ARCHIVED

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Germany is convinced that early action can prevent conflict and crisis or mitigate disasters. Germany is striving to strengthen and prioritize a crisis prevention rather than crisis reaction approach.
  Germany is engaged in strengthening the effectiveness of conflict prevention and crisis management tools and is committed to reinforcing its engagement for stabilization to foster peaceful political solutions in situations of acute conflict.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany is a steering group member of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding and committed to the implementation of the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States as well as the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, especially the promotion of SDG 16, in fragile contexts.
  • Germany is conducting regular cross-institutional training on fragility and peacebuilding, on civil-military cooperation as well as whole-of-government engagement in fragile states.
  Germany is supporting the African Peace and Security Architecture, e.g. the Panel of the Wise and the African Standby Capacity, a roster for civilian personnel.
  • In order to support multilateral efforts in peace mediation, Germany more than doubled its funding for UN DPA’s Mediation Support Unit and remains one of the largest contributors in this field.
  • Germany also committed and disbursed EUR 5,000,000 to the recently established Stabilization Facility for Libya.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  • Germany takes an active role in international initiatives and partnerships to ensure that results-based monitoring mechanisms are developed to assess impact on the ground. All bilateral projects funded by Germany are required to report results and impacts on a yearly basis.
  • As a Steering Group member of the International Dialogue on Peace-building and State Building, Germany is involved in the regular monitoring of the commitments to the New Deal on engagement in Fragile States.
  • Within OECD INCAF, Germany reports and exchanges on progress regarding institutional reform measures, standards as well as policy and practice on fragility, conflict and violence.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  • The New Deal on Engagement in Fragile States is a trilateral initiative with commitments that require extensive institutional change and political will.
  • Regarding concrete implementation on the ground, security constraints, unforeseen crises, massive forced displacements impede progress and require programming adaptation etc.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  • Germany is currently in the process of preparing new inter-ministerial “Guidelines on Crisis Prevention, Stabilization and Peace-building” in order to provide direction to German crisis engagement.
  • Within INCAF, Germany has taken up a co-chair role of the task teams and is prioritizing work on prevention. Germany is supporting the research of the World Bank-UN joint Flagship study on “Sustainable Peace” which will deliver ground work on best practices on prevention and peace-building and deliver policy recommendations that Germany is eager to work upon. Findings from both work streams should be used for regional, as well as the World Prevention Forum.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Remain engaged and invest in stability', what would it be

  Crisis prevention rather than reaction after a conflict has escalated and has to be a programme priority.

• Specific initiatives

  ☑The Peace Promise

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑1B - Act early

Individual Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Germany has a long history of supporting humanitarian mine action projects in a variety of countries and encourages other Nations to follow this path. The Federal Foreign Office (FFO) views landmine, cluster munition and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) contamination as an important humanitarian issue and an impediment to development. The FFO is putting a focus on the rights of persons with disabilities and especially on issues regarding survivors of landmine and ERW accidents. Germany is committing a large percentage of its funds dedicated to mine action for victim assistance projects.
  Gender aspects have been a cross cutting issue in German humanitarian assistance for a long time.

• Achievements at a glance

  Germany supports projects in humanitarian mine action in 10 priority countries while maintaining capacities to support projects in acute crises where the impact of landmines, improvised explosive device (IEDs) and ERW are especially severe. This is in line with Germany’s new strategy for Humanitarian Mine Action that is the result of many years of experience in funding relevant projects. Germany has provided a total of EUR 18 million for Humanitarian Mine Action in 2016. The FFO funds projects of a variety of NGOs, UN organizations and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement with the goal to provide assistance to the survivors of landmine and ERW accidents.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  The Humanitarian Mine Action program of Germany continues to make significant contributions in some of the most affected countries. Germany is in the process of evaluating the impact German funded projects have and puts increasing focus on the longer term outcomes. Germany has been supporting Victim Assistance for a long time and encourages more donor states to support this cause.
  Germany is also putting an increased emphasis on Gender in the context of mine action. Those aspects are part of the project proposal questionnaire and play into the decision on whether a specific project will receive funding.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  • Renewed fighting and re-mining in certain project regions and other security issues hamper the efforts to deliver these measures successfully/sustainably. The security/wellbeing of the project personnel is of utmost importance, so changes in the security situation may lead to a temporary stop of activities resulting in a lower output.
  • It is difficult to assess whether awareness raising activities and information regarding persons with disabilities (PwD) rights have the long-term positive effects that these are aimed for.
  • The participation of women poses a particular challenge in some cultural contexts where women are less likely to take up work outside of the home.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  • The FFO is underway to implement its mine action program in 2017.
  • Much of the budget for mine action is planned for with a reserve held back for the second half of 2017 in order to support mine action where currently access is not possible. Germany is committed to supporting the full spectrum of humanitarian mine action, depending on the need and context.
  • The FFO plans to dedicate a significant percentage of its Humanitarian Mine Action budget to Victim Assistance in 2017.
  • More targeted questions regarding gender will be included into the interims and final reporting forms in the future.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities', what would it be

