ROHINGYA CRISIS

UNHCR, UNDP and Myanmar Sign MOU to support the creation of conditions for the return of Rohingya refugees

The MOU entails access for UNDP and UNHCR to Rakhine State – to look at conditions and enable development and programming activities that will impact the community. UNHCR have stated that “this MOU is a first and necessary step to establish a framework for cooperation between the UN and the Government of Myanmar, aimed at creating conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of refugees from Bangladesh and for helping to create improved and resilient livelihoods for all communities living in Rakhine State.” It has been noted that signing and implementation of the MOU are two very different things.

http://www.unhcr.org/news/press/2018/6/5b1787e64/unhcr-undp-sign-memorandum-understanding-mou-myanmar-support-creation-conditions.html

UNHCR Briefing on Bangladesh

UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, George Okoth-Obbo, gave a briefing in Geneva on his recent mission to Cox’s Bazar. He discussed the overall response and highlighted efforts in monsoon preparedness and also the challenges that remain in this regard. Discussion by stakeholders highlighted the structural issues that remain with the response, including issues related to SGBV, protection and providing basic services. The transition to longer-term programming is still being restricted by the Government although some small gains have been made in areas of health and education.

CHINA

China’s New Foreign Aid Agency

Further information is slowly coming to light on China’s new Foreign Aid Agency, the State International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDCA). This article by Devex examines what is currently known, including implications of the announcement of the new head of the agency, who was appointed on April 4. https://www.devex.com/news/china-s-new-aid-agency-what-we-know-92553. The agency was officially launched on April 18 http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-04/18/c_137120544.htm

With the close links between SIDCA and the Belt and Road, progress of this initiative is likely to be closely linked to China’s aid planning. The following article provides a critical analysis of progress to date in a number of Asian countries.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Cover-Story/Is-China-s-Belt-and-Road-working-A-progress-report-from-eight-countries

ASEAN

The AHA Centre and APG

The new edition of The Column, the monthly newsletter of the AHA Centre is out now. It contains an article on the AADMER Partnership Group, the NGO consortium working with ASEAN and the AHA Centre to strengthen disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response in the region. ICVA is an observer to the APG and is actively supporting its strategic planning and work to expand the APG membership to include more regional and national NGOs and networks in coming months.

https://ahacentre.org/publication/the-column-38/

PHILIPPINES

Launch of SAFER in Philippines: 

Three of the largest networks of local and national NGOs in the Philippines; Caucus of Development NGOs (CODE-NGO), Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC), and NASSA/Caritas Philippines, have joined forces to address financial gaps in disaster response through the Shared Aid Fund for Emergency Response (SAFER).  SAFER is a NGO-run collective fundraising mechanism and pooled fund for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. When disaster strikes, funds will be channelled to SAFER-accredited NGOs with presence in 87 cities and municipalities in the country, enabling them to respond to the disasters and emergencies quickly. ICVA attended the launch of SAFER in Manila on 15 May. The platform is informed by other collective fundraising mechanisms such as the UK Disasters Emergency Committee and is one way in which NGOs in the Philippines are working towards localization.  

For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/saferpinas or https://www.gavagives.com/org/safer or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

APRRN - Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network

The 7th Asia Pacific Consultation on Refugee Rights (APCRR7) will be held from 23-25 October 2018 in Bangkok, Thailand. APCRR7 is hosted and coordinated by APRRN. The APCRR serves as platform to bring together refugee rights practitioners from around the region to discuss and strategize ways to address challenges and share best practices from around the region and the globe. 

Application link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCZdZo60s1TI75BzcaPi9-0mY-dnRSd9ZITr9MQQkKz6E57g/viewform?usp=sf_link 

APRRN’s second newsletter for 2018 updates on their work with the Global Compact on Migration and Global Compact on Refugees, plus outreach trips and scoping missions across the region. 

http://aprrn.info/june-2018-issue/ 

NGO FORA SUPPORT PROGRAMME

Invitation to Participate in an ICVA survey on NGO Fora Member Engagement

ICVA is commissioning a guide on “NGO Fora Member Engagement”. This is in direct response to a series of consultations with NGO Fora undertaken by ICVA where participants highlighted the need to continue to improve how they engage members into an NGO forum. The purpose of the guide is to document best practices in the management of a collective, recognising that NGO Fora are highly diverse but that engagement of members is of paramount importance in a fora’s effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. ICVA has commissioned Melissa Phillips, herself a former NGO Forum Coordinator, to develop this guide and she is seeking your inputs through completion of a survey which is available online athttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5Q7B3QL . If you would prefer to complete an interview via Skype or would like to receive more information please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 TOOLKITS

Toolkit: Responding to Violence against Humanitarian Action on the Policy Level

The Working Group on Protection of Humanitarian Action, an initiative gathering more than 20 partners and co-led by the Advanced Training Program on Humanitarian Action (ATHA) at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) and Action Against Hunger (Action contre la Faim), is pleased to share with you the Toolkit: Responding to Violence against Humanitarian Action on the Policy Level: http://atha.se/thematicbrief/toolkit-responding-violence-against-humanitarian-action-policy-level.

