Humanitarian standards initiatives chart the course ahead

Three of the best-known standards-setting initiatives to improve the quality and accountability of humanitarian response have charted the next steps towards achieving greater coherence.

“The goal of this process is to achieve greater coherence of standards in humanitarian response and to better equip aid workers and organizations,” states a 16 December joint communiqué issued by the Sphere Project, People In Aid and the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) International.

The process includes researching the extent to which standards are being used within the humanitarian and development sectors – and what would lead to better usage – as well as exploring options for bringing the current standards together into a single coherent framework. Other agreed-upon steps are: exploring the options and implications for creating a single standard-setting organization and for establishing a joint Board, as well as convening a humanitarian standards Forum in 2012.

“In the period between now and the 2012 Forum, all three initiatives will continue the collaborative work in which we are currently engaged,” the joint communiqué stated.