  Considering increasing displacement in mine and ERW contaminated areas and decreasing funds, coordination among donors is critical for an efficient use of resources.
  Mine victims need to live in dignity and be free of stigmatization and women have to be included in all humanitarian mine action projects.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Disability ☑ Gender

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑3D - Empower and protect women and girls ☑ 3G - Address other groups or minorities in crisis settings

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Promoting human rights of women and girls, as well as gender equality is one of the basic principles of German foreign and development policy. Through the second Development Policy Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016–2020, which is implemented through annual road maps, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is actively contributing to the achievement of global targets on gender equality and women’s rights. The Gender Action Plan includes measures to eliminate violence against women and girls and the role of women in armed conflict, peacekeeping and displacement.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany intends to promote the “Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes” if elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council and will continue its advocacy with UNSC members to put the “Code of Conduct” on the agenda where appropriate.
  • Germany signed on to the Call-to-Action for Addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Emergencies.
  • Through international dialogue, cooperation between government, civil society and the private sector, German development cooperation strengthens action to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in all spheres and stages of life. Furthermore, it assists survivors of sexual violence through psychosocial intervention strategies. German development cooperation offers trainings for employees of humanitarian and development organizations on a trauma-sensitive approach in relation to gender-based violence in conflict.
  • Germany established 4 new projects targeting displaced women and girls in Northern Iraq in 2016.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  • As a Call-to-Action Member, Germany is in the process of implementing its Call-to-Action Commitments under the Swedish co-chairmanship.
  • Measures and activities to further promote gender equality and women’s rights are set out in the second Development Policy Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016–2020. The Development Policy Action Plan is implemented through annual road maps with priority measures and activities along with concrete impacts to be achieved. An annual monitoring process is assessing the progress being made. Progress being made in the reporting period has not been reviewed yet.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  In 2017, Germany will continue to assist survivors of sexual violence through psycho-social intervention strategies, especially in the context of the Syrian crisis. In Dohuk Governorate, Northern Iraq, so-called Mobile Rescue Teams will provide increased psycho-social and legal support regarding GBV among non-camp IDPs, hosting communities, and refugees. In addition, Germany is supporting the NGO AMICA in Lebanon and Libya, which offers safe spaces and trauma-sensitive support to women, who experienced gender based violence. In Afghanistan, young women in juvenile detention centers, many of whom are victims of sexual assault, will receive psycho-social counseling and support.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Gender ☑ IDPs ☑ Refugees

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑3D - Empower and protect women and girls

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  At the end of 2015, 65.3 million people were forcibly displaced – the trend continues. Urgent action is needed in almost all aspects of forced displacement: we need to strengthen crisis prevention, early warning and mediation to address root causes, support refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, persons displaced in the context of disasters and climate change as well as vulnerable members of host communities, and strongly support host countries and their systems and institutions.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany was engaged in the process leading to the New York Declaration for Refugees/Migrants and is key supporter in the application of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework in a number of pilot countries.
  • Germany participated in the launch of the Platform for Disaster Displacement at the WHS 2016 and assumed the chairmanship of the PDD together with Bangladesh as vice-chair until January 2018. The PDD is addressing the protection needs of people displaced across borders in the context of disasters/ climate change. A major part of German humanitarian funding is dedicated to humanitarian assistance in displacement contexts.
  • Germany supports partner countries through specialized funding instruments like the Special Initiatives “Tackling the root causes of forced displacement – reintegrating refugees” and “Stability and Development in the Middle East and North Africa” and the Middle East employment initiative “Partnership for Prospects.” Germany’s Transitional Development Assistance encompasses both short- and long-term measures and aims at strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  Germany is closely cooperating with its humanitarian partners regarding the implementation of specific projects to reduce and address displacement and migration challenges. Implementing organizations provide detailed reporting on spending and impact against pre-approved indicators. In addition, tracking instruments such as an information sharing platform for funding from the Special Initiative “Tackling the root causes of forced displacement – reintegrating refugees” help share information, experience and recipes for success quickly. As part of this cooperation and project funding, the partners submit regular progress reports based on the implementation of logical frameworks.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  Even with a significant increase of humanitarian funding to address these challenges, the needs exceed the available resources. With enormous needs stemming from acute crises and emergencies, we are confronted with the reality of limited funding for humanitarian assistance in the context of displacement. Furthermore, we see the challenges of working in fragile states and protracted crises that lead to a change in the nature and length of displacement with severe impacts on living conditions and negative coping mechanisms of the affected population. Also, insecurity in fragile countries may force the implementation agencies’ staff to evacuate.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  • Germany will host the next Berlin Roundtable on Refugees and Migration in April 2017 to address the needs of IDPs and disaster displaced persons, as well as to underline the relevance of the migration and refugee compact at the highest level. Germany will continue with its fruitful cooperation with UNHCR and IOM in this context. We will support the facilitation of the CRRF framework in at least three pilot countries.
  • In 2017, Germany will provide about EUR 3.5 billion to tackle the root causes of forced displacement and support host countries and countries of origin.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Reduce and address displacement', what would it be

