Maria Immonen, LWF Director for World Service and heads of the other SCHR member organizations meet with Pope Francis. Photo: Vatican Media
A Rome meeting of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response highlights new needs and hopes
(LWI) - “In an increasingly difficult and complex landscape, the recent Rome meeting of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR) marked an important opportunity to reflect on how we can face the growing challenges together,” said Maria Immonen, The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Director for World Service.
Founded in 1972, the SCHR is a voluntary alliance bringing together nine of the world’s leading humanitarian organizations to share analysis and support quality, accountability and learning in humanitarian action. The scale and reach of its members’ work means that it can provide unique insights on what works well, what needs improvement and what can be done to ensure that aid efforts have the most positive impact for people who are affected or at risk of crisis.
Immonen and leaders of the other 8 member organizations held an annual in-person meeting in Rome from 20 to 22 January to discuss pressing challenges to their work in countries around the globe. Hosted by Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic confederation of aid and development agencies, the meeting included an audience with Pope Francis, conversations with the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States Archbishop Paul Gallagher, with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, and discussions with 24 Rome-based diplomats.
The whole humanitarian sector is facing a critical time.
Maria Immonen, LWF Director for World Service
“The whole humanitarian sector is facing a critical time, right now,” Immonen reflected, “as funding that we have traditionally relied upon is being reduced, while conflicts and emergency needs are increasing.”
Between its different member organizations, the SCHR is responsible for over 30 percent of global humanitarian work, something Immonen describes as “an unparalleled reach.” It is one of three Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) groups invited on a permanent basis to attend the UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee, where it actively helps to shape joint actions and priority setting. This enables the SCHR to act in a rapid, coordinated way to support marginalized communities facing natural disasters, conflict or other humanitarian emergencies.
Protection for humanitarian personnel
One significant initiative that the SCHR leaders were able to discuss during their Rome visit was a proposal put forward by the Australian government to strengthen the protection of humanitarian workers in conflict zones. A recent Australian Ministerial Group statement raised concerns about recent breaches of international humanitarian law and called for an international declaration on the protection of humanitarian personnel.
“The SCHR also plays an important role as a forum where secular and faith-based organizations come together to address issues of common concern,” Immonen said. “We regard our differences as a strength,” she said, “because we share the same vision of empowering people to have hope and a future.”
The SCHR includes the leadership of ACT Alliance, CARE International, Caritas Internationalis, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, LWF, Oxfam, Save the Children International and World Vision International.
