Our representation office in Geneva

NRC Geneva aims to ensure that global diplomacy efforts are directed:

1. To achieving improved access to operate in hard-to-reach areas,
2. To support a comprehensive approach which enables displaced people greater access to durable solutions,
3. To preventing future displacement, and,
4. To improve funding mechanisms to respond to crises and provide protection to forcibly displaced people.
   
   

We have seen real impact as a result of our contributions to global policy development and reform. For example, recent achievements include; traceable influence over how states adopted language on responsibility sharing for refugee protection within the process of drafting the Global Compact on Refugees, and, NRC’s approach to lead by example in providing concrete actions to implement our Grand Bargain commitments in increasing efficiency in humanitarian financing. See our video on solutions to harmonise, simplify, and save costs in humanitarian financing.

Based on experience from the frontlines of humanitarian operations, NRC Geneva team advises key stakeholders in Geneva and New York, including states, NGOs, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), UNICEF and the UN's aid coordination body (OCHA). Our proven-track record and experience enables 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.

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

Protection | Ensuring that the protection of civilians is central to all aid operations. We are active contributors to drafting language of the Global Compact on Refugees, conducting research and providing guidance on voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable returns, developing necessary considerations when planning mass evacuations of civilians in conflict settings, and contributing to the activities and guidance of the Global Protection Cluster. 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 remain 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 minimising 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 contribute to improved efficiency of country-based pooled funds, including published research into understanding pooled funds and by co-chairing the OCHA-NGO Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPFs) Dialogue Platform. Going Beyond the Grand Bargain, we actively promote, in partnership with the World Bank, the implementation of the other two recommendations of the 2016 High Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing.

Partnership | Enhancing and fostering institutional partnerships with UNHCR, UNICEF, Education Cannot Wait Fund, IOM, WFP, OCHA, SDC and other Swiss donors, building on proximity with donors and existing programmes. We engage with donors at strategic level, assist Country Offices with resource mobilization and provide help desk support, offering capacity building and learning opportunities for NRC colleagues on donor procedures and engagement, we advocate for improved donor conditions.