The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) was established in June 1992 in response to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182 on the strengthening of humanitarian assistance. General Assembly Resolution 48/57 affirmed its role as the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance.
Under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), the IASC develops humanitarian policies, agrees on a clear division of responsibility for the various aspects of humanitarian assistance, identifies and addresses gaps in response, and advocates for effective application of humanitarian principles. The ERC is responsible for the oversight of all emergencies requiring United Nations humanitarian assistance. In a country affected by a disaster or conflict, the ERC may appoint a Humanitarian Coordinator.
The IASC Principals are the heads of the organisations that form the IASC. They are responsible for making strategic and policy decisions which have system-wide implications but which also respect individual organisations’ mandates.
The IASC Emergency Directors Group (EDG) support humanitarian operations by advising the ERC and the IASC Principals on operational issues of strategic concern and by mobilising agency resources to address operational challenges and gaps in support of Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Teams.
Transformative Agenda
The Transformative Agenda was created in December 2011 by the IASC Principals. The Transformative Agenda Protocols establish the criteria for improved collective action in humanitarian emergencies. The Transformative Agenda aims to enhance the predictability, accountability, and responsiveness of humanitarian operations – especially for system-wide Level 3 crises. The Transformative Agenda capitalises on partnerships and complementarities across IASC members by reinforcing a collective approach in three areas: leadership, coordination and accountability.
The P2P Support team supports Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Teams strengthen implementation of the three core Transformative Agenda pillars: leadership, coordination, and accountability to affected people. The team also provides support on other key issues that Humanitarian Coordinators and Humanitarian Country Teams have consistently raised as challenging for collective leadership, including the Centrality of Protection, Gender-Based Violence, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and localisation.