Error message

Notice: Undefined offset: 1 in drupal_settings_initialize() (line 802 of /backup/agenda/public_html/includes/bootstrap.inc).

Self Report 2019

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.

Expand All

  • 1A
    Demonstrate timely, coherent and decisive political leadership

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to contributing in a strategic manner to the promotion of international peace, security and reconciliation by sharing lessons learned, as appropriate, from the experience of conflict, conflict resolution and reconciliation on Ireland.
    • Policy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland increased allocations to its Stability Fund financing instrument (from EUR 4.4 million in 2017 to EUR 6 million in 2018).  In 2018, this instrument supported a range of NGO and multilateral partners to engage in peacebuilding, conflict prevention and civilian crisis management, including support to the Colombian Peace Process.  A review of the Stability Fund was undertaken and a number of recommendations were implemented including the introduction of thematic windows for the fund and the introduction of measures to enable multi-year predictable funding for longstanding partners.
    • In 2018, the process of developing Ireland’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security began with a broad based public consultation process.  The new Plan will build on Ireland’s already strong focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment in its engagement with conflict affected and fragile contexts.
    • Ireland continues to facilitate international exchange at official and civil society level to share lessons learned from the Northern Ireland peace process (in 2017, with delegations from Turkey, Ukraine, Israel and Palestine). Ireland continued to share expertise with those engaged in the Colombian peace process.
    • Ireland continued to support the work of the Dialogue Advisory Group (DAG) in 2018, a core partner in the area of conflict resolution, and gave EUR 200,000 in funding. DAG visited Ireland in December 2017 to continue the engagement, using lessons learned from the Northern Ireland Peace Process to guide mediation.
    • Ireland has committed to providing EUR 3 million to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) from 2017-2019 in support of the work of the Fund on peacebuilding in fragile states. In 2018 Ireland provided an increase of EUR 2 million to our initial disbursement to the UNPBF, resulting a total of EUR 34 million being released in 2018.
    • Ireland supports the UNPBF's ongoing Youth Peace and Security Progress Study.
    Keywords

    Gender, Youth

  • 1C
    Remain engaged and invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to deepening its focus on forgotten crises, fragile states and targeting investment in state-building and peacebuilding priorities. Applying the New Deal principles for engaging at national level, it will work towards strengthening and using national systems and local institutions for conflict prevention, state-building and economic empowerment.
    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

    • Ireland commits to ensuring that its support to conflict-affected countries through both bilateral and multilateral channels - addresses the root causes of conflict and that a more joined up approach to humanitarian and development funding will support conflict prevention and the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.


    • Financial
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to improve prevention and peaceful resolution capacities at the national, regional and international level improving the ability to work on multiple crises simultaneously.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to sustain political leadership and engagement through all stages of a crisis to prevent the emergence or relapse into conflict.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to address root causes of conflict and work to reduce fragility by investing in the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland remains a steadfast supporter of the New Deal principles, and they continue to guide Ireland's engagement at the multilateral and bilateral level in recognition of the need for sustained national ownership of country plans.
    • Ireland’s Palestine Strategy (2015-2018) provides a coherent and strategic multi-annual approach, combining political, development and humanitarian work. A cross-Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Working Group meets on a continuous basis to ensure a coordinated approach.
    • In 2018 Ireland continued to carry out joint humanitarian and development monitoring visits to programmes in receipt of combined funding. Joint monitoring visit were made to GOAL in Sierra Leone and Oxfam in Tanzania.
    • A concurrent application and appraisal process for development and humanitarian funding mechanisms, introduced for Ireland's NGO partners from 2017, has increased coherence between relief, recovery and development interventions in protracted crisis situations.
    • In 2017, Ireland’s Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP), which provides predictable funding for humanitarian interventions, moved to a multi- annual approach to facilitate longer term planning, more strategic engagement with partners and stakeholders, and greater flexibility to react appropriately to changing conditions.
    • In 2018, a review of the Palestine Strategy was undertaken by the Evaluation and Audit Unit and three other Units of the Department participated in the monitoring visits In Ethiopia, Ireland advocated through various fora for the full integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) into humanitarian response.
    • In 2018, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade began developing a strategy for Ireland’s engagement in Somalia, in order to ensure coherence across its humanitarian, development and political engagement. A wide range of stakeholders were consulted and a number of key areas were identified in which Ireland’s engagement could add value, including (i) peace and security in Somalia; and (ii) disarmament and weapons and ammunition management and regulation in Somalia. Work to finalise the strategy is ongoing.
    2. 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.
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • It is important to support country-led processes, promoting sustained national ownership and country owned plans.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 1D
    Develop solutions with and for people

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • In recognition of the essential role that women play in building sustainable peace, Ireland commits to promoting the empowerment, participation and representation of women in decision making, both internationally and domestically, through our National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security.


    • Advocacy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland commits to promote the empowered participation of women in strengthening national governance processes and systems, in particular in situations of fragility and protracted crises.


