian national legislation.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Other-2D

    Belgium is a strong advocate of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). At the European level, Belgium also strives for a strict application of the Common Position 2008/944 establishing the European framework for military weapons’ exports outside of the EU and for countering weapon diversion. Finally, Belgium advocates a more systematic and structured weapons tracing in (post-)conflict zones, a practice that can directly contribute to counter-diversion measures and to better risk assessment of weapons transfer.

    The ratification procedure of the Third Amendment to the Rome Statute is underway. Within Foreign Affairs (FA), two services have the specific mission to promote respect for International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and for human rights. FA also hosts the secretariat of the Interministerial Commission on IHL, comprising all relevant ministerial departments. Belgium specifically trained several foreign officers in IHL during the 2017 Law of Armed Conflict Advisor Course. At the Royal Military Academy. Members of the Belgian Armed Forces also trained the Malian Armed Forces in IHL in the framework of EUTM Mali.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    The Flemish Arms Trade Act was amended to include the rule that licenses shall not only be denied if there is a clear risk that the goods/technology might be used to commit serious violations of human rights or IHL, but also if there is a clear risk that they might be used to facilitate or provide assistance in committing serious violations. Furthermore, the Government of Flanders can now temporarily ban all arms exports to a country/end-user. More generally, the Flemish Arms Trade Act pays particular attention to IHL and human rights in all its assessment criteria.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In 2018, the Government of Flanders Arms Trade Decree (July 2012) will be amended to include the legal obligation for end-users of Flemish defence-related products to include in their end-user certificate the explicit commitment not to use the goods for violations of, inter alia,  human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as not to use the goods for any purpose prohibited by relevant IHL and disarmament treaties.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Belgium commits to continue to promote ratification of and accession to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention by States. Belgium further pledges to uphold its commitment to meet the humanitarian goal of the Convention - a world free from the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines - and to put an end to the suffering caused by antipersonnel mines through their complete eradication.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Luxembourg, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Serbia, Slovenia, Thailand, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Ukraine and Chile

    Individual Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • As a party to the Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Belgium calls on those countries that are not party yet to adhere to these instruments.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium actively encourages States to sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). In order to give it maximum effect, States which lack legal, technical, financial or other resource capacity to fully implement the ATT should receive the necessary assistance to do so. In addition, States Treaty-mandated reports on implementation, and annual reports on arms transfers, must be submitted within the deadline and made public. This will improve the effectiveness of the implementation of the Treaty through peer review between States and public scrutiny by parliamentarians and civil society organizations.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Belgium renews its call made during the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015 to hold regular meetings of States and experts on the implementation of international humanitarian law.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Belgium supports the UN Secretary-General's call for a global campaign to boost respect and compliance for IHL. In this respect Belgium does commit to joining a global campaign to reinforce the protection of civilians by strengthening compliance with international law, in particular international human rights, humanitarian and refugee law.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • In conformity with resolution 2 of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Belgium will engage actively and constructively in an intergovernmental process to find agreement on the functions and features of a potential forum of States on international humanitarian law and ways to enhance the implementation of international humanitarian law.
    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Belgium continued to campaign for the universalization of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban convention and seized every opportunity to approach Non States Parties inviting them to join the Convention as soon as possible.  Belgium further pledges to uphold its commitment to meet the humanitarian goal of the Convention - a world free from the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines - and to put an end to the suffering caused by antipersonnel mines through their complete eradication.Belgium strongly condemns any use of anti-personnel mines and improvised anti-personnel mines by anyone. Belgium chairs the Committee on Victim Assistance. Belgium fully endorses the objective of a world free of anti-personnel mines by 2025 but also a world free of new victims of anti-personnel mines.

