About the Humanitarian Partnerships Working Group

The Humanitarian Partnerships Working Group is a forum for discussion and collaborative action around changing dynamics within the humanitarian community. Established in September 2007, the working group provides input into discussions around the UN humanitarian reform process, including the IASC clusters at both the global and field level, the improvement of and access to pooled funding mechanisms, NGO partnerships with various UN agencies, meetings with the IASC Principals, the IASC Working Group and UN OCHA meetings, and issues related to the Global Humanitarian Platform. The working group seeks to strengthen institutional capacity, educate and share operational lessons learned and collectively engage within the broader humanitarian community over issues regarding policies and programming that affect member organizations.

The HPWG has liaised with UNHCR representatives in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, in addition to U.S. officials who engage with the agency to discuss a range of issues around the relationship between UNHCR and its implementing partners, and the capacity of the agency to meet the needs of refugees and other displaced persons of concern worldwide. The HPWGalso serves to represent the InterAction membership at meetings of the UNHCR body in Geneva, Switzerland, including sessions of the UNHCR Executive Committee (ExCom), Standing Committee, Forum on Convention Plus, and addition special sessions.