  Forced displacement related to conflict but also to disasters and the effects of climate change is among the most important challenges of the 21st century. The international community will only be able to reduce forced displacement and human suffering by enhancing its cooperation and promoting concerted efforts at all levels.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑IDPs ☑ Refugees

• Specific initiatives

  ☑Platform on Disaster Displacement

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Promoting human rights for women/ girls and gender equality is one of the basic principles of German foreign and development policy. German humanitarian assistance is needs-based and committed to the Humanitarian Principles. German development cooperation is committed to a human-rights based approach. It takes into account the protection, needs and empowerment of women/girls. This also includes protection against sexual and gender based violence. Since 2014, Germany supports the ICRC Special Appeal "Strengthening the Response to Sexual Violence“. The Development Policy Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016–2020 shows Germany’s commitment to empower and protect women/girls in our partner countries.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany asks for consideration of gender aspects and vulnerable individuals, including women/ children, in its proposal templates. A gender analysis is mandatory for all German development cooperation projects.
  • Germany’s National Action Plan on the Implementation of Resolution 1325 (versions 2013-2016 and 2017-2020) includes measures for improving protection from GBV and makes specific reference to the Call to Action.
  • With its annual voluntary unearmarked contributions for UNHCR, ICRC and UNOCHA, Germany supports international organizations with a special mandate for protection and coordination. In GBV prevention and response, Germany cooperates with a number of German NGOs.
  • On behalf of the BMZ, the GIZ started a new project on employment-oriented support to women in the health sector in Liberia and a project on employment promotion for women in rural Africa. In addition, a “Skills Initiative for Africa” with a special focus on promoting women’s/ young people’s employment skills was launched.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  • Germany strives to sensitize Partner organizations for prevention of GBV in project implementation. As a cross-cutting issue, it takes into account the protection and needs of women and girls.
  • Measures and activities to further promote gender equality and women’s rights are set out in the second Development Policy Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016–2020. The Development Policy Action Plan is implemented through annual road maps with priority measures and activities along with concrete impacts to be achieved. An annual monitoring process is assessing the progress being made. Progress being made in the reporting period has not been reviewed yet.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  As Germany joined the call to Action in August 2016, implementation will commence in 2017. Germany is continuing its engagement to promote vocational training and employment perspectives, especially for women, e.g. in Liberia, Ghana and Pakistan. In Bosnia and Herzegovina we aim at increasing women’s political participation at local level and leadership in economic /public life. We provide support to Syrian female refugees and Lebanese women, who are traumatized by SGBV. In Cambodia, we are sustaining a voucher-system which allows pregnant women to consult health professionals. In Nepal, we will launch a training course for midwives (international standards).

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Empower and protect women and girls', what would it be

  For Germany, it is imperative that humanitarian assistance takes into consideration the different and specific needs of everyone affected by natural or man-made disasters and therefore ensures Participation of and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP).

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Accountability to affected people ☑ Gender ☑ People-centred approach

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑1D - Develop solutions with and for people ☑ 3G - Address other groups or minorities in crisis settings

Individual Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Children/ young people constitute the majority of the population in most of Germany´s partner countries. Their ideas, creativity and optimism are crucial for building a more peaceful and sustainable world. German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has had a great experience working with young people and empowering them to be peace builders/ mobilizers. These experiences led us to commit to continue and strengthen our youth approach. We wanted to ensure that young people have the opportunity to unleash their great potential and can participate in decision-making processes, including in peacebuilding and crisis prevention.

