An initiative of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, managed by UN OCHA, the first World Humanitarian Summit will be held in Istanbul on 23 and 24 May 2016. The event will bring together governments, humanitarian organizations, people affected by humanitarian crises and new partners including the private sector to propose solutions to our most pressing challenges and set an agenda to keep humanitarian action fit for the future.
The number of people affected by humanitarian crises has almost doubled over the past decade, and is expected to keep rising. Today, more people are affected by conflict and disaster, more frequently, and for longer than in previous decades. Humanitarian action must continue evolving in order to keep pace with our rapidly changing world and meet the needs of millions of people now and in years to come.
The last global discussion on humanitarian action took place almost 25 years ago. Since then, the humanitarian landscape has changed tremendously. There have been global economic shifts, demographic changes such as urbanization, and tremendous improvements in technology. At the same time, humanity is facing new challenges caused by global trends such as climate change and rapid population growth.
In the two years leading up to the summit, extensive consultations will be held to gather the perspectives, priorities and recommendations of all stakeholders on what must be done to make humanitarian action fit for the future. In 2014 and 2015, eight regional consultations are being held to gather views from around the world about how we can jointly address future needs.
See all information about consultations and the main event on the official website, here.
