Together We Stand

[ 10 ] participants from around the world to review the outcomes of the process. OCHA and its partners also used innovative digital tools to broaden the reach of the consultations. Each consultation was accompanied by an online discussion, which gathered voices and views from a broad audience. In partnership with UNITE Ideas, the WHSs held a data visualization competi- tion, “Visualize Change.” With support from UNICEF, the WHSs used ‘U-Report,’ an SMS based consultation tool, to reach out to over 550,000 young people in 5 countries and ask their opinions on humanitarian issues. As a result, over 170,000 text messages were received in a 24-hour period, representing a decisive insight of young people’s experi- ences, priorities, and responses to humanitarian crises. A call to restore humanity In September 2015 the WHS secretariat presented its report “ Restoring humanity: global voices calling for action ,” presenting the findings of the extensive and inclusive consultation process. The consultations produced a resounding cry to put affected people at the heart of humanitarian action. They generated a demand for a world whose fundamental humanity is restored, a world where no one confronted by crisis dies who can be saved, goes hungry, or is victim- ized by conflict because there is not enough political will or resources to help them. The process highlighted that even as global leaders pledged, through the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to “leave no one behind”, the needs and dignity of millions of people in crises are being neglected. Decisive, collective action is needed to uphold our shared responsibility to save lives and enable people to live lives of dignity. The consultation process highlighted five critical areas in which collective action is needed, and set out an ambitious vision for each: • Dignity: Empower people to cope and recover with dignity through humanitarian action that puts people at its heart, delivers equally for women and girls, reaches everyone, invests in youth and children, and protects and enables people as the primary agents of their own response. • Safety: Keep people safe from harm by putting protection at the centre of humanitarian action, increasing political action to prevent and end conflict, preventing and putting an end to violations of international humanitarian law, and ensuring humanitarian action is not instrumentalized. • Resilience: Build hope and solutions for people in new or prolonged crises through collective action by humanitarian, development and other partners to strengthen people’s resilience to crises, by investing in preparedness, managing and mitigating risk, reducing vulnerability, finding durable solutions for protracted displacement, and adapting to new threats. • Partnerships: Build diverse and inclusive partnerships that reaffirm the core humanitarian principles, support effective and people-driven humanitarian action, enable first responders to take a leadership role, and leverage the power of innovation. • Finance: Ensure sufficient and more efficient use of resources to preserve life, dignity and resilience in crises through new and diverse funding sources and expanded support to local organizations. The vision and recommendations of the consultation process were widely supported and built upon during the Global Consultation, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, in October 2015. The Secretary General’s Agenda for Humanity In February 2016, the United Nations Secretary-General launched his report for the World Humanitarian Summit titled “ One Humanity, Shared responsibility .” The report builds on the messages from the World Humanitarian Summit consultation process, as well as those from other key processes such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the high-level panels on peace operations and humanitarian financing, the peace-building review, the review of resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, and the new Sendai framework for disaster risk reduction, and the Paris Agreement. Through the report, the Secretary-General calls for the need to place humanity — people’s safety, dignity and their right to thrive — at the centre of global decision making. He emphasizes the urgency and timeliness of the Summit, given the level of challenges facing the international community and the human suffering witnessed today, and calls upon governments, the United Nations and humanitarian organi- zations and other stakeholders to accept and act upon five core responsibilities to deliver for humanity and puts forward his Agenda for Humanity that outlines the key actions and strategic shifts necessary to deliver on them. Core responsibility 1: Political leadership to prevent and end conflicts More than 80 per cent of humanitarian needs are generated by conflicts. The Secretary-General highlights that prevent- ing conflicts and finding political solutions to resolve them is our first and foremost responsibility to humanity. He calls on global leaders to demonstrate timely, coherent and deci- sive political leadership, to stand up for values and respect the rules they have agreed on, and to do more to prevent conflicts by identifying early signs of deteriorating situations and acting on them. We must shift from a focus on crisis response to a culture of early action. Prevention also requires more sustained investment and engagement in promoting peaceful and inclusive societies and strengthening legitimate and inclusive institutions, including through the meaning- ful inclusion of women and women’s groups in political decision-making and peace processes, and much greater investment in building inclusive and peaceful institutions. Core responsibility 2: Uphold the norms that safeguard humanity Even wars have rules; yet we are witnessing today the erosion of more than 150 years of international humanitarian law. The Secretary-General has called on all states and parties to a conflict to recommit to upholding the rules that protect humanity, minimize human suffering, and protect civilians. This means stopping the bombing and shelling of civil- T ogether W e S tand