One might think that there was a consensus about giving a central role to local actors in crisis response… Experience has shown how essential the role of local actors is in the initial hours and days after a disaster, or to gain access to difficult or contested areas in numerous conflicts, where international operators are not welcome. And yet, the debates about how to put localisation into practice have been more complex than expected. This special issue of Humanitarian Aid on the Move aimed to shed light on these debates, presenting a number of points of view based on examples from a variety of contexts.

To coincide with this, Groupe URD has been pleased to organise a workshop/debate/aperitif to discuss the localisation of humanitarian aid on 27 February 2018 at the Maison des Métallos (Paris, 11th arrondissement). François Grunewald, Véronique de Geoffroy and Anne Burlat from Groupe URD hosted two hours of debate from 5 till 7 pm, which have been followed by an aperitif from 7 till 8pm, to continue discussions in a more informal way.