Yearly Contribution to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) 2015

The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts.

In 2014, the CERF allocated more than $460 million for Rapid Response and Underfunded Emergencies in 45 countries and territories in the world.

CERF was created by all nations, for all potential victims of disasters. CERF assures that the funds will go where they are most needed in the network of international aid organizations. It represents a real chance to provide predictable and equitable funding to those affected by natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies, as it is written in the principles of „Good Humanitarian Donorship“ to which Switzerland commits. The CERF is a specialised tool to contribute to the international commitment of burden sharing.

In 2014, the CERF Secretariat enhanced its efforts to make sure that CERF resources supported the most vulnerable, that humanitarian response is coordinated, and is focused on those who have been worst-affected by crises. The CERF Secretariat worked very closely with Humanitarian Coordinators and humanitarian country teams to help them to maximize the impact of CERF funding and prioritize the most life-saving humanitarian actions. It has also encouraged country teams to coordinate their applications, to reinforce regional planning and priorities.

The importance of timeliness of disbursement of funds from humanitarian agencies to their implementing partners was brought to the attention of the IASC. IASC members were asked by the CERF Advisory Group to demonstrate continuous measurable improvements in this respect.

Efforts to harmonize the processes for pooled funds and CERF to improve the overall coherence, efficiency and effectiveness of humanitarian coordination and action has been undertaken by the CERF Secretariat (still ongoing).

Manuel Bessler was nominated as member of the CERF Advisory Group.

Increasing funding consistency from a broader base of Member States remains at the forefront of CERF resource mobilization efforts.

CERF Secretariat to further strengthen the use of information collected through the RC/HC reports, including for demonstrating the impact of CERF to external audience.

The link with ongoing processes such as the WHS that might result in proposals to revise the humanitarian financing architecture, incl. potential changes to CERF, will be emphasized.

Switzerland (and other donors) to receive targeted key messages on the timeliness of disbursement developed by the CERF Secretariat to raise at Executive Board meetings of the respective recipient agencies.

Switzerland will closely follow the developments on a possible review of the humanitarian financing architecture and its potential impact on the CERF, especially in the framework of the WHS process.

12 out of 56 UN Member States and Observers in 2014

http://www.unocha.org/cerf/ourdonors/funding/pledges-and-contributions/2014

Since its creation in 2005, 125 UN Member and Observer States and Territories contributed, as well as 3 regional and local authorities and 33 private donors and civil society.

The CERF is a humanitarian fund that is used according to the consensus reached by the UN General Assembly on 15 December 2005, resolution A/RES/46/182.

Phase 10 01.01.2015 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)