    Belgium actively encourages States to sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Belgium supports the ATT outreach activities of the EU by providing expertise for legal workshops and training. Belgium complies with the annual reports’ deadlines and strives for a higher reporting rate strengthening  general transparency in arms’ trade.  Belgium prepared a comprehensive Questions & Answers document on reporting obligations under the ATT. At the request of the Presidency of Conference of States Parties 4 ( CSP 4) Belgium co-chairs the working group on Transparency and Reporting.  Belgium continues to participate actively in the intergovernmental process relaunched by Resolution 2 adopted at the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
     

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Core Commitments (5)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Refugees

    Belgium took part in the process of  the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR). GCR will address the gap in the international system for the protection of refugees (e.g. need for more predictable and equitable burden-and responsibility-sharing among States, together with other stakeholders). Belgium actively participated in the thematic discussions regarding the pillars of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) and other events focused on the implementation of CRRF and GCR. Belgium supported the CRRF approach, including the support of host communities, by financing UNHCR interventions in Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo for the South Sudanese refugees. Belgian Vice Prime Minister De Croo participated in the Solidarity Summit in Uganda highlighting the need for support to refugees and host communities and for flexible, unearmarked and multi-year funding

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Belgium will continue to be part of the process of Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the implementation of Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Belgium commits to engage in the Connecting Business Initiative carried out by OCHA, UNDP and UNISDR in the further development of a global portal connecting the international and local private sector to governments, local authorities and implementing organizations that would ensure a coordinated approach from emergency preparedness to response and recovery. Belgium commits to provide EUR 270,000 in funding to support these actions, particularly in  the Sahel and the Great Lakes region where there is great potential for this initiative. 


    • Financial Contribution (EUR 270,000)
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • Belgium will assess, as part of an integrated planning cycle, the preparedness activities undertaken in its partner countries which are prone to crisis. In order to ensure a coherent, comprehensive and appropriate approach, this assessment should be done co-jointly with the national, sub-national and local authorities, organizations and communities taking into account the specific needs of women and girls and the role they can play. Belgium will identify financing opportunities within a portfolio approach to address possible shortcomings. The portfolio approach will aim to reduce the barriers between humanitarian and development finance in order to mobilize a balanced mix of humanitarian and development finance. Belgium will identify these opportunities within a 3 to 5 year framework by starting in a pilot country and gradually replicating the support for preparedness to other partner countries incorporating lessons learnt and best practices.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Covering the fiscal year 2017, Belgium has contributed EUR 270,000 to the Connecting Business Initiative (CBi), a platform to engage the private sector upfront before disaster strikes. With this contribution, Belgium has been the very first country that has kept up to its stated support to CBi made at the WHS.

    With this contribution, Belgium has reached the threshold to join the Executive Committee of CBi. In February 2017, during the annual Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week in Geneva, Belgium has actively participated in the very first Executive Committee meeting and its Member Networks Annual Meeting.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Other: Financial contribution to CBi, and participation in the Executive Committee meetings
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Reporting of the CBi on the member networks achievements.
    General follow-up of results through the CBi Executive Committee.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Adherence to standards and/or humanitarian principles
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    Reaching out to more donors, so that more support to private sector engagement in humanitarian affairs can be leveraged.

