Supporting Local Actors for a More Effective Humanitarian Assistance

12 april, 10:00-11:30, Medelhavsmuseet, Fredsgatan 2, Stockholm

Watch the seminar:

In 2016, governments and international organisations agreed to give local actors larger roles in humanitarian assistance. Local and national actors (LNA) are first to react in crises, they stay throughout, and they remain when international actors leave. In brief, the Grand Bargain agreement implies that humanitarian aid will be more effective if LNAs have a greater say.

Eight years later, Sweden has increased humanitarian funding channelled to LNAs. Sweden is doing better than most in that respect, but still not reaching the agreed target of 25 percent.

Furthermore, when it comes to sharing of influence and building local capacities there is still long ways to go, despite recent efforts by Sida. What options are there to moving forward within this prioritised area of Swedish humanitarian assistance?

The Expert Group for Aid Studies (EBA) has published an evaluation of how Sweden has applied the localisation agenda “Supporting Local Actors for a More Effective Humanitarian Assistance”. Welcome to attend a seminar where the authors present and discuss their research and learnings together with a panel.

Presentation:
Sophia Swithern, Independent consultant, Oxford, UK
Charlotte Lattimer, Independent consultant, Charmonix-Mont-Blanc, France
Teddy Atim, Independent consultant, Kampala, Uganda.

Panel discussion:
Anna Rahm, Head, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Sida
Anders Pedersen, Head, International Department, and acting Director General, Swedish Red Cross
Erik Lysén, Head, Church of Sweden International Department / Chair, International Act Alliance
Sofia Karlsson, deputy director at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign affairs and Head of Humanitarian Division.

Moderator:
Görrel Espelund, Freelance journalist, Stockholm, Sweden.