The Peer-2-Peer organized a closed-door dialogue on PSEA as a follow-up to the 25 November 2020 webinar on “Transforming outrage into urgent and transformative action”. The session was facilitated by Kelly Clements, UNHCR Deputy Commissioner and IASC PSEA Champion for 2020 with the participation of Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA’s Executive Director and IASC PSEA Champion for 2021.
The UN’s Special Coordinator for PSEA, USG Jane Holl Lute; the UN’s Victims’ Rights Advocate, ASG Jane Connors; OIOS, as well as PSEA experts from OCHA, UNHCR, UNFPA and DCO attended the session. Seven Principals and Directors, six Humanitarian Coordinators and two Deputy Humanitarian Coordinators attended the dialog.
The purpose of this Dialogue was to enable a more in-depth exchange between HCs on challenges and lessons learned on PSEA, including common challenges across different contexts; identify urgent areas of support or action; and provide feedback on IASC PSEA tools/resources and on IASC priority actions to support field leadership in 2021.
The following priorities emerged through the lively and substantive discussion:
1. The important leadership role that HCs play in setting the tone to establish accountability.
2. The need for more PSEA capacity in the field to provide effective coordination and to support awareness raising and capacity development among all humanitarian personnel, including those who implement on our behalf.
3. The need for appropriate reporting mechanisms, and better linkages with GBV referral and response mechanisms.
4. The urgency of more field-based capacity for fact-finding and investigations, including better coordination between different agency investigative bodies.
5. The importance of stronger advocacy with Government, INGO and local civil society partners to adhere to the same standards, when they deliver humanitarian aid.
Participants agreed to have a follow-up session in order to delve deeper into the priority issues identified during the conversation.