• Achievements at a glance

  As part of their Special Initiative “Tackling the root causes of displacement, reintegrating refugees”, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) initiated 14 new projects, which address the specific vulnerabilities and needs of displaced children and youth, recognize young people’s potential, provide them with access to education, vocational training and sustainable livelihoods or enable them to participate in decision-making processes. In addition, the BMZ has drafted an Action Plan for the implementation of children’s and youth rights in development cooperation. The aim of the Action Plan is to integrate children’s and youth rights more systematically in all our projects and programming. A special focus is being placed on the participation and empowerment of children and youth, to ensure that their voices, needs and capacities are taken into account and they have the opportunity to fulfill their potential as agents of change. Germany is also supporting the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  BMZ is measuring its progress toward achieving their commitments through project indicators and rigid evaluations of all their activities in partner countries. In addition, a monitoring mechanism for the new Action Plan on Children’s and Youth rights will serve as a further source for measuring progress. Activities funded via the Special Initiative “Tackling the root causes of displacement, reintegrating refugees” are being monitored through a dedicated platform that gives implementing organizations the opportunity to provide an update on progress, as well as share pictures.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development is focusing on implementing their Action Plan on Children’s and Youth Rights; specifically their planned measures on enabling adolescents/ youth to be agents of positive transformation. As a part of the newly released Marshall Plan with Africa, 2017 will mark an increase of Germany´s engagement on the African continent. The Marshall Plan recognizes the great potential of Africa’s youth and therefore Germany´s implementation efforts will put an emphasis on youth employment, education and vocational training, strengthening youth exchanges and offering perspectives for Africa’s young people.

• Specific initiatives

  ☑The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑1D - Develop solutions with and for people

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Germany has always supported local and national responders and German NGO partners have regularly worked with local partners. Capacity building has been a component of these contributions. Germany´s contributions to Humanitarian Pooled Funds aim to enable support to local and national responders. In the face of protracted crises, recurrent shocks and often weak local structures, the reinforcement of national and local systems through capacity building, as well as resilience strengthening are pivotal for German development cooperation and are both key areas of the development-oriented crises instrument Transitional Development Assistance (TDA). Regarding resilience conceptual guidance needs to be further strengthened.

• Achievements at a glance

  • In 2016, Germany´s contribution to Country Based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) increased significantly to more than USD 62 million. Germany is currently fourth in the overall donor ranking for contribution to Pooled Funds.
  • Germany has supported capacity building initiatives at national and global levels (e.g. via a programme to institutionalize cash transfer programming among German NGOs or via our financial support of the Cash Learning Partnership [CaLP] in the Middle East).
  • The Resilience Marker (following ECHO) is now applied within project proposal forms for the Transitional Development Assistance (TDA), which is principally guided by resilience strengthening.
  • In addition, TDA increased cash-based delivery and funded approx. EUR 500 million in 2016.
  • Germany also supports community resilience and participation through the GFDRR Inclusive Community Resilience initiative and puts community based disaster risk management at the heart of several bilateral development projects.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  Continuous progress will be assessed on the implementation of these commitments through a regular and intense exchange within the German Government and with relevant stakeholders, especially NGOs. The German Coordination Committee on Humanitarian Assistance under the joint lead of the Federal Foreign Office (FFO) and VENRO (umbrella organization of development and humanitarian aid NGOs in Germany) has established a working group on localization. Germany will also remain committed to capacity building for cash programming at all levels in its future activities and also, where appropriate, support research and evidence building. We will also continue to engage with our partners to further scale-up multi-purpose cash assistance in projects and programmes funded by the FFO.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  Since a final conclusion regarding the handling of the lists of sanctions has not yet been reached, some implementation processes have been slowed down.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  Germany is in the process of implementing the commitments it submitted at WHS in the field of localization by, for example, developing a "Joint Reporting Template", which aims at harmonizing reporting requirements that would ease the burden for all actors, in particular local NGOs.
  
  In the course of 2017 the German Government will intensify its efforts to reinforce and not to replace national and local systems. Moreover, Germany will endeavor to advance the resilience debate by publishing respective factsheets.
  
