The opening event for the North & Southeast Asia consultations discussed the changing landscape and challenges for humanitarian action in the region. Members of the panel also highlighted the need to invest in and work with local NGOs, as they were the main actors driving humanitarian response in this region.

Event description

On 12 June, PHAP hosted a live online briefing and consultation for the World Humanitarian Summit on the topic of the consequences of a changing humanitarian landscape on humanitarian effectiveness in North and Southeast Asia. Speakers included Mr Oliver Lacey-Hall, Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Mr Jagan Chapagain, Regional Director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific zone, and Ms Lilianne Fan, Humanitarian Policy Group (HPG) of the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

This live online event was an opportunity for participants to get better acquainted with the regional consultation process and provide views and ideas on the topics discussed, ultimately helping to shape the agenda for the upcoming regional consultation event.

The World Humanitarian Summit, convened by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and managed by OCHA, will bring all interested humanitarian stakeholders together to set out a new course for how we collaborate in the vital effort to prepare for and respond to natural disasters and man-made crises around the world.

Speakers

Oliver Lacey-Hall is currently Head of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific with OCHA. He has 25 years experience in humanitarian work, including with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the European Commission, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Jagan Chapagain is the Director of the IFRC Asia Pacific zone. Jagan has fulfilled numerous leadership roles in the field with the IFRC including the head of regional delegation for central Asia, senior regional officer in Geneva, regional organizational development delegate for South-East Asia, and head of sub delegation in Montenegro. Born in Chitawan, Nepal, Jagan holds a university degree in engineering.
Lilianne Fan leads HPG's growing engagement on humanitarian action in Asia, including with ASEAN, Myanmar, China, and Indonesia. Prior to joining ODI Lilianne had served as Housing, Land and Property Coordinator for the IASC Cluster System in Haiti, as Advisor to the ASEAN Special Envoy on Post-Nargis Recovery in Myanmar, as member of the advisory team of the Governor of Aceh on sustainable development following the Aceh peace agreement of 2005, and as Senior Policy Coordinator for Oxfam International in Aceh and Nias. Lilianne holds a Master of Arts in Anthropology from Columbia University.

Recordings

Event recording (YouTube)

Event recording (downloadable audio podcast)

Event summary

An event summary is available of the discussions:

Event Summary

Participant input

Many of the event participants shared their views on four questions regarding humanitarian effectiveness in North and Southeast Asia. These responses will feed into the consultation process, and you can read a selection of them using the links below.

How would you define an “effective humanitarian response”?

In what ways has the humanitarian landscape changed in the last 10 years?

What new challenges does the changing humanitarian landscape pose for humanitarian effectiveness

What should the humanitarian landscape look like 20 years from now?

During the event, participants asked many questions regarding the World Humanitarian Summit as the theme of humanitarian effectiveness in the context of North and Southeast Asia. Some of these were addressed in the event, while others will be discussed throughout the course of the consultation process. You can find a list of all the questions asked below.

Questions from participants