The next phase of the so-called humanitarian reset is lurching forward.
Drained of funding but facing growing global needs, the conventional humanitarian sector will set out on the next steps of a reform plan dubbed “the reset”, UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said following a mini-summit of (some) aid leaders last week.
“Phase two”, as Fletcher is calling it, describes a slightly leaner version of today’s system, with a to-do list of past promises to be more collaborative, to listen better, and be more inclusive of local leadership.
The reset was intended in part as a collective reply from a system facing a Trump-worsened crisis of funding and legitimacy. But weeks of mostly closed-door discussions underline a vast gap in expectations – between those looking to retool the humanitarian system, and those looking to reimagine or remake it entirely.
Many humanitarians say they’re searching for deeper systemic transformation. Here are eight opinion and think pieces on reset and reform that might signpost the way forward:
Beyond the reset: Five priorities for genuine humanitarian transformation
“There are no quick fixes. But here are five ideas for change beyond the reset.”
Reforming humanitarianism can’t be left to today’s decision-makers
“The problem is not what’s being proposed but who is being asked to deliver change. The leadership needed to navigate this crisis will have to come from elsewhere.”
Defending humanitarianism: Today’s aid turmoil calls for reform, not abandonment
“The choice is not between cynicism and radical reinvention. There is a middle path – a pragmatic, principled reform.”
The end of aid: What the Global South needs to do
“Six key actions countries can take – and should have taken a long time ago – if they are to liberate themselves from dependence on foreign aid.”
What if we stopped aid altogether?
“Here’s the uncomfortable truth: If your humanitarian mission dies when the money dries up, it was never a mission, it was a business.”
Capitalism co-opted humanitarianism. We can save it
“The formalised humanitarian system emerged from existing mutual aid, solidarity, and cooperation. But expansionist logic now dominates. Capitalist humanitarianism must be brought to heel for any meaningful change to emerge.”
It’s economics, stupid: Why the UN is inefficient and what to do about it
“Budget cuts and dramatic restructuring aren’t going to cut it. The aid sector needs to understand its economic inefficiency problem.”
Want to change the aid system? Start with justice, not charity
”Countries in the Global South must shift the framing on the future of aid. This can’t be done unless the twin issues of debt and taxes are addressed.”
