Together We Stand

Core responsibility 5: Invest in humanity Accepting and acting upon our shared responsibilities for humanity requires political, institutional and financial investment. This means investing in local capacities and directing global investments to areas of highest risk and fragile situations. To underpin new ways of working, we also need new ways of investing, that promote and incentiv- ize collective outcomes, rather than funding that promotes fragmentation. We must also reduce the funding gap for humanitarian needs. It is morally unacceptable that any one should to die or live without dignity for the lack of money. Istanbul — A call to action Taken together, the five core responsibilities of the Agenda for Humanity have the potential to change lives, and to kick off a major shift in how the global community addresses human suffering by preparing for and responding to crises. The World Humanitarian Summit is therefore not an endpoint, but a starting point to make a real difference in the lives of millions of women, men and children. It will be a launchpad for a set of actions that will enable the world to better prepare for and respond to crises, and become more resilient to shocks. After the Summit, the work must continue to implement the commitments and monitor progress and promote change. The implementation of the commitments should begin right away. The Secretary-General has called for measurable progress within the next three years. Istanbul is the moment to commit to the unity and coop- eration needed to confront these challenges, to accept our core responsibilities to prevent and end suffering, and to take all steps necessary to accept humanity as the driver of our decision-making and collective action. But all of us have a role to play in delivering the Agenda for Humanity and in building a shared vision for action, change and mutual accountability. It is my hope that for years and decades to come, we will look back at the Summit as a turning point in how we as an international community come together to resolve our differences, accept our individual and collective responsi- bilities, and confront the challenges of our time collectively and coherently. This is how we must respond to some of the greatest challenges of our generation. We must deliver the unity and political will to create a better future. Millions of women, men and children in crisis should expect nothing less from us. Image: WHO/F.Guerrero Thanks to the swift disbursement of US$1.7 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Philippines was able to provide urgent medical care for hundreds of thousands of people affected by the storm [ 12 ] T ogether W e S tand