Humanitarian actors on Thursday called for the effective implementation of the Grand Bargain Commitments, which advocate allocating 25 percent of direct funding to local responders, with accountability and support for their leadership and capacity at the country level.
The Grand Bargain Commitment, signed by around 68 UN agencies and INGOs, was adopted in Istanbul in May 2016 during the World Humanitarian Summit.
The demand was voiced at a webinar titled "Reflection from the Field: Accelerating Grand Bargain 3.0" organised by COAST Foundation, BDCSO Process, and the Cox's Bazar CSO-NGO Forum.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation, moderated the event, with Md. Iqbal Uddin from the same organisation delivering the keynote presentation.
Distinguished speakers included Matilda Svensson, First Secretary at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangladesh; Elise Baudot, Head of Humanitarian Financing at ICVA in Switzerland; Bjoern Hofmann, Senior Advisor at the Grand Bargain Secretariat in Switzerland; Sajid Raihan, Country Manager of Start Fund Bangladesh; Yumna Hasany from Community World Service Asia; Sudhanshu S. Singh from Humanitarian Aid International in India; Josephine Alabi from Keen and Care Initiative in Nigeria; Reefat Bin Sattar from Save the Children in Bangladesh; and Win Tun Kyi representing the National Reference Group from Myanmar.
Organisers emphasised that the Grand Bargain commitments, consisting of 51 indicators, are designed to enhance localisation, accountability to affected populations, and aid transparency. Achieving these goals at the country level requires coordinated efforts from UN agencies, INGOs, and local humanitarian actors.
Speakers raised concerns over certain INGO branches registering locally and portraying themselves as local NGOs, a practice they argued undermines the spirit of the Grand Bargain's localisation commitments.
In his keynote, Iqbal Uddin highlighted that the implementation of Grand Bargain 3.0, due to conclude in 2026, necessitates donors and aid organisations ensuring 25 percent direct funding to local responders, accompanied by accountability and support for their leadership.
Elise Baudot discussed ICVA's role in fostering quality partnerships and direct funding to empower local actors as transformative elements of humanitarian response.
Bjoern Hofmann noted that the Grand Bargain Secretariat is working with ambassadors in Geneva to establish National Reference Groups, enabling feedback from local actors.
Matilda Svensson reiterated Sweden's commitment to localisation, advocating for quality funding, equitable partnerships, and enhanced local leadership.
Sajid Raihan urged a co-creation approach in organisational development and risk-sharing, countering misconceptions about local organisations' governance.
Yumna Hasany questioned the prevailing narrative of capacity building, advocating mutual respect and a unified definition of localisation.
Sudhanshu S. Singh revealed that while 4.5 percent of funding flows directly to some foundations, only 0.6 percent reaches local actors, urging greater support for local expertise.
Josephine Alabi stressed the importance of prompt implementation of commitments and warned against conflating INGO registrations with local NGOs.
Reefat Bin Sattar called for complementarity and equal partnerships in advancing localisation.
Additional speakers, including Masuda Ratna, Rafiqul Islam, and Sheikh Asad, shared perspectives on furthering localisation efforts in Bangladesh.
