In the meeting, Members agreed on a DAC Recommendation on the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus. This recommendation aims to promote more coherent action among the world’s leading donors of humanitarian, development and peace programmes in fragile and conflict contexts.

Working to provide assistance in these contexts requires the engagement of many actors, based on their respective comparative advantage.  Effective support to communities affected by fragility or conflict requires a shared approach that prioritises prevention always, development wherever possible, and humanitarian action when necessary. Donors need strategic plans to apply the right resources in the right places at the right time. Implementation of the recommendation will be monitored through existing mechanisms and progress will be reported back to the DAC regularly.

“By 2030, 80% of the world’s poor will live in fragile and conflict affected contexts. To reach these people – those left farthest behind - we need to work in different ways in conflicts and crises. A more coherent approach between humanitarian, development and peace actors is badly needed, and this recommendation will help DAC Members move from rhetoric to action.”
Susanna Moorehead, Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committee

This year’s meeting included a critically important discussion on combating sexual exploitation and abuse in the development and humanitarian sectors. Members agreed on principles to guide a future DAC policy instrument on this topic, with which DAC members will hold each other to account and follow-up on progress.

In response to incidences of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) in development co-operation and humanitarian assistance, in June 2018 all 30 DAC members agreed to take collective action by developing a DAC instrument to maximize prevention and improved internal systems. Today, after nine months of engagement by members and experts, DAC senior officials discussed and supported the Pillars of a Proposed DAC Recommendation on Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and Sexual Harassment in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Assistance which would be the first international commitment of its kind. Through the DAC Reference Group on PSEA, DAC members will work together on a proposed DAC Recommendation.

Other topics that were discussed were innovative financing for sustainable development, progress for the joint OECD-UN work on a new statistical framework for Total Official Support for Sustainable Development (TOSSD) and policy implications of the latest Development Co-operation Report and its contributions to understanding the concept of “Leaving No One Behind”.

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