Dhaka – A new global network for local and national organisations has been launched ahead of World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in a bid to monitor whether global humanitarian aid is properly utilized.
Degan Ali of Somalia has been elected chairperson of the Network for Empowered Aid Response (NEAR) while Smruti Patel of Indian-origin Switzerland citizen has been made interim director and Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of Coast Bangladesh as its treasurer, according sources available in Dhaka.The network launched at a formal meeting in Istanbul on Sunday aiming at reducing the expanding gap between affected population and aid resources.
The two-day World Humanitarian Summit began yesterday in Istanbul in a nominal attempt to reform the global humanitarian system, despite criticism that the summit is a photo-opportunity which will achieve little.
Representatives of 175 countries, including 57 heads of states or governments attended the world humanitarian summit with a view to restructuring the way the world responds to humanitarian crises.
In his keynote speech, President of AFAD Fuat Oktay welcomed the network as a new way of engaging local actors.
“The reason we are gathered here is because more and more people believe that the humanitarian system cannot cope with the challenges of today.” To tackle these challenges, he insisted on the need for innovation, creativity and courage.
Mr. Azwar Hasan, a local responder to the Tsunami in Indonesia expressed his concerns on how often international actors exit without much investment in the preparedness for local communities. “If the Tsunami happened again, I don’t think the world would be better prepared to respond,” he said.
The newly launched network promises to work with international actors and other networks to make sure that people are at the centre of the system.
Degan Ali, the chairperson of the network and the Executive Director of Adeso said that unlike what most believe, NEAR network is not seeking a system devoid of international actors.
“We want a system that recognises, enables and respects local and national actors.” Manu Gupta of SEEDS and a member of the network’s Leadership Council maintained that there is a need to create harmonious system that is based on mutual trust, accountability and equity amongst all actors. “In the past, south to south collaborations have had to go from south to north and then north to south.”
In its seven commitments, the network reiterates its pledge to raise the voices of local and national actors, and to track progress on localization commitments made at WHS through research and documentation.
Treasure of NEAR, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Bangladesh said the NEAR would be a decentralize movement.
“It will monitor localization, how much is the aid transaction cost, how much is going to local NGOs, NEAR will give emphasize in demand side of localization, it will publish annual state of affairs report in this regard,” he said.
Sema of Turkey and Scholastica of Uganda moderated whole lunching programme, says a press release issued by Dhaka based EquityBD. – Staff Reporter
