Humanitarian agenda 2015: principles, power, and perceptions

This report summarises the findings of the first phase of a research project on the challenges and compromises that are likely to affect humanitarian action in the next decade. The analysis is based on six case studies from Afghanistan, Burundi, Colombia, Liberia, northern Uganda and the Sudan. It argues that humanitarianism in the post 9/11 world is undergoing a crisis, and that action aimed at alleviating the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable has been for the most part incorporated into a northern political and security agenda.

The report focuses on 4 main areas:

• the universality of humanitarianism
• the implications of terrorism and counter-terrorism for humanitarian action
• the search for coherence between humanitarian and political agendas
• the security of humanitarian personnel and the benefi¬ciaries of humanitarian action.

The case studies involved interviews and focus group meetings at the community level aimed at eliciting perceptions of local people on the functioning of the humanitarian enterprise, as well as interviews with aid community staff and an electronic survey of headquarters personnel.

Key findings include the following:

• with respect to universality, humanitarian action is widely viewed as a northern enterprise that carries values and baggage sometimes at odds with those of civilians affected by conflict on the ground. Urgent steps are needed to make it more truly universal, inclusive, culturally-sensitive, grounded and accountable to beneficiaries
  
• governments and non-state actors use the concepts of terrorism and counter-terrorism loosely and opportunistically, often frustrating the needs-based work of humanitarian agencies. Humanitarian actors need to be more discerning in understanding the political and military forces at work, and more creative in finding ways to function in highly politicised circumstances
  
• the political-humanitarian relationship is far from a collaboration among equals. There is a danger that the coherence approach will allow humanitarian and human rights priorities to be made subservient to political objectives
  
• there is a disconnect between the security perceptions of affected communities and those of aid agencies. Understanding local perceptions of security is key, both for the effectiveness of humanitarian action and the security of aid workers
  
• the humanitarian enterprise is vulnerable to manipulation by powerful political forces far more than is widely understood. Failure to address and reverse present trends will result in the demise of an international assistance and protection regime based on time-tested humanitarian principles.