    • Advocacy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland continues to support initiatives promoting women’s participation and empowerment working across the spectrum of fragile and conflict-affected states, including the Women, Peace and Humanitarian Fund, UN Women, International Rescue Committee, Justice Rapid Response, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, International Alert, Conciliation Resources, Crisis Management Initiative, the Gender Partnership Programme of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and International Crisis Group.
    • Ireland hosted several events on lesson sharing from the Northern Ireland Peace Process, including in the Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York with women from Colombia and Syria and in collaboration with PRIO in Cyprus.
    • Ireland conducted an independent Final Review on its Second National Action Plan on UN Resolution 1325 in order to reflect on achievements, gaps, challenges and formulate recommendations to inform the Third National Action Plan.
    • Ireland currently has two officers designated as Gender Advisors with UN missions in United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).
    • Ireland contributed to the following funding mechanisms:
    1. Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF): Ireland has donated EUR 900,000 the WPHF in the period 2015-2018. In 2018, approximately EUR 61 million was contributed to support human rights, governance and gender programmes through the world.
    2. UN Trust Fund to end violence against Women in conflict- Prevention and Response to gender-based violence (GBV), Protection of Women and Girls’ from GBV and other Human Rights Violation.  Funding aims to bring about a radical shift in the production, availability, accessibility and use of quality data and statistics on key aspects of gender equality and women’s empowerment.
    3. UNDP- Advancing Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Prevention and Response to GBV, Prevention response to Sexual Violence in Conflict
    4. OECD DAC - Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, Prevention and response to Sexual Violence in Conflict.
    2. 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.
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • It is challenging to report progress under the National Action Plan, fully capturing the breadth of actions being taken by statutory bodies. There is also a need for ongoing learning and improvement around strategies to promote awareness of the 2nd National Action Plan commitments among broader stakeholder networks in Ireland.

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

    • Women need to be seen as agents of change, not just victims, and humanitarian work needs to reflect that.

    Keywords

    Gender

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

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland will continue active engagement to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law regarding the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas. This will include raising awareness of the secondary and tertiary effects of the use of these weapons, as well as the question of gender impacts.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland continues to engage closely with like-minded States and Civil Society to draw attention to civilian harm caused by use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) with a view to the development of a Political Declaration on this matter.
    • Ireland continued to raise awareness of EWIPA through national statements and high-level interventions throughout 2018, including at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and during the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons meeting of States Parties in Geneva.
    • Ireland led and delivered a Joint Statement on EWIPA on behalf of 50 states at the First Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York in October 2018. Ireland also raised the issue at the Security Council’s Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in May 2018.
    • Ireland provided funding to Humanity and Inclusion for their advocacy work related to EWIPA and the protection of civilians. This funding supported Humanity and Inclusion to highlight the long-term consequences of EWIPA, with a specific focus on the correlation between such practice and forced displacements; and to advocate for states to take immediate action and develop a political commitment to increase the protection of civilians.
    2. 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.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • It is important to build a broad coalition of support for a Political Declaration on EWIPA. Consistent and substantive engagement with member states will be necessary to build consensus. Civil Society has an important role to play in terms of advocacy and providing expertise to the process.

    Keywords

    Disability, Protection

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

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to prioritising protection in all of the humanitarian programming that it supports.

    • Operational
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Irish Aid’s NGO partners are requested to set out in detail how their programmes will comprehensively address gender and protection issues in humanitarian settings when applying for humanitarian funding.
    • Through Ireland's Good Practice Portfolio funding, grants provided to five research partners are assisting them in strengthening and advancing gender and protection in humanitarian action in order to inform Irish Aid and others’ best practice. For example, Ireland's funding to the Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance (ALNAP) in 2018 supported the finalisation and publication of their guide for the evaluation of protection activities in humanitarian responses.
    • Ireland provides dedicated funding for the provision of services to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in humanitarian contexts through a Strategic Partnership with the International Rescue Committee.
    • Through the Gender Standby Capacity Project/Protection Capacity Standby Project (GENCAP/PROCAP) roster, Ireland supports the strengthening of the capacity of the UN Humanitarian team on gender and protection issues.
    • All NGOs in receipt of humanitarian funding from Ireland are obliged to comply with national child protection legislation, to protect children and vulnerable adults, and to prevent any form of exploitation and abuse.
    • Ireland's increased funding to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) 'No Lost Generation' initiative in 2017 continued to support programmes implemented in 2018.
    • Ireland's Rapid Response Initiative assisted in alleviating the suffering of vulnerable people in crisis situations through the rapid deployment of emergency relief supplies and highly skilled personnel.
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Clear guidelines on how to evaluate protection programmes are needed in order to ensure continued funding of such programmes.
    • Continue to review investments in gender protection, building on synergies and optimising effectiveness.

    Keywords

    Education, Gender, Protection

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • 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
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland is a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) group, which launched a ‘Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes’ in 2015, and has spoken on behalf of ACT in UN fora.
    • Ireland condemned attacks on health and humanitarian workers at a Security Council Debate on the Protection of Civilians and Healthcare in Armed Conflict in May.
    • Ireland has called for an end to impunity for conflict-related sexual violence, e.g. in  Burundi and South Sudan, and for the elimination of instances of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by peacekeepers, during Security Council open debates, and has called for policies for accountability at national and UN level.
    • Ireland adopted the UN Voluntary Compact on Preventing and Addressing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in 2018.
    • Ireland has participated in specific calls on the UN Security Council to act appropriately to prevent mass atrocities.
    • In its statement at the 16th session of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court in December 2017, Ireland referred to its continued contributions to the Trust Fund for Victims (TFV) and urged others to support it.  A key principle of the TFV is to support the advancement of women’s human rights, increase the participation of women, and incorporate gender perspectives including addressing disparities and the impact of sexual and gender based violence.
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Ireland is strongly supportive of Security Council reform and believes that the Council needs to become more representative, more transparent and more efficient.

