Ten years after its signature by the Council of the European Union (EU), the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the European Commission, the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid remains the key document guiding the EU's and its Member States' approach to humanitarian aid. Join representatives of the signatories as well as humanitarian organisations for a panel discussion on the Consensus, a point of reference in a challenging world:
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European Parliament, Linda McAvan, Chair of the Committee on Development,
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European Commission, Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management,
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Council of the European Union, Väino Reinart, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia,
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OCHA on behalf of the UN system, Vincent Hubin, Head of OCHA Liaison Office to the EU and NATO,
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ICRC, Geneviève Vercruysse-Toussaint, Senior Advisor, Delegation to the EU, NATO and Belgium
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The Red Cross EU Office, Denis Haveaux, Director,
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VOICE, Kathrin Schick, Director,
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MSF, Inma Vazquez, Representative to the EU and NATO.
Signed by the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the EU Member States, the European Parliament and the European Commission in December 2007, 'The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid' is the first comprehensive policy setting out the EU's and the Member States' approach to humanitarian aid. Its added value has been acknowledged by a wide range of humanitarian organisations including NGOs, the UN agencies and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
In 2007, when the Consensus was signed, 27 million people were targeted to receive humanitarian aid and 39 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes. In 2017, more than 101,2 million are targeted to receive humanitarian aid (out of 141 million in need worldwide) and 65.6 million are forcibly displaced. The assessment which led to the elaboration of this policy framework is still valid today: the effects of natural disasters and conflicts require more and better humanitarian aid across the world.
Ten years after the signature of the Consensus, the purpose of this panel discussion is to celebrate the document which has been a point of reference in the EU humanitarian action, to underline its continued relevance and to highlight both the achievements and the remaining challenges in its implementation.
AGENDA
15:00 Welcome and introductory remarks by Linda McAvan, Chair of the Committee on Development, European Parliament
Keynote speech by Christos Stylianides, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, European Commission
Keynote speech by Väino Reinart, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU
15:45 Panel discussion chaired by Enrique Guerrero Salom, Standing Rapporteur for Humanitarian Aid, European Parliament
Vincent Hubin, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on behalf of the United Nations system
Geneviève Vercruysse-Toussaint, International Committee of the Red Cross
Denis Haveaux, The Red Cross EU Office
Inma Vazquez, Médecins Sans Frontières
Kathrin Schick, Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies
17:00 Open discussion and Q&A
Member of the European Parliament, Representatives of the EU Member States and meeting participants
17:25 Closing remarks by Enrique Guerrero Salom.