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction, Private sector

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Individual Commitments (9)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • As a member of the International Network on Conflict and Fragility, Belgium commits to implement the Stockholm Declaration commitments to "provide smarter, more effective, and more targeted development support in fragile and conflict affected situations, not least in protracted humanitarian crises" and to "work more closely with development and humanitarian actors and promote increased incorporation of conflict-sensitive and longer-term development approaches and financing into humanitarian operations in protracted crisis situations to achieve collective outcomes, by: (i) Investing in capacity building of local organisations and actors, in particular facilitating their involvement in the planning and implementation of humanitarian programmes, and by using on the job training. As part of this, focusing on strengthening government data collection systems and statistical capacity. (ii) Actively sharing data between humanitarian and development organisations, using that data and knowledge - including knowledge about refugees, internally displaced people and host communities, and the obstacles to return -“ to inform shared risk and context analyses, using these analyses to develop risk-informed programming, and to monitor the achievement of collective and sustainable outcomes. (iii) Providing the right financial incentives - including more multi-annual funding allocations -“ for different actors to work more coherently over multiple years; ensuring that each actor's individual efforts work towards common, context-specific, goals and collective SDG outcomes: overcoming the factors that have led these states and societies to be exposed to fragility and shocks. (iv) Stepping up financial and political investments in the reduction of fragile situations and in the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, including through arms control. (v) Securing the participation and involvement of crisis affected people and communities in the planning and implementation of humanitarian and development initiatives, and heeding their voices. Ensuring the voices of grass roots organisations, including women'™s groups, are heard at national level, and strengthening the listening skills of field personnel. (vi) Supporting financial and physical infrastructure to create the enabling environment for viable local economies, including maritime economies. (vii) Empowering field personnel to plan, make decisions, and adapt programming to suit the needs of rapidly evolving environments. (viii) Creating an environment that encourages learning from mistakes as well as the active sharing of information between different actors.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    • Belgium commits to continue to participate in discussions aimed at encouraging local organizations to explore ways to structure themselves that will ensure better coordination and the easing of future initiatives in terms of direct funding.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    • Belgium commits to continue to respect and operationalize the principles and concepts of the Oslo Guidelines (guidelines on the use of military and civil defense assets to support humanitarian activities in complex emergencies) with a special focus on common humanitarian civil-military standards for coordinating foreign military assets in humanitarian assistance.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Belgium commits to join the reflection on a digital platform accessible to every humanitarian actor that gathers information on consolidated needs assessments, implemented and coordinated activities and levels of funding.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Belgium commits to reflect on and invest in digital solutions for information collection, management, analysis and dissemination as well as in the provision of humanitarian assistance in order to meet the needs for a more efficient aid provision and for a better access to beneficiaries.
    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • Belgium emphasizes the need for innovative solutions within the humanitarian setting. Belgium therefore commits to earmark part of its budget for digital solutions.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Belgium recognizes the added value of big data and digitalization as transformative powers and pivotal instruments in enabling insights for decision making and in amplifying the possibilities to better coordinate humanitarian and development efforts. Belgium therefore commits to continue streamlining the issue of digitalization in all its humanitarian and development policies.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Belgium will support OCHA and its work on the reform of the humanitarian system and simultaneously engage in a dialogue with humanitarian UN agencies to ensure their support to this process.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Belgium will use its positions on the boards of international organizations, agencies and financial institutions to ensure a comprehensive approach to the management of man-made and natural hazards.
    • Advocacy
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    • Belgium committed to earmark part of its budget for digital solutions. Belgium has provided support to two innovative projects implemented by WFP: mVAM and the UAV project.
    • A new directorate was created within DGD (Directorate-general Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid), comprising two units: one focusing on humanitarian aid and one on transitioning towards development and good governance.
    • In 2017, Belgium launched an appeal for the humanitarian Belgian NGO’s on Disaster Risk Reduction.
    • Belgium has worked with the FAO in order to open a new "Early Action" window to the SFERA (Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitiation).
    • A “strategy working group” with our Belgian NGOs has been created, in order to discuss the humanitarian-development nexus.
    • In terms of transitional development, 3 calls for proposals (10 million EUR) have been launched to identify projects in Burundi, the DRC and Lake Chad Region. This new instrument goes beyond humanitarian assistance and prepares the ground for more structural development cooperation.

    Other-4C

    Belgium has supported OCHA for over a decade, as the organization has a key role to play in finding "common ground" and  promoting coordinated action for more effective response. Belgium has supported OCHA in its efforts to reform the humanitarian system and will continue to do so. Belgium has continued to be an active partner in the OCHA Donor Support Group (ODSG), where it has pushed OCHA to undergo a change process, in order to make the organization "fit for purpose" and set clear priorities for its future activities

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • Other: Projects follow-up with digital components, specific field visit questionnaire, to capture lessons learne
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    • Follow-up of projects with a digital component and capturing lessons learned with partners.
    • Through reporting by OCHA and our key humanitarian partners organizations.
       