    Keywords

    Gender, Protection, PSEA

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to address the issue of impunity for conflict-related sexual violence in national and international legal systems.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Ireland commits to promote systematic learning and capacity development of Irish humanitarian actors through continued active engagement in, support for and promotion of both the Irish Consortium on Gender Based Violence and the Call to Action, and building excellence in training and research in gender based violence to contribute to a coordinated global response.
    • Capacity
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Ireland commits to using its active membership position within the United Nations to advocate for timely and decisive UN action against crimes of mass atrocity. This involves working in partnership with likeminded states to call on all members of the Security Council, but in particular the P5, to refrain from voting against credible draft resolutions on action to end the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence.
    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Ireland will ensure that Irish personnel deployed on overseas peacekeeping missions operate to the highest standards in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law, and will ensure that they are accountable in relation to any failure which would amount to a crime under international law. Irish personnel deployed on overseas peacekeeping missions will seek to ensure the security and protection of civilians in accordance with their mission mandates and rules of engagement.
    • Operational
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Gender-based violence prevention and response

    • Through Ireland's funding to work on peace and security, Ireland supported the Justice Rapid Response roster of experts on gender-based violence (GBV), and has previously supported training for the Defence Forces and peacekeepers, including military police on victim/survivor-centered approaches to investigating GBV. 
    • Ireland maintains a humanitarian Rapid Response Roster and is committed to ensuring that the roster includes members who are specialists on gender and protection. In 2018, The Rapid Response Corps deployed child protection and GBV specialists to humanitarian crises in Gaza, Bangladesh and Cameroon. Through its deployment of humanitarian stocks, Ireland also provided 344 tonnes of relief items to help an estimated 48,539 beneficiaries in Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Niger.  All stocks are gender sensitive and contribute to enhancing child protection and the protection of women and girls in emergencies.
    • In 2018 Ireland contributed EUR 200,000 to the Gender Standby Capacity Project (GenCap) to support the deployment of 13 gender advisers to 12 countries, as well as one advisor to work on developing the Gender with Age Marker Tool. The deployments covered major humanitarian crises worldwide, with a focus on supporting the inter-agency structures and processes to ensure gender equality programming and gender mainstreaming in humanitarian action.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    • Ireland’s Defence Forces provided training Protection of Civilians as part of its pre-deployment training for its own personnel but also to other UN Troop contributing countries
    • Irish Defence Forces personnel receive pre-deployment training, Sexual Assault Kits, and human trafficking training to ensure that victims receive the required support while an unbiased investigation is carried out.

    Other

    Addition to GBV prevention and response:

    • Through Ireland's Good Practice Portfolio funding, Ireland supported University College Dublin's (UCD) Centre for Humanitarian Action in the establishment the International School on Addressing Gender Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE). The project is a state-of-the-art global level programme on GBViE, increasing the capacity of organisations to support action to prevent, mitigate, and respond to GBV in humanitarian contexts.
    • Ireland continued funding and actively engaging with the Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence. A major focus of the Consortium’s work is on strengthening capacity across the Irish NGO sector and government departments on GBV. In 2018, the Consortium organised regional training on the IASC Guidelines on Integrating GBV in Emergencies in Kenya as part of an expanding regional training programme for Consortium members”. 
    • In addition, in 2018, Ireland supported a wide range of initiatives on gender-based violence response and prevention through its bilateral programmes in Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe among others. Funding provided to the NGO, Raising Voices contributed to the further development of the SASA methodology to prevent gender-based violence including extending and scaling the methodology to humanitarian contexts.                                                                             
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Continue to review Ireland's investments in gender protection, building on synergies and optimising effectiveness.

    Keywords

    Gender, IHL compliance and accountability, People-centred approach, Protection, PSEA

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

    Joint Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to support and actively engage in the process set by the 31st International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and extended by the 32nd Conference, and facilitated by the ICRC and Switzerland, to improve compliance with international humanitarian law by establishing a forum for regular meetings of States on IHL.
    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Partners: ICRC, Switzerland

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to promote enhanced awareness and understanding of nuclear disarmament as an interconnected issue, which impacts on a range of policy commitments and objectives, and to work towards the integration of nuclear disarmament as a global governance issue.
    • Advocacy
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland was among the first countries to sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) when it opened for signature in 2017. The preparation of enabling national legislation to ratify the TPNW has also commenced. Ireland’s delegation to the negotiations took a prominent role in the drafting of the Treaty and many of its key provisions, including in relation to gender, disarmament education, victim assistance and environmental remediation, are based on Irish drafting proposals and compromises.
    • Ireland continued its engagement with its research project on “Nuclear Disarmament – the missing link in multilateralism” in 2018.
    • Ireland continues to engage actively in the ongoing follow-up in Geneva to resolution 2 of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent on strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law.
    2. 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.
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Agreement at the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent on the establishment of an international mechanism on compliance with international humanitarian law.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland acknowledges the vital role played by countries which host displaced people, in providing a place of safety in times of conflict and upheaval. Ireland commits to targeting support to host countries and communities, including assistance which enhances services and opportunities for both refugees and host communities. It will take account of the longer-term investments needed in such contexts.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland commits to ensuring that its humanitarian support reaches both internally displaced people and refugees, conscious that of the more than sixty million people displaced worldwide, the large majority are displaced within their own countries, and are in need of support to rebuild their lives. It will provide humanitarian funding on the basis of need rather than status, and will advocate with its partners to ensure that they do so also.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland commits to providing support for greater educational and livelihood opportunities for displaced people, particularly those affected by the Syria crisis, as a contribution to their dignity and self-reliance, and to enable displaced people to make their valuable contributions to the societies in which they live.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind

    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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Refugees

    • Ireland’s non-governmental organizations partners supported a range of education initiatives for refugee populations in response to crises. These interventions also benefit vulnerable members of host communities.
    • Ireland supported the government of Ethiopia’s refugee policies through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
    • Ireland supported the UNHCR and the World Food Programme (WFP) in Uganda and advocated for the implementation of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework.
    • 267 asylum seekers were admitted in 2018 as part of the EU Relocation Programme which concluded in March 2018.  The overall number admitted by conclusion was 1,022.  In 2017, the Minister for Justice and Equality announced a Family Reunification Humanitarian Admission Programme, which aimed to admit up to 530 vulnerable family members of beneficiaries of international protection in the State over next two years. This new humanitarian admission programme, known as IHAP, was launched in May, 2018.  By 31 December 2018, 103 people were approved to come to Ireland under the IHAP and it is expected to achieve its overall target of 530 beneficiaries by the end of 2019.
    • Ireland has advocated for increased burden and responsibility sharing in the context of the discussions on the Global Compact for Refugees.

