Oxfam International Pledge - African Union Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference, May 2022

Introduction:

Oxfam knows the power of people.

In 26 African countries and through our continental Pan-Africa Program, we are working with African people, communities, indigenous African organisations and governments, before, during, and after crises to build their resilience, save lives, and address the root causes of conflict and disaster.

We are committed to making humanitarian action as local as possible. In Africa, we partner with 116 national civil society organizations engaged in humanitarian work. We share resources and support their programs and their leadership to ensure that they continuously increase their role in and influence over humanitarian aid systems and responses.

Oxfam’s pledge to the African Union, its member states and citizens of Africa, is that our contributions to humanitarian action will support Africa’s aspiration (#6) in Agenda 2063 for development that is “people-driven,” that builds “on the potential of African people,” and where “citizens of African [are] actively involved in decision making.”

Our Pledge:

• Oxfam will work to transform and decolonize the humanitarian system, and to reorient it towards local leadership so that aid is more effective, appropriate and tailored to meet local needs and expectations.
• We will value the experience and knowledge of the people and communities experiencing or at risk of humanitarian crisis, conflict or disaster. We will ensure that they are heard. We will amplify their voices and use our power and privilege to open spaces in which they can influence, engage duty bearers, and hold them to account.
• We will promote the important role of local and national actors and celebrate the work that they do.
• We will ensure our engagements with communities and those who support them are based on the principles of inclusivity, equality and transparency. We will continue to transform Oxfam’s culture and ways of working to enable this.
• We will ensure that our local and national collaborators are involved in the design of the programmes at the outset and participate in decision-making as equals in influencing programme design and partnership policies.
• We will expand opportunities for those impacted by crises to lead on developing sustainable solutions. We will support their participation in decision-making and coordination spaces and help them meaningfully engage in processes and structures to address humanitarian needs.
• We will increase our funding to national and local NGOs for humanitarian action and more consistently meet our commitment to passing at least 30% of our own humanitarian funding to national and local NGOs. In 2022, we pledge to provide 18 million Euro in funding to national organizations in Africa.
• We will call on donors to consistently increase the percentage of their humanitarian funding going to national and local NGOs. We will connect NGOs to donors and support them to access direct, quality financing. 
• We will support local actors, including local governments, to become robust organizations and institutions by increasing our contributions to and funding for institutional capacity strengthening.
• We will support the activism of women’s rights and feminist organizations and movements for a world of equality. We will support women’s meaningful participation and leadership in humanitarian action.
• We will invest in young people’s leadership, autonomy and agency, and join them in speaking truth to power as they demand a more just and sustainable future.
• We are committed to holding ourselves accountable for implementing this pledge and our other humanitarian commitments, to ensure adequate and quality humanitarian responses that fully honor our shared and equal humanity.