Changing the role of affected people: accountability and participation

The accountability agenda has been with us for some time. Efforts to increase accountability to crisis-affected populations are arguably rooted in findings of the Joint Evaluation of Emergency Assistance to Rwanda. Since then, requirements for upwards accountability have likewise increased. As a result, the balance between responding to expectations of host state authorities, maintaining accountability to donors and responding to the needs of crisis affected populations remains a difficult one to manage. This panel will explore efforts to increase participation of affected people in humanitarian response and the accountability of the humanitarian system towards them.