Our representation office in Geneva

NRC Geneva contributes toward policy change aimed at creating humanitarian space, securing rights of displaced people, and enabling operations. We focus our humanitarian policy and diplomacy efforts toward improving capacity to access and operate in hard-to-reach areas, toward support for comprehensive approaches to enable displaced people greater access to durable solutions, toward preventing future displacement, and toward improved funding to respond to crises and provide protection for forcibly displaced people. 

NRC Geneva’s work has had real impact on the global humanitarian policy agenda, and has been able to ensure the voice and rights of displaced people and communities hit by crisis are heard. For example, we engaged in the process on the Global Compact on Refugees to influence how states respond to refugee crises and share responsibility for refugee protection. We are also leading by example in providing concrete solutions to implement the commitments in the Grand Bargain for increasing efficiency in humanitarian financing. See our video on solutions we suggested to harmonise, simplify, and save costs in humanitarian financing.

The humanitarian policy team in Geneva works on a range of issues, including:

Protection | Ensuring that the protection of civilians is central to all aid operations. We have been engaging in the Global Compact on Refugees, conducting research and providing guidance on voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable returns, as well as suggestions and considerations for planning mass evacuations of civilians in conflict settings. We also work with the Platform on Disaster Displacement and other partners to ensure the protection gaps for disaster displaced people are acknowledged and acted upon.

Humanitarian principles and access | Ensuring that humanity, impartiality neutrality, and independence are core to humanitarian work. We prompt reflection on principled humanitarian action among relevant stakeholders to ensure it stays high on the international agenda; and contribute to build NRC staff capacity on humanitarian access and negotiations.

Counterterrorism and countering violent extremism measures in relation humanitarian action | Documenting and minimizing the impact of counterterrorism measures, and ensuring that assistance and protection are provided based on humanitarian needs alone, rather than being influenced by political agendas such as countering violent extremism. We promote a risk management approach, building on our expertise regarding the intersection of counterterrorism measures and principled humanitarian action, gained through first-hand experience, interaction with peers on the frontline in humanitarian crises and through research.

Disaster displacement and climate change | Ensuring disaster displacement is included and acted upon in global policy processes, including climate change negotiations (UNFCCC/Paris Agreement), Sendai Framework, Global Compacts on Refugees and Migrants and others. We advocate towards protection mandated agencies and states to include effects of climate change and disasters in their work with refugees and internally displaced people. We participate in the Platform on Disaster Displacement as a member of Advisory committee and coordinate the Inter-Agency Advisory Group on Climate Change and Human Mobility.

Humanitarian financing | Ensuring that humanitarian operations are financed as effectively as possible and funds are distributed efficiently to where they are needed the most. We have been actively engaged in the roll-out and implementation of the Grand Bargain, prioritising commitments of less earmarking, multi-year funding, reducing duplication of efforts and management costs, and harmonising donor reporting requirements. We also contribute to improve efficiency of country-based pooled funds, including by publishing a study on understanding pooled funds and by co-chairing the OCHA-NGO Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) Dialogue Platform. Going Beyond the Grand Bargain, we have been active in promoting the implementation of the other two recommendations of the High Level Panel on humanitarian financing.

Based on its experience from the frontlines of humanitarian operations, NRC Geneva advises states and organisations in Geneva, including NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the UN's aid coordination body, OCHA. Our proven-track record and experience enable us to influence global processes, policy-making bodies and international fora, including as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Principled Humanitarian Action with OCHA, Humanitarian-Development Nexus Task Team, member of the IASC Task Team on Humanitarian Financing, the Global Protection Cluster, Financial Action Task Force NPO Coalition, various Working Groups in NGO consortia, OCHA-NGO Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) Dialogue Platform, and others. We are also a member of the Steering Group for the Plan of Action for Advancing Prevention, Protection and Solutions for Internally Displaced People 2018-2020.

Our team in Geneva also provides expert advice on Swiss and UN partners to other NRC offices, as well as humanitarian and displacement policy and diplomacy support to our operational colleagues. The Institutional Partnership Advisory (IPA) team in NRC's office in Geneva works closely with all UN partners, the Swiss government and other government bodies and organisations represented in Geneva in order to strengthen our strategic partnerships, to raise money for aid operations, and to ensure finance for disaster response is spent in the most effective and efficient way possible.