The international humanitarian sector is in shock. US budget cuts and reductions in official development assistance (ODA) from most donor countries are severely impacting programmes and organisations. Aggressive rhetoric against ODA is exacerbating the situation and revealing new divisions within our societies regarding the relevance and importance of international solidarity. After the initial shock, voices quickly rose to call for profound changes (in funding methods, the role of local actors, bureaucracy, organisations, governance, relations with civil society, etc.), while efforts are simultanously concentrated on trying to preserve what already exists (jobs, programmes, expertise, capacity for action, partnerships, principles, etc.).
Preservation or transformation: the humanitarian system is at a crossroads. Changes are coming. In this transition phase, the challenge is to be an actor rather than a bystander, to act rather than endure. Therefore, although discussions are underway within each organisation and collective, it is essential to join forces and engage in in-depth collective reflection in order to envision these long-term changes at a strategic level.
In this context, Groupe URD is joining forces with several partners to organise a series of discussions starting in June 2025, with the aim of providing a space for strategic reflection and working together to identify possible courses of action.
- An initial event will be held on 30 June 2025 in Paris, in partnership with Coordination SUD and VOICE, and will bring together leaders of French international solidarity organisations. It will provide a space to share concerns and ongoing work, build a shared diagnosis and directly feed into a longer-term reflection process by identifying collective work to be prioritised.
- The Autumn Schools of Humanitarian Action will then provide an opportunity for further discussion, with NGO leaders invited to continue the reflection process begun in June, along with other key actors involved in transforming the humanitarian ecosystem and development cooperation, such as local partners, foundations, the United Nations, institutional partners and donors, and research institutes.
- Coordination SUD’s Community Life Day on 27 November 2025 in Paris will be a third step towards collectively building proposals and opening up to other actors.
- The Humanitarian Space Forum (FEH) organised by Alternatives humanitaires association, will take place in January 2026 in Paris and will also continue the reflection on this topic.
From 24 to 26 September 2025 in Plaisians.
The 2025 edition of the UAH is therefore unprecedented, just like the context in which it is taking place!
For this reason, invitations will be sent out on a named basis. However, if you would like to contribute to the discussions, please do not hesitate to express your interest to Jeanne Taisson.
The detailed agenda will also be drawn up at a later date, as it will be based on the topics and ideas that emerge from the day’s discussions in Paris on 30 June. More information will follow shortly…
In the meantime, feel free to (re)read the article by Véronique de Geoffroy and Laurent Saillard, ‘What next after the freeze of united states funding? Official development aid and the international aid community face existential questions about their future’, which examines the various issues at stake in this crisis 👇