We work to strengthen the empowerment of local communities
We strive to improve the impact of interventions through the increased participation, decision-making and engagement of people affected by crises. We promote a more systematic and coordinated approach to community engagement and accountability by strengthening the capacity of national and local stakeholders, including civil society organisations, to lead emergency responses as well as development and peacebuilding efforts. To ensure choice and dignity for people affected by crises, we scale up cash assistance in emergency responses when local markets enable this.
We collaborate with partners to protect people in crisis and conflict
The protection of people is central to our work. We seek to prevent harm, enhance security and enable people to exercise their rights. We work with partners across the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors to ensure a holistic approach to protection, drawing on our expertise in a wide range of areas. This includes gender-based violence, education, international human rights, shelter, coordination of crisis response and peace monitoring.
We promote climate action and sustainable responses
We seek to strengthen the ability of vulnerable communities to mitigate the impact of climate change and promote clean energy solutions. We work closely with regional and national partners in eastern and western Africa to produce better climate and weather information, strengthening the ability of farmers, fishermen and pastoralists to manage changing conditions that impact their livelihoods. We also support projects aimed at increasing access to clean, reliable and affordable energy for people living in refugee and displacement camps, as well as initiatives to replace polluting energy sources with clean energy, such as solar power.
We improve the effectiveness of multilateral institutions and responses
We strive to continuously improve the effectiveness of multilateral systems, such as the UN, where countries work together to pursue common goals. We work with partners to promote humanitarian, development and peacebuilding objectives and strengthen responses to acute and emerging crises. We promote policy development and system change where this will improve outcomes. We place experts at all decision-making levels from international to regional, national and local, and contribute to enhancing coordination and leadership.
We promote democracy and human rights
The number of authoritarian regimes worldwide has increased in recent years and efforts to strengthen democratic governance are vital to reversing this trend. We work to increase respect for people’s rights, political participation and representation. This includes taking part in election observation to help strengthen democratic institutions and processes. We also participate in projects aimed at reinforcing the rule of law in post-conflict settings and societies in transition.