Call to Action Letter on Cash Coordination [EN/AR]
Dear Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator,
The lack of predictable and accountable coordination arrangements for humanitarian cash continues to hamper the scale, quality and timeliness of humanitarian response leading to a direct impact on the people we aim to serve. Given the clear evidence of operational impact, the strong demand for a decision across the humanitarian system, and the rapid growth of humanitarian cash, we call on the IASC to take a decision on the leadership and scope of cash coordination within the broader humanitarian coordination architecture in the coming year.
With the rapid increase in humanitarian cash (particularly multipurpose cash), which makes up nearly 20% of all humanitarian aid, the humanitarian architecture must adapt to support this growth, or risk no longer being fit for purpose.
The lack of clarity over responsibility for leadership and the scope of cash coordination has led to confusion, a lack of capacity and a heavy reliance on short-term external support mechanisms to fulfil these core functions. Cash Working Groups (CWGs) have been established in 39 countries to meet this need. While the majority of CWGs are established under the Inter-Cluster Coordination Group (ICCG), in line with guidance, they rely on actors in-country to voluntarily take responsibility for leadership and resourcing. CaLP’s State of the World’s Cash 2020 Report found that 90 percent of key informants feel that lack of clarity on cash coordination is having serious operational impacts.
A significant number of efforts have been made - by the World Bank, Global Clusters, UN, donors, CaLP, NGOs and independent research organisations - to highlight the challenges and provide ways forward. Specifically, the IASC has received clear calls from donors, NGOs and from the Eminent Person to take a number of key decisions on cash coordination. Despite these efforts, which are representative of the majority of the humanitarian community, limited progress has been made to address the systemic cash coordination challenges. The inclusion of cash coordination as a priority for humanitarian leaders, and the clarity around their placement as ICCG sub-groups in the recently-published RC/HC handbook is welcome, but questions on predictable leadership and the inclusion of multipurpose cash in the humanitarian architecture remain unanswered while further perpetuating ad-hoc arrangements.
H.E. Sigrid Kaag, the Eminent Person of the Grand Bargain, named cash coordination as the “Achilles heel” of the humanitarian system, and chose resolving this as one of four priority As the current iteration of the Grand Bargain comes to a close, no progress has been made on resolving this issue.
This letter, while originating within the Grand Bargain Cash sub-workstream on Political Blockages, represents the collective voice of all the undersigned. The signatories to this document are seeking an agreement that provides accountable, predictable coordination of humanitarian cash, including how it relates to response analysis, within the broader humanitarian coordination architecture. In a context where conflict, climate and COVID-19 are exacerbating humanitarian needs globally we can no longer ignore the cost and implications of the lack of cash coordination and the clear opportunities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian responses. Effective coordination is required to maximize the impact of humanitarian cash.
We request that the resolution of cash coordination builds upon the substantial research which has been conducted and facilitates an inclusive process whereby agencies put aside self-interest and keep the interest of the world’s most vulnerable at the fore. We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
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Aristide Jean François Zongo, Executive Director, ABSE
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Lars Peter Nissen, Director, ACAPS
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Niall O’Rourke, Head of Humanitarian Affairs, ACT Alliance
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André Krummacher, Vice CEO Programmes, Impact & Accountability, ACTED & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Sara Almer, Humanitarian Director, ActionAid
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Pascal Revault, Expertise and Advocacy Director, Action Contre La Faim & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Abdourahamane Aissatou Alassane, Country Representative, ADESA
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Steve Matthews, Executive Director, ADRA Canada
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Michael Kruger, President, ADRA International
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Jonathan Guerengonda, Executive Director, ADRDH
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James Shepherd-Barron MIH, PhD (hc), Executive Director, Aid Essentials Ltd.
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Antonia Potter Prentice, Director, Alliance2015
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Dr Edwina Thompson, CEO, Amanacard
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James Gilling, Humanitarian Coordinator, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Australian Government -
Guy Rayée, General Director of the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid a.i.,
Kingdom of Belgium -
David Peppiatt, Director of Humanitarian Cash Assistance Programme, Cash and Markets,
British Red Cross -
Stephen Salewicz, Director General of the International Humanitarian Assistance Bureau,
Global Affairs Canada -
Karen Peachey, Director, The Cash Learning Partnership
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Sofia Sprechmann Sineiro, Secretary General, CARE International & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Ron Delnevo, Chairman, Cash and Cards Consultants
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Gabrielle Fox, Director, Cash Consortium for Iraq
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Jennifer Poidatz, Vice President Humanitarian Response, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Christian Modino Hok, Humanitarian Director, CBM Global Disability Inclusion
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Mr. Piersilvio Fagiano, General Manager, Cesvi
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Meg Gardiner, Secretary General, ChildFund Alliance
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Robin Greenwood, International Programmes Director, Christian Aid
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Moses Egayu, Executive Director, Church of Uganda - Teso Dioceses Planning and Development Office
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Dominic Crowley, Emergencies Director, Concern Worldwide & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Ennio Miccoli, Director, COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale
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Tamara Shukakidze-Demuria, Chief Humanitarian Officer, Corus International
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Jonas Vejsager Nøddekær, Director, International Department, DanChurchAid & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Rikke Friis, Director of Programmes, Policy and External Relations Department, Danish Refugee Council
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Mette Thygesen, Director, Humanitarian Action, Civil Society and Engagement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
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Mathias Mogge, Secretary General & CEO, Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V.