    Other

    • Ireland continues to use a Country Categorisation of Needs tool to prioritise crises according to vulnerability and needs . This informs decisions related to funding and is shared with NGO partners each year to guide their applications for funding.
    • Ireland’s second National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) requires Ireland to adopt a WPS-sensitive approach domestically, including migrant women, refugees and asylum seekers.
    • Ireland supports the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) under a multi-annual agreement, pledging EUR 4 million per annum over 2016-2018, which allows UNRWA greater predictability and flexibility for improved delivery of basic services to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In 2018, an additional EUR 5 million was provided to UNRWA due to their financial shortfalls.
    • Ireland contributes to the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, as well as to the EU's Refugee facility for Turkey which addresses the educational needs of Syrian refugee children.  Ireland’s voluntary bilateral commitment to the EUTF for Africa was increased from EUR 6 million to EUR 15 million in July 2018.
    2. B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • The process of elaboration of the new compacts on refugees and migrants will hopefully clarify definition, particularly around different categories of migrants and the protections afforded to them. The roles and responsibilities of some UN actors with regard to refugees and other displaced persons, needs to be further clarified.

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

    • The implementation of the global compacts on refugees and on migrants agreed in 2018.

    Keywords

    Displacement

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (7)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • In recognition of the essential role that women play in building sustainable peace, Ireland commits to promoting the empowerment, participation and representation of women in decision making, both internationally and domestically, through our National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security.


    • Advocacy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
    • Ireland commits to allocating its humanitarian funding strategically so as to increase the attention paid by implementing partners to the different needs and capacities of women and men, and boys and girls, in humanitarian crises. It will work with other donors for a more coordinated approach on gender issues and women's participation in humanitarian action.
    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ireland commits to ensuring issues of maternal and infant mortality, and the promotion of universal access to reproductive healthcare, including ante-natal care and family planning services are included in our humanitarian response. This will include promoting the full integration of UNFPA's Minimum Initial Service Package as part of our healthcare related humanitarian responses and to include this in all related humanitarian funding appraisals.

    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland commits to promote the empowered participation of women in strengthening national governance processes and systems, in particular in situations of fragility and protracted crises.


    • Advocacy
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
    • Ireland commits to working with its partners to increase support to local women's groups in order for them to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland will ensure that gender equality and women's empowerment are fully integrated into Ireland's humanitarian programme through application of internationally recognised standards and best practice. Ireland will progressively increase the proportion of Ireland's humanitarian funding directed towards gender responsive programming.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Ireland will ensure that its prepositioned stockpiles of emergency relief supplies are gender sensitive and protection enhancing, and will continue to maintain a rapid response roster of gender/protection specialists as stand-by surge capacity for UN partners.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Empowerment of women and girls

    • In 2018, Ireland began to develop its new policy for International Development, A Better World, which focuses on gender equality as one of four policy priorities. Ireland will intensify its work on gender with a particular emphasis on: preventing and responding to GBV; women’s economic empowerment; women, peace and security; sexual and reproductive health and rights; and girls’ education, especially in emergencies. The policy also prioritises reducing humanitarian need with a focus on strengthening Ireland's response to humanitarian crises and increasing Ireland's capacity and funding for rapid response to sudden onset crises.
    • Ireland places the role of women central to all its work on sustaining peace and conflict prevention, and continues to seek opportunities to ensure the voice of women and youth is heard. 

    Gender equality programming

    • Ireland’s ambassador to the United Nations, Geraldine Byrne-Nason, is Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2018 and 2019. The CSW is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Ireland is using the platform to further promote its values in the areas of equality and human rights at the UN.
    • In 2018, Ireland continued to place strong emphasis on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as supporting work to prevent and respond to GBV including in a number of countries including in Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe as well as supporting GBV prevention and response work at global level through leaders in the fields such as Raising Voices, the International Rescue Committee and the UN’s Trust fund on Ending Violence Against Women.
    • Ireland maintains a humanitarian Rapid Response Roster and is committed to ensuring that the roster includes members who are specialists on gender and protection. In 2018, The Rapid Response Corps deployed child protection and GBV specialists to humanitarian crises in Gaza, Bangladesh and Cameroon. All stocks are gender sensitive and contribute to the protection of women and girls in emergencies.

    Sexual and reproductive health

    • Ireland continues to fund the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and gave EUR 3.5 in core funding in 2018.

    Additional to the above section on Gender equality programming:

    • Ireland’s humanitarian funding to Irish NGO partners, the Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP), is designed to provide funding for predictable humanitarian related interventions in situations of protracted, predictable and recurring crises. In 2018, the HPP provided EUR 14 million in funding to support Irish NGOs’ response to humanitarian crises with an estimated 10 per cent of the programming prioritising protection, gender mainstreaming, and the prevention of GBV. A competitive call for proposals was also launched for multi-annual funding over the next three years - including gender as a key criteria to mark against in the appraisal process with a higher score on gender contributing to a higher funding allocation. Ireland also manages a gender and protection portfolio where programmes are appraised solely on criteria relating to gender and GBV response. In 2018, Ireland contributed EUR 1.5m through this portfolio supporting the International Rescue Committee and GENCAP.

     

    2. 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.
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Specialised gender and protection Rapid Responders not always available to deploy.
    • UN organisations and agencies often do not seek/request gender experts as part of their response operations.
    • With increased pooled/unearmarked funding - it can be difficult to ensure adequate funding is channeled to the gender sub-cluster.

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

    • All societies need to address gender inequality and focus on the empowerment of women and girls – this has to be at the centre of all that we do.