The purpose of this toolkit is to offer guidance and support to humanitarian actors for responding to violence against humanitarian action, in order to promote a more protective environment for the provision of humanitarian aid to civilians. It aims to complement and strengthen operational and security responses to acts of violence or incitement to violence against the humanitarian mission, or humanitarian organizations’ personnel, facilities, assets, and activities. 

OPPORTUNITIES

Secretary-General, Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network

APRRN is seeking an energetic and visionary Secretary-General to coordinate and provide strategic support to our dynamic member-led network. Further details about the position and how to apply can be found attached.

International C4D Consultant, Documentation and Knowledge Management, Focusing on Rohingya Response-P4; Bangladesh

https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=513050 

International C4D Consultant for Development of SBCC Strategy-P4; Bangladesh

https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=513577

MID-YEAR READING

As we move towards mid-year deadlines, a wealth of reports are being published by actors in the region, or globally of relevance to Asia.

LOCALIZATION

On the Road to 2020: Grand Bargain Commitment to Support National and Local responders

A recent and very thorough summary published by Trocaire on the current state of progress of a range of stakeholders and overall landscape in regards to localization, with a focus on the Grand Bargain.

https://www.trocaire.org/sites/default/files/resources/policy/on-the-road-to-2020-localisation-the-grand-bargain.pdf

International Humanitarian Aid and the ‘Localization’ Debate: Why is it important to have “Local Funds” for “Local Organization”?

This paper by Humanitarian Aid International looks at localization with a focus on issues related to registration of INGOs and fundraising and in the Indian context.

http://www.ris.org.in/fidc/sites/default/files/FIDC%20policy%20brief%2310%20_Final.pdf

Transforming Surge Capacity Project Report

This report presents the findings and recommendations from the final evaluation of The Transforming Surge Capacity Project, launched by the Start Network in January 2015. The project sought to improve surge capacity across the sector by increasing the capacity of surge personnel; piloting joint rosters to improve organizational surge capacity; and building evidence for collaborative and localized surge approaches in two countries (Pakistan and the Philippines) and an Asian regional platform based in Bangkok.

https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TSC_Evaluation_Electronic_April18_FINAL.pdf

LEADERSHIP

Study of Leadership Transition in the Philippine NGO Sector

The Association of Foundations (AF), with support from Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), conducted this study to better understand the challenges faced by Philippine NGOs in transitioning from existing to future leadership at the Executive Director (ED) level, or its equivalent. This study will inform the design of a support package for the NGO sector in dealing with leadership transition, which is framed mainly as issues related to attracting, keeping, and upskilling the pool of NGO talents, as well as identifying future NGO leaders.

http://afonline.org/wp-site/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Study-on-Leadership-Transition-FINAL-as-of-23-April-2018.pdf

Women’s Leadership

This study looks at gender parity for women’s voices in humanitarian media, which is important to address inequalities in humanitarian action and how people perceive the role of women in humanitarian action, including by women themselves. Underrepresentation of women in humanitarian leadership reflects the global situation, in which women make up just 26% of senior managers and 20% of executives.

https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/HAG-Womens-Voice-in-Humanitarian-Media.pdf

DIVERSITY

The first-ever Asia-Pacific Pride in the Humanitarian System Conference was held this week in Bangkok, bringing together representatives from LGBTIQ communities from more than 15 countries across the region, from Afghanistan to Nepal to Vanuatu. The following practice paper was launched at the conference.

https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HH_Practice-Paper-Sexual-and-Gender-Minorities-in-humanitarian-response.pdf

PSEA and SAFEGUARDING

Report: FROM AN OMBUDSMAN TO A HUMANITARIAN PASSPORT: HOW SHOULD WE BE ADDRESSING ABUSE IN THE INTERNATIONAL AID SECTOR?

https://humanitarianadvisorygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/HAG-Safeguarding-Thinkpiece-May-2018.pdf