Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week – Asia Pacific 2023

The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half of the world’s population and hosts some of the most complex and protracted humanitarian crises. In the face of growing humanitarian needs and shrinking resources, local actors have demonstrated their resilience, innovation, and leadership in responding to crises and supporting their communities. This year, the Regional Humanitarian Partnership Week aims to highlight the value and potential of locally led solutions for humanitarian response in the region and to foster collaboration, partnerships, and learning among different stakeholders.

It will feature presentations, panels, workshops, and networking sessions that will showcase good practices, challenges, and opportunities for enhancing local humanitarian action. The conference will also explore how to address the systemic barriers and enablers for localisation, and how to promote a more inclusive, diverse, and accountable humanitarian system that puts local communities at the center. Under this theme, each day will have a different sub-theme that participants can use to provoke discussion and highlight solutions/resources, lessons learned and good practices, and collaborations, being undertaken to address some of the most complicated issues we face in the region.

• How can humanitarian actors uphold their principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence in the context of the nexus, where development and peace actors may have different priorities and interests?
• What are the main benefits and risks of applying a nexus approach to humanitarian action, especially in protracted crises, complex emergencies, or situations of chronic vulnerability?
• How can humanitarian actors coordinate and collaborate effectively with development, peace, and private sector actors within the nexus framework, while respecting their respective mandates, roles, and comparative advantages?

• How can humanitarian actors enhance coordination and collaboration across the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus in humanitarian action?
• How can humanitarian actors ensure accountability to affected populations (AAP) and safeguarding of beneficiaries and staff in humanitarian action?
• How can humanitarian actors advocate for and promote AAP as a cross-cutting issue that requires collective action and coordination among all humanitarian stakeholders?
• How can development and humanitarian and peace actors work together to reduce the impact of disasters?

• How can humanitarian actors diversify and expand their funding sources and partners, including through engaging with the private sector, diaspora, climate funds and new donors?
• How can humanitarian actors communicate and engage with their donors, partners, staff, beneficiaries, media and the public on their financing performance, achievements, challenges, lessons learned?

• What are the best practices and lessons learned from existing partnerships and initiatives that involve the private sector, local actors, and donors?
• How can pooled funds support access for local actors? What initiatives have been taken to reduce due diligence requirements for local actors?

• How does climate change affect the patterns and drivers of displacement, especially in conflict-affected regions?
• What are the locally-led mitigations and adaptive measures to prevent large scale displacement?
• How can local actors adapt and respond to the future impacts of climate change on humanitarian needs and contexts?

• How can local actors working on climate and DRR collaborate and coordinate with other stakeholders in humanitarian action?
• How can local actors influence and advocate for principled humanitarian action at the global level?

Speakers/Audience

This regional event is designed for various stakeholders in the humanitarian sector and aims to foster collaboration and innovation among non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, think tanks, and international bodies such as the United Nations, and international financial institution such as Asian Development Bank, World Bank etc. By joining this event, participants will have the opportunity to network with like-minded entities, share best practices and challenges, and learn from experts and peers. As this event is aimed at creating space for dialogue and exchange among humanitarian practitioners, participation by CSOs and NGOs will be prioritised.

Format of the Event

The event will take place in-person in Bangkok, Thailand, although some speakers may be online. The venue will be shared closer to the event.

Key Timeline

PUBLIC registration| 04 August- 15 November 2023
PUBLIC expression of interest open| EOI 04 August 2023- 20 September 2023
PUBLIC invitation /visa letter request| 01 August – 30 October 2023
PUBLIC acceptance email to organisers and registrants| 25 September 2023
PUBLIC logistics guidelines and sponsorship information| 25 October 2023

For Queries and Suggestions

ADRRN: Takeshi Komino t.Komino@cwsjapan.org
CWSA: Palwashay Arbab palwashay.arbab@communityworldservice.asia
ICVA: Asma Saleem asma.saleem@icvanetwork.org
OCHA: Daniel Gilman gilmand@un.org / Juliana Teoh juliana.teoh@un.org