    Keywords

    Education, Emergency Response, Gender, Youth

  • 3E
    Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Ireland commits to providing support for greater educational and livelihood opportunities for displaced people, particularly those affected by the Syria crisis, as a contribution to their dignity and self-reliance, and to enable displaced people to make their valuable contributions to the societies in which they live.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland’s Minister of State for International Development participated in dialogue on Education in Conflict sponsored by the Malala Fund and Education Cannot Wait and agreed to become a Political Champion for education in crisis situations.
    • Ireland has increased its commitment to global education to at least EUR 250 million over the next five years, with a strong focus on girls’ education.
    • During 2018 Ireland continued to support education service for refugees and displaced children in the Middle East, Central, East and West Africa, the Horn of Africa and Bangladesh/Myanmar.
    • Through Ireland’s support to the No Lost Generation initiative UNICEF has supported out-of-school adolescents and youth from Syrian refugee and host communities in Lebanon with vocational and competency based skills training and provided education materials for over 15,000 refugee children in Lebanon and Turkey as well as strengthened child protection systems and psychosocial support.
    • Ireland contributes to the EU's Emergency Trust Fund for stability, as well as to the EU's Refugee facility for Turkey which addresses the educational needs of Syrian refugee children.
    • Ireland entered into a fourth multi-annual agreement with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in 2016 for 2016-2018, which allows UNRWA greater predictability and flexibility for improved delivery of basic services to 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

    • A policy brief on education in emergencies and protracted crises was developed to inform future funding decisions.

      Projects are taking place in a number of the countries that Ireland works with. For example, addressing barriers to adolescent girls participating in education in Uganda; challenging negative social norms to access to education in Kenya; supporting education for vulnerable girls in Malawi and Zambia.

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

    • Ireland needs to get the balance right between its commitment to un-earmarked core support to partners and ensuring sufficient support to this targeted area of supporting livelihoods and educational opportunities for displaced people.

    Keywords

    Displacement, Education, Gender

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland will seek to support and build flexible and responsive national systems, such as health systems and social protection systems, that can strengthen targeting and entitlement for citizens based on need and can be scaled up or adjusted in times of greater need. It will continue to advocate with its partners for the increased use of cash programming in humanitarian crises where it is appropriate, and to invest in national registration systems.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (6)

    • 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 reinforce national and local leadership and capacities in managing disaster and climate-related risks through strengthened preparedness and predictable response and recovery arrangements.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase investment in building community resilience as a critical first line of response, with the full and effective participation of women.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to ensure regional and global humanitarian assistance for natural disasters complements national and local efforts.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • 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 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    • Ireland advocated strongly for moving towards a scalable needs based safety net and one coherent system of social protection- humanitarian response in Ethiopia, as well as an integrated Cash- Food Plan, through the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) Donor Working Group and the Humanitarian Resilience Donor Group.
    • Ireland joined the the World Health Organization (WHO) Universal Health Coverage Partnership in December 2017 with an incremental focus over 3 years on Mozambique, Ethiopia and Tanzania to support policy dialogue on national health policies, strategies and plans towards Universal Health Care (UHC).
    • In Tanzania, Ireland supports UN agencies to implement programmes in Kigoma Region which are coordinated through the UN Joint Programme for Kigoma. The programmes focus on strengthening local health systems, improving nutrition, promoting maternal and reproductive health, protecting women and children from gender based violence as well as providing health and nutrition supports for refugees in 3 camps of Mtendeli, Nduta and Nyarugusu.
    • In Mozambique in 2018, the national gender and disaster risk reduction action plan operationalised in partnership with National Institute for Disaster Risk Management (INGC) and Care international. INGC is now able to involve women and men in prevention and response to gender-based violence interventions in emergency situations.

    Other

    • Additional relevant achievements are listed under 1C.
    • Ireland continued to advocate for social protection and pro-poor expenditure.
    • Ireland remains a strong advocate for increased investment in health system strengthening in its main global health partners, namely the Global Fund, Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance) and Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS).
    • Ireland continued its support for the roll out of the new Social Protection Policy in Uganda.
    • Ireland is undertaking analysis to assess how climate adaptation (and specifically response to major weather shocks) can be better mainstreamed into its support for social protection in Malawi, Mozambique and Uganda.
    • In 2018, the Embassy of Ireland in Malawi provided funding and technical support to the ministry of gender to successfully test the vertical expansion element of its on-going social cash transfer programme, in response to temporary reductions in food security during the annual lean season.
    • In Malawi, internaitonal NGOS under the leadership of Save the Children implemented cash-based humanitarian programming in response to 2017-2018 lean season. For the 2018-2019 lean season and with funding from Ireland, Save the Children continued to work with local government actors to deliver cash-based assistance and test newly available technologies for electronic transfers with local service providers.
    2. 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.
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The global economic crisis and the effects of El Niño have further stressed already weak economies, making it difficult for developing countries to maintain investment levels in social sectors. There is a need for more effective coordination between social protection and humanitarian delivery mechanisms and capacity limitations.

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

     

    • The humanitarian system should focus on making national systems work rather than instating new, temporary systems.