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    There are limits to the potential use of digitalisation depending on the context.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Belgium co-organises a seminar on the protection of data in humanitarian action.
    • Continued efforts will promote complementarity and coherence between humanitarian aid and the new development cooperation programmes. Belgium will encourage this coherence in its dialogue with UN partner organizations

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Need for interoperability of systems and tools used and a sound regulatory framework by strengthening local digital ecosystems.
    • Better documentation of the results and risks of new digital tools.
    • On the humanitarian-development nexus, the guiding purpose is to work collaboratively on the basis of common context analyses and risks assessments. Mandates and expertise should be maintained but synergies and complementarities should be found between the relevant fields of action.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Belgium launched a call for proposals for innovation in humanitarian action. Several projects under consideration hold digital components.

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian-development nexus, Innovation

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Belgium commits to continue to examine the opportunity to finance flexible funds dedicated to and managed by local actors.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Belgium commits to continue to participate in discussions aimed at encouraging local organizations to explore ways to structure themselves that will ensure better coordination and the easing of future initiatives in terms of direct funding.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Belgium commits to engage with country-based pooled fund advisory committees to ensure that they timely and swiftly respond to sudden onset small and medium scale emergencies.
    • Partnership
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Addressing blockages/challenges to direct investments at the national/local level

    Belgium has participated in discussions aimed at encouraging local organizations to explore ways to structure themselves. Through dialogue in the working groups with Belgian NGO's, which Belgium launched in the course of 2017, Belgium is advancing its collective understanding on "localization" and the further inclusion of local partners.

    Country-based pooled funds

    Belgium engages with country-based pooled fund advisory committees to ensure that they can timely and swiftly respond to sudden onset small and medium scale emergencies. In 2017, Belgium engaged in the Advisory Boards of the Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) for Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, oPt and Iraq. Belgium has the intention to continue this engagement. In 2017, Belgium has programmed EUR 62,800,000 million on a 2-year basis for 11 country-based pooled funds, clearly showing the important share of Belgian humanitarian funding for CBPFs.

    Other-5A

    Belgium commits to continue to examine the opportunity to finance flexible funds dedicated to and managed by local actors. In 2017, Belgium has allocated 1.000.000 EUR to the START network, a flexible humanitarian fund managed by a network of NGO's in order to rapidly finance humanitarian NGO's worldwide. 

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    - Further advancing discussions with NGOs in the working group on local action.
    - Participation in START Fund Board and analysis of opportunity of a new contribution to START.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Local action

  • 5C
    Invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • As a member of the International Network on Conflict and Fragility, Belgium commits to implement the Stockholm Declaration commitments to "provide smarter, more effective, and more targeted development support in fragile and conflict affected situations, not least in protracted humanitarian crises" and to "work more closely with development and humanitarian actors and promote increased incorporation of conflict-sensitive and longer-term development approaches and financing into humanitarian operations in protracted crisis situations to achieve collective outcomes, by: (i) Investing in capacity building of local organisations and actors, in particular facilitating their involvement in the planning and implementation of humanitarian programmes, and by using on the job training. As part of this, focusing on strengthening government data collection systems and statistical capacity. (ii) Actively sharing data between humanitarian and development organisations, using that data and knowledge - including knowledge about refugees, internally displaced people and host communities, and the obstacles to return -“ to inform shared risk and context analyses, using these analyses to develop risk-informed programming, and to monitor the achievement of collective and sustainable outcomes. (iii) Providing the right financial incentives - including more multi-annual funding allocations -“ for different actors to work more coherently over multiple years; ensuring that each actor's individual efforts work towards common, context-specific, goals and collective SDG outcomes: overcoming the factors that have led these states and societies to be exposed to fragility and shocks. (iv) Stepping up financial and political investments in the reduction of fragile situations and in the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts, including through arms control. (v) Securing the participation and involvement of crisis affected people and communities in the planning and implementation of humanitarian and development initiatives, and heeding their voices. Ensuring the voices of grass roots organisations, including women'™s groups, are heard at national level, and strengthening the listening skills of field personnel. (vi) Supporting financial and physical infrastructure to create the enabling environment for viable local economies, including maritime economies. (vii) Empowering field personnel to plan, make decisions, and adapt programming to suit the needs of rapidly evolving environments. (viii) Creating an environment that encourages learning from mistakes as well as the active sharing of information between different actors.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Belgium commits to using its position on the boards of the International Financial Institutions, and particularly the World Bank, to ensure that the forthcoming Multilateral Development Bank replenishments deliver a relevant, coherent and cost effective set of instruments to respond to the challenges of fragility, disasters, and other crises.
    • Advocacy
    • Invest in Humanity

