The Secretary-General announced the first World Humanittarian Summit will be held in early 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey.
The purpose of the summit is to set a forward-looking agenda for humanitarian action to collectively address future humanitarian challenges. The aim is to build a more inclusive and diverse humanitarian system committed to humanitarian principles.
Four broad themes are being discussed in the consultations leading up to the summit and at the summit itself:
- Humanitarian effectiveness
- Reducing vulnerability and managing risk
- Transformation through innovation
- Serving the needs of people in conflict
Building a more inclusive and diverse global humanitarian system with a strong commitment to humanitarian principles is at the heart of this initiative.
Extensive regional and thematic consultations are occurring at field and HQ levels. These consultations provide opportunities for all humanitarian actors to discuss challenges, barriers, emerging trends, identify recommendations and develop a vision and plan of action for the future of humanitarian action.