    Keywords

    Cash, Climate Change, Community resilience, Displacement, Local action, Strengthening local systems

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland is increasingly integrating a resilience approach in its bilateral programmes with the full and effective participation of women. It will continue to support international sharing of best practice on community based adaptation, its integration into local and national adaptation plans and initiatives to strengthen accountability for climate investments.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Ireland will integrate natural disaster and climate change risk management and vulnerability assessments when planning and implementing all its bilateral country programmes. This will include increasing investment in multi-hazard risk analyses, early warning systems, preparedness and disaster risk reduction across its portfolio, with measures to ensure that the specific needs and capacities of women and children are considered.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Ireland will integrate natural disaster and climate change risk management and vulnerability assessments when planning and implementing its bilateral country programmes. This will include investment in multi-hazard risk analyses, early warning systems, preparedness and disaster risk reduction, with measures to ensure that the specific needs and capacities of women and children are considered.
    • Operational
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Disaster risk reduction and disaster risk management (including resilience)

    • In 2018, Ireland continued its support to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR, formerly UNISDR) in strengthening linkages between disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation efforts globally, and supported the development of DRR strategies nationally.
    • In Malawi, Ireland provided technical support and advice to Government as it developed its National Resilience Strategy and Plan. A core theme now reflected in the Strategy is the need to break the cycle of annual humanitarian response to what are often predictable shocks and instead focus efforts on longer term planning and investments that will build resilience and reduce significantly the need for high cost relief interventions. Ireland also continued to work with INGOs, NGOs and local government actors to deliver programmes that seek to reduce vulnerability to climate and other shocks and build resilience.

    Other

    • Ireland continues to support the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, particularly female negotiators to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Until the end of 2018, Ireland supported the Mary Robinson Foundation to ensure the participation of grassroots women in international climate discussions and decision making.
    • In Mozambique, Ireland supported the creation of 18 local gender sensitive committees for disaster risk management. Ireland assisted the Government in advancing its gender and disaster risk management strategy through a provincial initiative including strengthening women and girls’ capacity to cope with natural disasters and climate change. There was also provision of equipment/emergency kits and training on effective/efficient management and emergency coordination to 18 local committees for disaster risk management in 4 flood prone provinces; Capacity building at central level to improve coordination of emergency responses including training of 35 inter-institutional focal points from 4 provinces. 

    Preparedness

    • Ireland completed Climate Risk Assessments for 6 of its focal countries to guide strategy and programming decisions.
    • In Tanzania, Ireland has commissioned International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) to conduct a study to seek cooking fuel solutions in refugee camps. The struggle for fuel wood collection affects peaceful co-existence between the host communities and the refugees as well as the environmental impact contributing to desertification. These pressures have manifested into incidences of gender-based violence and the destruction of local forest reserves.
    • In Sierra Leone, there have been investments in robust responses to addressing the root causes of vulnerability. Also in partnership with Freetown City Council and UNOPS, Ireland supported flood mitigation works to minimize the impact of flooding on poorer urban communities. 
    • Ireland continues to engage in Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) meetings and national adaptation plans (NAP) Expos. Ireland strengthened its engagement in international efforts on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in LDCs through to become an issue lead in  supporting and advising on development and implementation of strong NAPs in LDCs.
    • In Ethiopia, Ireland is engaged in discussions in Disaster Risk Management and building climate resilience, focusing on the most vulnerable.
    2. 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.
    • Preparedness
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Higher frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones diverting provincial development priorities to address post-shock reconstruction/humanitarian assistance.
    • Not enough international climate finance is reaching Least Developed Countries, who struggle with reporting requirements imposed by larger funds. Ireland will engage more actively in these discussions and with its supported partner, Least Developed Countries Fund.

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

    • Prevention is paramount.

    Keywords

    Climate Change, Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction, Local action, Preparedness, Strengthening local systems

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

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Ireland commits to ensuring timely, appropriate and needs-based humanitarian assistance including through innovative mechanisms such as the Start Fund.


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

    • Ireland will ensure that its prepositioned stockpiles of emergency relief supplies are gender sensitive and protection enhancing, and will continue to maintain a rapid response roster of gender/protection specialists as stand-by surge capacity for UN partners.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Ireland will seek to identify multi-annual country level outcomes to guide engagement in protracted crises. These outcomes, dictated by need, context and gender sensitivity, will allow for longer term planning and maximise the impact of the financial, human and political resources at our disposal. One example of a longer term outcome for collective action that it will promote is improved nutrition in all contexts.

    • Operational
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

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

    • Ireland is closely following the discussions internationally on the humanitarian/development nexus, and engaging with European Union pilots in Nigeria and Uganda.
    • With others, Ireland provided input to a Scaling-Up Nutrition Movement Secretariat paper linking relief and development, and for increased consideration of the application of multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder partnerships to contexts of fragility. Through the Emergency Nutrition Network, Ireland is funding research into the linkages between wasting and stunting, with implications that will inform our approach to nutrition in resilience.
    • Ireland put multi-annual funding agreements in place for both the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and multi-annual funding for humanitarian NGOs through its Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP).
    • In Tanzania Ireland has committed to supporting UNHCR, UNFPA, UNICEF and WFP for the 4 year period 2018-2021, allowing for better planning of interventions that respond to health care including sexual and reproductive health, and nutrition needs of refugee populations and local communities.

    Other

    • In Mozambique in 2018, emergency institutions such as the National Institute for Disaster Management (Instituo Nacional de Gestão de Calamidades, INGC) and the Technical Secretariat for Food Security and Nutrition (Secretariado Técnico de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional, SETSAN) trained in nutrition and network building of nutrition volunteers at community level to support in emergency situations; also capacity strengthening to increase readiness for emergency response through better coordination and planning by health authorities on the use of nutrition therapeutic supplies.
    • Ireland’s stockpiles of emergency relief items are gender-sensitive and protection enhancing.
    • Ireland’s Rapid Response Corps includes specialised gender and protection expertise.  Ireland continues to ensure that gender and protection expertise is targeted in each recruitment round to the stand-by roster.  In 2018, three members were deployed in gender and protection roles.
    • In 2018, Ireland provided EUR 2.7 million pre-positioned humanitarian funding to six trusted humanitarian partners through its Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS).
    • Ireland continues to support mechanisms that ensure timely delivery of assistance such as the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs).
    2. 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.
    • Gender and/or vulnerable group inclusion
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Availability of Ireland's gender and protection stand-by personnel to deploy.
    • UN organisations and agencies – with which Ireland has stand-by partnerships for the provision of surge capacity - often do not seek/request gender experts as part of their response operations.