    • In line with the core responsibility to ensure that "No One is Left Behind" and with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, Belgium commits to continue to focus scarce ODA resources where it matters most. Both during the summit on financing development in Addis Ababa and during the Agenda 2030 summit in New York, as well as in Istanbul, Belgium has actively advocated and will continue to advocate for the proposal that at least 50% of ODA should be devoted to least developed countries. Belgium has committed itself to do so as well, which is reflected in the new list of 14 partner countries of Belgium's development cooperation: 12 of these countries are least developed.


    • Advocacy
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Three calls for proposals for a total estimated budget of 10 million EUR have been launched to identify projects in Burundi, the DR Congo and Lake Chad Region (Niger & Chad) that address the root causes of protracted crises, such as protecting human rights, addressing corruption and strengthening economic resilience with a focus on youth employment.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Field visits, and implementation reports.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    • Human resources/capacity
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Funding modalities often constrain the needed flexibility to shift between development and humanitarian channels as needs evolve.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    The reform of Enabel, Belgium's implementing development agency, provides more flexibility. Transitional development projects will be financed and start implementation in 2018. This new aid instrument will be reviewed in order to consider making it a permanent channel with annual calls for proposals. In policy dialogue with World Bank, the need for in country staff capacity in fragile situations continues to be emphasized.
     

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    More joint/shared context and risk analysis at the country level; and establishment of pooled funds at country level for flexible delivery of assistance

    Keywords

    Youth

  • 5D
    Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Belgium already took some steps towards shifting from short-term, fragmented funding to predictable multiyear financing and to allow cash-based programs. The Royal Decree adopted in 2014 allows Belgium to allocate core-funds to international humanitarian organizations on a multi-year base as well as to finance humanitarian programs over 2 years.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Belgium commits to continue to provide special support to flexible funds such as country-based pooled funds, instruments that allow a context-based approach and a local response wherever it is possible by directly financing local actors and reinforcing their capacities.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Belgium will assess, as part of an integrated planning cycle, the preparedness activities undertaken in its partner countries which are prone to crisis. In order to ensure a coherent, comprehensive and appropriate approach, this assessment should be done co-jointly with the national, sub-national and local authorities, organizations and communities taking into account the specific needs of women and girls and the role they can play. Belgium will identify financing opportunities within a portfolio approach to address possible shortcomings. The portfolio approach will aim to reduce the barriers between humanitarian and development finance in order to mobilize a balanced mix of humanitarian and development finance. Belgium will identify these opportunities within a 3 to 5 year framework by starting in a pilot country and gradually replicating the support for preparedness to other partner countries incorporating lessons learnt and best practices.