  Conceptually, Germany is working to promote the application of Social Protection Inter-Agency Assessment (ISPA) tools, jointly developed with UN agencies and other partners, in contexts of protracted crises, recurring shocks and weak local structures.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems', what would it be

  In addition to the ongoing efforts undertaken by governmental and non-governmental actors, we have to raise public awareness and support for the need to strengthen national and local actors.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Cash ☑ Country-based pooled funds

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑5A - Invest in local capacities ☑ 5E - Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  The record level of humanitarian needs and increased complexity in crises contexts underpins its scope. The German Government recognizes the need to find complementarity between humanitarian and development actors and transcend the humanitarian-development divide in order to address the enormous complexity and duration of these crises. In line with this, Germany seeks to intensify its efforts to achieve peaceful and sustainable development, based on international human rights standards and principles, and taking particular account of marginalized persons and population groups.

• Achievements at a glance

  To meet the growing needs, the German Government tripled the budget of its development-oriented instrument for crisis management (Transitional Development Assistance/TDA) in 2016. Improvements have been made towards a close planning coordination with the German bilateral development cooperation. Similarly, the German Government increasingly coordinates its cooperation with UN agencies on the basis of joint analysis.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  • The continuous progress will be assessed through a regular and intense exchange within the German Government
  • Germany’s individual commitment number 31 corresponds to the Grand Bargain, Key Area 10 “Enhance engagement between humanitarian and development actors”.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  Donors have to have the same level of understanding and share the same position on this issue, as it also relates to the current discussion on the New Way of Working at the UN.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  • Throughout 2017 the German Government aspires to build on previous achievements and will continue to seek and intensify dialogue with various stakeholders, e.g. by jointly organizing a conference on how to bridge the humanitarian-development divide through social protection in contexts of fragility, forced displacement and migration.
  • Germany, as co-chair of OECD INCAF Task Team, has prioritized monitoring of donor change regarding strengthening linkages and synergies across the humanitarian- development- peacebuilding nexus to make sure that monitoring is also tracked specifically regarding peacebuilding.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides', what would it be

  Communication is key! Transcending the humanitarian-development divide to achieve collective outcomes in order to sustainably reduce needs and increase the effectiveness of our work will require new approaches, fresh thinking, courage and trust– and above all continuous and institutionalized communication across the different communities!

• Specific initiatives

  ☑New Way of Working ☑ Grand Bargain

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑5C - Invest in stability ☑ 5D - Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

Joint Commitment

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  We need to use existing humanitarian resources more efficiently in the face of rising risks through climate change and natural hazard. Germany is seeking to improve more effective preparedness and risk reduction measures based on humanitarian needs, vulnerabilities and existing risks. Germany supports a paradigm shift from ex-post, reactionary humanitarian aid towards ex-ante finance mechanisms that guarantee quick payouts in case of disaster and which are complemented by plans and mechanisms that ensure that the payouts are used to support the poor and vulnerable.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany has launched a preparedness initiative and supports the forecast-based financing mechanism. The preparedness initiative incorporates financial support for improving early warning mechanisms and more capacity building in high risk countries in close cooperation with UN organizations, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs. The Federal Foreign Office has also launched a humanitarian climate action plan together with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the WFP and is developing a so called Forecast-based financing mechanism in 7 seven pilot countries.
  • In order to increase insurance coverage for poor and vulnerable people in developing countries, Germany pledged an additional EUR 45 million to support the InsuResilience initiative at the COP22 in Marrakesh, in addition to the EUR 150 million it had pledged at COP21 in Paris and established the InsuResilience secretariat. Funds are channeled through various multilateral and regional facilities, including Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction at the World Bank (€ 20 Million).

• How is your organization assessing progress

  • Germany is closely cooperating with UNISDR, WFP, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and humanitarian NGOs in the context of risk reduction and preparedness. The partners have to submit regular progress reports that are based on the implementation of logical frameworks including overall and specific objectives, indicators and activities. A special preparedness working group supports the German government to harmonize risk reduction and preparedness approaches.
  • To measure progress towards the target of the InsuResilience initiative, Germany is currently developing a monitoring framework to keep track of the number of poor and vulnerable people reached by the initiative.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  Due to climate change and the exposure of vulnerable people to natural hazards, humanitarian assistance and development cooperation needs to deal with an increased number of natural disasters. The annual number of natural disasters has gone up from around 200 to 400 in the last 20 years. Growing populations intensify the magnitude of disasters and poor populations groups are affected most. At the same time, violent conflicts are re-emerging and posing enormous challenges to the humanitarian system. The growing number of refuges and internally displaced persons in the wake of such conflicts has negative impacts on entire regions.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  • Germany will continue to promote and support integrated risk reduction and preparedness measures as part of its humanitarian assistance and will further increase its support for initiatives that assess, monitor and reduce risks in the most disaster prone and vulnerable countries.
  • Germany will continue to advocate for an increased engagement of additional donors and promote the InsuResilience initiative throughout its G20 presidency. Germany and its InsuResilience donor partners are currently working on an enhanced structure to ensure that developing countries receive more targeted support to implement insurance schemes.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Invest according to risk', what would it be