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

    • Continue to advocate with UN partners on the importance of building gender and protection into their responses and to seek relevant surge capacity when required.
    • Advancement of collective multi-annual funding in 2019, including through Grand Bargain (GB) engagement, to this aim.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Gender, Humanitarian-development nexus, Strengthening local systems

  • 5A
    Invest in local capacities

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland commits to working with others to strengthen delivery mechanisms for humanitarian funding, and bring decision-making closer to affected people, including through investing in funding mechanisms which are most accessible to local and national humanitarian actors. It will maintain its strong support to Country-Based Pooled Funds, and support efforts to make them even more responsive, transparent, and accessible to those organisations which are best able to deliver assistance on the ground.
    • Financial
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Country-based pooled funds

    • Ireland considers the Central Emergency Response France (CERF) and Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) to be key funding instruments for making humanitarian funding more flexible and responsive. Ireland also increased its predictable, early funding to the CBPFs.
    • Ireland continues to advocate with individual Pooled Funds on the provision of funding through local actors where appropriate.
    • Ireland remains highly committed to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). In 2018, Ireland announced its commitment to provide multi-year funding to the CERF – a minimum of at least EUR 10m per annum over 3 years.
    • Ireland continues to monitor the extent to which CERF and Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) work together at the country level, for maximum effect.
    • Ireland continues to engage strategically with the Pooled Fund Working Group and has taken up membership of the CERF Advisory Group. In 2018 funding to the CBPFs increased by 14  per cent to EUR 38 million, Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) supported by Ireland contributed 26.23 per cent to national NGOs, up slightly from 24.73 per cent in 2017. 
    • In 2019, Ireland will support the incoming Chair of the CERF Advisory Group, Alison Milton.

    Other

    • Ireland chaired the OCHA Donor Support Group in 2018.
    • Ireland provided EUR 1.3 million to the Start Fund in 2018. The Start Fund has now responded to 189 Crises in 59 countries since 2014. The time frame between alert and response is on average 67 hours.
    • In 2018, Ireland provided EUR 2.7 million pre-positioned humanitarian funding to six trusted humanitarian partners through its Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS).
    • In 2018, Ireland continued to promote localisation through engagement with advisory boards and managers of Pooled Funds and through our Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP).  The increase in multi-year funding agreements has supported our NGO partners to develop longer term partnerships with local and national responders. Of Ireland's funding to our NGO partners through the HPP 33 per cent was forward-granted to local or national responders. This is a slight increase on 2017 and is above the 25 per cent target.
    • Ireland’s Strategic Partnership with the IRC focuses on GBV response in protracted crises in four countries in the East and Horn of Africa. Critically, the partnership also has a strong focus on the capacity building of local NGOs, government partners and community leaders on GBV concepts and principles, referral pathways, case management and GBV emergency preparedness.
    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • All donors need to strive to provide reasonable levels of un-earmarked/core funding. This must be a collective effort/responsibility.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Local action

  • 5B
    Invest according to risk

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland will advocate for increased access to international climate finance for least developed countries, fragile and conflict-affected states and support least developed countries in their negotiating capacity within the UNFCCC process.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • 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 invest in risk management, preparedness and crisis prevention capacity to build the resilience of vulnerable and affected people.
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland, through a three-year agreement with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), continued to provide support to the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    • To strengthen LDC women's participation, additional support is provided for a number of women delegates from LDCs to attend the UNFCCC as part of their government's delegations.
    • Through its continued support to the LDC group, Ireland supported female negotiators to the UNFCCC in particular.
    2. 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)
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Not enough international climate finance is reaching Least Developed Countries, who struggle with reporting requirements imposed by larger funds. Ireland will engage more actively in these discussions and with its supported partner, Least Developed Countries Fund.

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

    • Donors should assign resources according to risk and vulnerability in the contexts in which they are working.

    Keywords

    Climate Change, Gender, Local action

  • 5C
    Invest in stability

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility
    • Ireland will adapt its development funding to fragile, at-risk and crisis affected countries, through multi-annual support where feasible, recognising and supporting national leadership, ownership and country owned plans.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Humanitarian programming continues to be taken into account when drawing up Ireland's bilateral Country Strategies, thereby leading to more adaptability and flexibility in its programming. A revised process for multi-annual strategy planning was recently approved. The process will support the preparation of results-oriented, context-specific programmes of engagement.
    • Ireland entered into a fourth multi-annual agreement with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in 2016, pledging EUR 4 million per annum to the Programme Budget over 2016-2018, which allows UNRWA greater predictability and flexibility for improved delivery of basic services to some 5 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
    • Under the new multi-annual Mission Strategy 2017-2020 for Vietnam and the Mekong Sub region, support will continue to be provided to Myanmar to address fragility and support transition, including strengthening food and nutrition security and livelihoods of poor farmers; mine clearance and risk education; to support ethical and responsible business; and in response to humanitarian/recovery needs in Rakhine State. This move to a multi-annual commitment will allow partners to ensure a more strategic focus and delivery of more sustainable results.
    • In 2018 Ireland launched a new three year multiannual partnership with a mine action NGO consortium comprised of Halo Trust and Mine Action Group (MAG) to deliver de-mining services in Afghanistan, Colombia, Somaliland/Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe.
    2. 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.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • It remains challenging to assign staff to some of the more fragile environments which puts continued commitment at some risk – Ireland is actively working to address this risk.

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

    • Increasing funds to humanitarian support risks reducing focus on actions to increase resilience through longer term programming but is vital for life saving measures in the short term.  A balance between these imperatives is required

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Disaster Risk Reduction, Strengthening local systems

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

    Individual Commitments (6)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Ireland commits to ensuring that its support to conflict-affected countries through both bilateral and multilateral channels - addresses the root causes of conflict and that a more joined up approach to humanitarian and development funding will support conflict prevention and the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.