    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to enable coherent financing that avoids fragmentation by supporting collective outcomes over multiple years, supporting those with demonstrated comparative advantage to deliver in context.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Belgium had decided  to extend the implementation period for programmes up to 5 years and the law on development cooperation had been revised on the 16th of June 2016.  Currently, three of the four budget lines for humanitarian aid are multiyear: they are therefore committed in year one and disbursed over the following years. In 2017, 72.5% of the humanitarian aid budget was multiyear. In 2017, Belgium has continued to support through core funding its humanitarian partners and has provided 52.900.000 EUR to the CERF and country-based pooled funds. By providing 53% of its humanitarian funding in a flexible way, Belgium largely exceeds the target of 30% to be reached by 2020, set during the Grand Bargain.  Additionally, in 2017 Belgium has allocated 1.000.000 EUR to the START network, a flexible fund managed by a network of NGO's
     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In the coming years, Belgium wants to reach the following targets: 60% of unearmarked funding by 2020; 30% of earmarked funding for cash-based transfers; 25% for financing local organisations (as directly as possible). In 2017 and 2018 together, Belgium will have allocated at least EUR 105 million through a variety of global and country-based pooled funds (CBPF): the Central Emergency Response Fund, IRA, Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, DREF and ten CBPFs.

    5. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    The CBPF should be able to attract a more diversified and enlarged donor base, to reach their target of funding 15% of Humanitarian Response Plans. There should also be more visibility for donors of unearmarked funds.
    In order to make flexible funding attractive to donors, reporting and transparency standards must be of high quality. Timely and reliable information of how the resources are used is essential.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In September 2017, Belgium has, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), issued the very first Humanitarian Impact Bond. Belgium is, together with the ICRC, the ground-breaker of this new financing mechanism which will be rolled out to build three physical rehabilitation centres.

    Keywords

    Cash, Country-based pooled funds, Innovation, Local action

  • 5E
    Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Belgium commits to continue its contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help ensure its expansion to $1 billion annually by 2018.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Belgium endorses the commitments taken under the Grand Bargain.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • In line with the initiative "€Publish What You Fund"€, Belgium commits to making its humanitarian aid transparent by publishing all humanitarian aid data to the IATI Standard, by the end of 2017, increasing its frequency of publication during sudden onset emergencies.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • ODA should increasingly be used as "œseed money" to attract the untapped potential of alternative sources, including private ones. Hence, Belgium has prioritized the private sector in its development cooperation, while strictly abiding to the principle of untied aid.


    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • Belgium commits to continue their contributions to the Central Emergency Response Fund (including through a specific contribution from Flanders) to help ensure its expansion to $1 billion. Belgium increased its contribution to the CERF in 2017 by 25%. In 2017, Belgium was elected to the Advisory Group of the CERF for a three year term, through the personal engagement of the Director-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD). This has given Belgium the opportunity to take part in the governing discussions orientating the future of CERF. 
    • Belgium has always put the implementation of the Grand Bargain on the agenda of its bilateral discussions with international aid organisations in 2017. At the beginning of 2017, a new directorate was created within DGD. The new directorate comprises two different units: one focusing on humanitarian aid and one on transitioning towards development and good governance.
    • Thanks to our new internal database, BE DGD is now able to publish data on its humanitarian financing more timely and more frequently. Belgium implemented the IATI "humanitarian scope" element, and are adapting its system in order to include in our IATI published data Glide and FTS codes as well.
    • Belgium has been proactive in the discussions on the humanitarian data platforms and has been working closely with DG ECHO on modernizing EDRIS and ensuring coherence with the changes of the humanitarian architecture of the last five years (flexible and multiyear funding mainly).  Belgium also benefited from a specific briefing on the new Financial Tracking System platform by OCHA.

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    Overview of the humanitarian budget: percentage of unearmarked funding vs. earmarked; proportion of multi-annual funding; and percentage of CBT.

    3. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    It feels difficult to bring the Grand Bargain to the field level. Commitments made by donor and organisations are not always known in the field. 

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Belgium is also funding a project from VOICE, aiming at contributing to strengthen further the quality of EU humanitarian aid. The projects intends to foster NGOs and frontline responders engagement in the Grand Bargain, therefore contributing to a more inclusive and possibly a more contextualized implementation of the Grand Bargain.
    Belgium would like to promote a discussion between Grand Bargain Signatories, International Aid Transparency Initiative and OESO DAC with a view to harmonise the differing reporting requirements/approaches.

     

    Keywords

    Transparency / IATI

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