  The humanitarian system should make greater use of available risk information that indicates potential disasters and crises. By taking into account this risks information as early warning the humanitarian system should develop procedures to better prepare for disaster and crises by pre-defining early action.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Disaster Risk Reduction

• Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

  ☑4B - Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

Individual Commitment

Core Commitment

• What led your organization to make the commitment?

  Given the scale of forced displacement, its increasingly protracted nature and the fragmented response from humanitarian/ development actors and rapidly shifting needs, we need flexible and predictable funding. Germany has committed itself to move to a broader financing approach and to draw more attention to the funding needs and gaps in forgotten crises.
  With its Transitional Development Assistance, Germany has long been on the forefront of LRRD. This quick-response funding instrument aims to bridge the persistent humanitarian-development gap and has been applied particularly in displacement situations. Nevertheless, more needed to be done and additional funding and instruments were necessary.

• Achievements at a glance

  • Germany is increasing softly-earmarked humanitarian funding through regional crises support instead of country level earmarking. Furthermore, we are increasing CERF and Pooled Fund contributions as well as multi-year contributions, especially when addressing situations of displacement in protracted crisis.
  • Germany is supporting the strengthening of local responders and the scale up of cash-based programming.
  • The Federal Foreign Office (FFO) currently chairs the ICRC Donor Support Group (DSG). Under the theme “Protracted as the new norm,” multi-annual funding is a main theme of discussion during the policy events.
  • Germany has in 2016 successfully launched a national awareness campaign to bring attention to the massive underfunding of most forgotten humanitarian crises.
  • As envisioned, the German Special Initiative “Tackling the root causes of forced displacement – reintegrating refugees” (funding of EUR 736 million 2014-2016, EUR 406 million in 2016) will benefit a total of 10 million people, both forcibly displaced people and members of host communities.

• How is your organization assessing progress

  Germany is closely cooperating with UN-agencies and humanitarian NGOs to reduce and address displacement/migration challenges in the context of forgotten crisis. Partners have to submit regular progress reports that are based on the implementation of logical frameworks, including overall and specific objectives, indicators and activities. The German Government relies on these reports to monitor the implementation of their projects. In addition to regular reports and evaluations, progress on the implementation of the Special Initiative “Tackling the root causes of forced displacement – reintegrating refugees” is monitored constantly via a platform in which receiving organizations enter updates, pictures and success stories.

• Challenges faced in implementation

  While there are enormous needs to deal with acute crises and emergencies, we are confronted with the reality of limited funding for humanitarian assistance in the context of displacement and especially also in protracted and forgotten crises. Internal discussions are still ongoing with the Federal Court of Auditors on the extent to which it will be possible for Germany as a donor to provide more unearmarked funding given legal constraints that require that the majority of our humanitarian aid is earmarked.

• Next step to advance implementation in 2017

  Germany is looking at ways to increase its non-earmarked funding and will continue its path to provide more softly earmarked funding. The FFO plans to discuss multi-annual funding at the ECOSOC HAS on 21 June, 2017 in Geneva. The FFO plans to further increase its multi-annual funding based on evaluations of current ongoing multi-annual funding projects.
  The #nichtvergesser awareness campaign on forgotten crises has been launched in 2016 and developed a mechanism to intensify exchange on the topic. In 2017, public events and joined online campaigns will further increase public involvement and focus on case studies of crisis regions.

• If you had one message for the annual report on what is most needed to advance the transformation 'Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing', what would it be

  Flexible/predictable funding is paramount when addressing the growing needs related to conflict and displacement. Cooperation and global responsibility in refugee/displacement situations are crucial for the reduction of forced displacement and human suffering. Global crises like forced displacement require global responses of solidarity and responsibility-sharing with all those concerned.

• Cross cutting issues

  ☑Central Emergency Response Fund ☑ Country-based pooled funds ☑ Refugees