Sphere revision: Get ready to share your views

The revision writing team has been busy at work since the initial workshop took place in Geneva in early February. Together with the review groups, they have crafted the first draft of the new Sphere standards, which will be released in mid-April (please note that the draft will be available only in English).

This first draft of the standards has a clearer and more readable format. Common terminology is building greater consistency across sectors. “Cross-cutting” themes such as cash programming, urban response, or environment are grouped and woven throughout the chapters, with a stronger introduction to the Handbook and greater emphasis on using the standards in context.

Draft 1 is the first milestone of the revision process; and the structure and content will be adjusted as drafts evolve over the coming months. Feedback from the humanitarian community is crucial at this stage.

► Please check the Sphere calendar to find a consultation near you.

Organisations and individuals planning to host consultation events are invited to submit them through the Sphere calendar. A consultation toolkit is already available.

The first online survey will take place from Tuesday, 18 April to Friday, 26 May. Please save the date (and the time!) for some serious reading and feedback in the coming weeks.