    • Financial
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity

    • Ireland commits to ensuring timely, appropriate and needs-based humanitarian assistance including through innovative mechanisms such as the Start Fund.


    • Financial
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Ireland commits to increasing the predictability of its humanitarian funding, including by exploring the benefits of multi-annual partnerships with key partners, as a contribution to their efforts for greater efficiency and speed of response. It commits to developing multi-annual agreements in respect of at least 20% of its humanitarian funding by 2018.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Ireland is determined to provide its humanitarian funding as flexibly as possible, so as to ensure that its partners are empowered to use it where it is needed most. It commit to providing at least 30% of its humanitarian funding as non-earmarked funding, starting from 2016. Ireland has been among the ten biggest donors to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) since it was established, and it commits to maintaining strong support for the CERF, to ensure the immediate availability of humanitarian funding in the aftermath of global crises and for under-funded emergencies.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Invest in Humanity
    • Ireland is placing increased emphasis on building resilience in both its development and humanitarian funding to NGOs and multilateral organisations. Greater coherence across funding mechanisms and the provision of multi-annual funding for humanitarian programming in protracted crises will facilitate a more effective approach to building resilience, particularly at community level which is often the focus of NGO engagement.
    • Financial
    • Invest in Humanity

    • Ireland will strengthen coherence and coordination across its development and humanitarian funding, working towards joint analysis and collective outcomes in its support to NGOs, the multilateral system and in its bilateral programmes.


    • Financial
    • 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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Ireland provided EUR 1.3 million to the Start Fund in 2018. The Start Fund has now responded to 189 Crises in 59 countries since 2014. The time frame between alert and response is on average 67 hours.
    • In 2018, Ireland provided EUR 2.7 million pre-positioned humanitarian funding to six trusted humanitarian partners through its Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS).
    • Ireland increased its multi-annual agreements with UN agencies, NGOs and other partners. Ireland signed a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding with OCHA, for a total of EUR 8.6 million, to bring funding in line with OCHA’s Strategic Plan (2018-2021). Ireland completed its first two year partnership (2017-2018) with ICRC and signed a new two year partnership for the period 2019-2020. Ireland developed the next phase of the Humanitarian Programme Plan for NGO partners, and agreed on 3-year funding (an increase on the previous 2-year funding) from 2019-2021. This brings our HPP into line with our long term development funding with the same NGO partners. Ireland also committed to provide IRC with 3-year funding (2019-2021), an increase from previous 2 year funding.
    • In 2018 Ireland announced its commitment to provide multi-year funding to the CERF – a minimum of at least EUR 10m per annum over 3 years. Ireland also increased its predictable, early funding to the CBPFs.  In 2018 funding to the CBPFs increased by 14 per cent to EUR 38 million.
    • The Programme Grant (PG) is Irish Aid’s largest civil society fund and is used to support long-term development interventions, and the new concurrent application and appraisal process presents an opportunity for partners to demonstrate approaches to linking relief, recovery and development.
    • A joint monitoring visit between humanitarian and development teams was undertaken to Irish Aid-funded programmes to Oxfam in Tanzania.
    • Ireland remains a major contributor to pooled funds in health and education in Mozambique.
    2. 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.
    • Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis, planning, funding and/or response
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • Whilst there is a commitment and willingness to support more joined up humanitarian and development programming, Irish Aid and partner NGOs are set up to manage development and humanitarian funding separately, so these structures will set natural limits to how far work promoting the nexus goes (longer term challenge).

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

    • Continue to align development and humanitarian funding streams to civil society.
    • Continue joint monitoring visits to partners in receipt of both humanitarian and development funding to gather learning about the humanitarian – development nexus.
    • Increase multi-annual funding - including to pooled funds.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Education, Humanitarian-development nexus

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

    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. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • In 2018, Ireland provided EUR 2.7 million pre-positioned humanitarian funding to six trusted humanitarian partners through its Emergency Response Fund Scheme (ERFS). Ireland put multi-annual funding agreements in place for both the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
    • Ireland put multi-annual funding for humanitarian NGOs through its Humanitarian Programme Plan (HPP) which is designed to provide predictable funding for humanitarian interventions in situations of protracted, predictable and recurring crises. This will facilitate longer term planning, more strategic engagement with partners and stakeholders, and greater flexibility to react appropriately to changing conditions.
    • In 2018 funding to Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) increased by 14 per cent to EUR 38 million. CBPFs supported by Ireland contributed 26.23 per cent to national NGOs, up slightly from 24.73 per cent in 2017. 
    • The Programme Grant is Irish Aid’s largest civil society fund and is used to support long-term development interventions, and the new concurrent application and appraisal process presents an opportunity for partners to demonstrate approaches to linking relief, recovery and development.
    • A joint monitoring visit between humanitarian and development teams was undertaken to Irish Aid-funded NGO programmes.
    • Ireland continues to advocate strongly for increased core funding, as well as for pooled funding mechanisms such as the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
    2. 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)
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • A challenge for Ireland will be if other donors move away from flexible funding.

    Keywords

    Country-based pooled funds, Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian-development nexus, Local action

Attachments

  • Grand Bargain 2019 self report_Ireland_spreadsheet
    Transformation - 4A, 4C, 5A, 5D, 5E | Country-based pooled funds, Gender, Humanitarian-development nexus, Local action, Transparency / IATI | Grand Bargain
  • Grand Bargain 2019 self report_Ireland_narrative
    Transformation - 4A, 4C, 5A, 5D, 5E | Country-based pooled funds, Gender, Humanitarian-development nexus, Local action, Transparency / IATI | Grand Bargain