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Jonathan Faulkner, CEO, Development Pathways
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Paraskevi Michou, Director-General, Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)
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Surya Prakash Rai, Executive Chief, ETSC Nepal
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Satu Santala, Director General, Department for Development Policy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
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Tomi Järvinen, Deputy Executive Director, Finn Church Aid
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Matthew Wyatt, Director, Humanitarian and Migration Directorate, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
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Dr. Thomas Zahneisen, Director for Humanitarian Affairs, German Federal Foreign Office
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Michael Faye, CEO, GiveDirectly
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Joanna Reid, Director of International Programmes, GOAL
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Dr. Julia Steets, Director, Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi)
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Nick van Praag, Director & Founder, Groundtruth Solutions
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Sudhanshu S. Singh, Founder & CEO, HAI India
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Samuel Wood, Head of Humanitarian, HelpAge International
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Elly Anyandru Moses, Executive Director, Here is Life
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Mark J. Hetfield, President & CEO, HIAS
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George Fenton, Chief Executive, Humanitarian Logistics Association
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Sorcha O’Callaghan, Director, Humanitarian Policy Group
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Hervé Bernard, Global Director of the Technical Unit on Social & Inclusion, Humanity & Inclusion
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Luca Pupulin, Executive Director, IMPACT Initiatives
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Pascale Meige, Director, Disasters Climate and Crises, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
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Bob Kitchen, Vice President, Emergencies, International Rescue Committee & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Alda Cappelletti, Director of Programmes, INTERSOS
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Frank Smyth, Humanitarian Director, Development Cooperation and Africa Division,
Department of Foreign Affairs, Ireland -
Simon Reed, Deputy Director, IrisGuard UK Ltd
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Waseem Ahmad, Director of International Programme Division, Islamic Relief Worldwide
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Isak Pretorius, Group Executive Director, JAM International
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Abukar Osman Abdi, Executive Director, Juba Foundation
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Dr. Asha Mohammed, Secretary General, Kenya Red Cross Society
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Helene Juillard, Director, Key Aid Consulting
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David Verboom, Chief Executive Officer, Medair
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Anissa Toscano, Vice President, Humanitarian Leadership and Response, Mercy Corps & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Irfan Khan, Director Humanitarian and International Partnerships, Muslim Hands
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Marriët Schuurman, Director Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
The Netherlands -
Merete Fjeld Brattested, Director General Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department for Multilateral Cooperation
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Marit Glad, Global Programme Director, Norwegian Refugee Council
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Nigel Timmins, Humanitarian Director, Oxfam International
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Jan Mrkvič, Director, People in Need
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Jorgen Haldorsen, Director, Disaster Risk Management, Plan International
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Nancy Izzo Jackson, Senior Bureau Official, U.S. State Department, Bureau of Population,
Refugees, and Migration (PRM) -
Hakan Buyukbayrak, Director, RedRose
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Gabriella Waaijman, Global Humanitarian Director, Save the Children & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) member
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Gareth Owen OBE, Humanitarian Director, Save the Children UK & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) Board Chair
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Peter McDevitt, Chief Operations and Finance Officer, Self Help Africa
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Tristan Cole, Director, Sempo
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Kevin Goldberg, CEO, Solidarités International
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Dr Balwant Singh, Executive Director, Sphere
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Mr. Vikrant Mahajan, Chief Executive Officer, Sphere India
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Pete Garratt, Executive Director - Programmes and People, Street Child
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Carl Skau, Deputy Director-General, Head of Department for UN Policy, Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs, Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs
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Manuel Bessler, Deputy Director General, Head of Humanitarian Aid Department and Head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
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Oenone Chadburn, Head of Humanitarian & Resilience, Tearfund
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Caiomhe de Barra, CEO, Trócaire
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Alper Kucuk, Deputy Director General & Chief International Officer, Türk Kızılay (TRCS)
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Sarah Charles, Assistant to the Administrator, USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance
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Diana Tonea, Consortium Director, VenEsperanza
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Colette Fearon, Director of Programmes, War Child UK
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Aydrus S. Daar, Executive Director, WASDA
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Sarah Costa, Executive Director, Women’s Refugee Commission
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Dr lbrahima Soce Fall, Assistant Director-General, Emergency Response, WHO Health Emergencies Programme World Health Organization
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Justin Byworth, Global Humanitarian Director, World Vision International & Collaborative Cash Delivery Network (CCD) Board Member
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C.W.A. Visser, Chief Programme Officer, ZOA Netherlands