On 19 June, Estonia and the United Kingdom became co-chairmanship of the Good Humanitarian Donorship (GHD) initiative that includes 42 countries and organisations. The duration of the chairmanship is two years.
The chairmanship of Estonia and the United Kingdom will concentrate on improving the coordination of the humanitarian system and enabling humanitarian actions in conflict, including compliance with international humanitarian law.
“The role of a co-chair is a recognition and logical continuation of Estonia’s long-standing actions in providing life-saving aid across the world – whether in Ukraine, following the earthquake in Syria and Türkiye or in responding to the risk of famine on the Horn of Africa,” Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said.
“As global humanitarian needs are growing, for example, due to the war of aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine, and humanitarian principles and resources are under increasing pressure, the GHD is all the more important as a forum for discussions between humanitarian donors,” Tsahkna said.
The GHD was established 20 years ago and it is a unique network of humanitarian donors of the global humanitarian system, with donors endorsing the Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship to improve the funding and implementation of humanitarian activities in light of increasingly complicated humanitarian crises. Members include countries, the European Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation that have endorsed the principles. Estonia was previously a co-chair with Ireland from 2009 to 2010.
