Global Humanitarian Policy Forum 2025 Attendees’ Briefing Packet – Protecting Principles, Norms and Values – ReliefWeb

Report on the 2025 Global Humanitarian Policy Forum (GHPF)

Forum Overview and Strategic Objectives

The fourteenth Global Humanitarian Policy Forum (GHPF) is scheduled for 11-12 December 2025, under the theme: Protecting principles, norms and values. The forum, co-hosted by OCHA and the UN Foundation, will convene in a hybrid format. The primary focus is to address critical challenges facing the global humanitarian system and its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The strategic objectives are as follows:

1. To identify and scale measures within the multilateral system to counter emerging risks faced by the most vulnerable populations. These risks, stemming from shifting geopolitics, the climate crisis, and a decline in respect for international norms, directly threaten progress on SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2. To accelerate systemic transformations, as envisioned by the Humanitarian Reset and UN80 initiatives. This objective aims to enhance multi-stakeholder dialogue and leverage lessons from country-level experiences to strengthen the framework for achieving SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Global Context: A Challenge to Sustainable Development

The year 2025 is marked by unprecedented strain on the global humanitarian system, creating significant setbacks for the 2030 Agenda. A severe funding crisis has forced humanitarian actors to make critical prioritizations, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable communities.

• Funding Crisis: The massive shortfall in humanitarian funding directly undermines efforts to achieve SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) for populations in conflict and crisis zones.
• Impact on Gender Equality: Funding cuts pose a significant threat to women-led and women’s rights organizations, jeopardizing progress on SDG 5 (Gender Equality). Surveys indicate nearly half of these organizations expect to cease operations.
• Resource Misallocation: Global military spending reached a record $2.7 trillion in 2024. This allocation of resources stands in stark contrast to the underfunded humanitarian sector, highlighting a global challenge to the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

Strategic Reforms: The Humanitarian Reset and UN80 Initiative

In response to these challenges, the international community is pursuing significant reforms to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian action. The Emergency Relief Coordinator’s Humanitarian Reset prioritizes a system that delivers aid effectively, defends international norms, and devolves power to local actors. Concurrently, the Secretary-General’s UN80 reform seeks to build a more effective multilateral system.

These initiatives are critical for realigning humanitarian efforts with the Sustainable Development Goals. The Flagship Initiative (2023-2025), implemented in Colombia, Niger, the Philippines, and South Sudan, offers valuable lessons on reimagining humanitarian coordination to better support communities affected by crisis, thereby contributing to the localization agenda inherent in achieving SDG 16 and SDG 17.

Upholding International Norms: A Prerequisite for SDG 16

A cornerstone of the proposed reforms is the collective defense of global norms and values, which is fundamental to achieving SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Recent data indicates a severe erosion of respect for international humanitarian law.

• Civilian Harm: In 2024, over 36,000 civilians were killed in armed conflicts, and 122.6 million people were forcibly displaced, representing a direct failure to protect lives and ensure stability as mandated by SDG 16.
• Attacks on Infrastructure: The widespread use of explosive weapons in populated areas has destroyed critical civilian infrastructure, including over 90 health facilities. These attacks are a direct assault on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• Violations Against Children: The UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children in armed conflict, a severe breach of international law and a major impediment to achieving SDG 16.2 (End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children).

The changing nature of conflict, including increased digitization and automation, presents new risks to civilians. Urgent collective action is required to enforce international humanitarian law and uphold shared principles to restore trust and create an enabling environment for sustainable development.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article’s central theme is the erosion of international norms and humanitarian law amid rising global conflicts. It directly discusses the killing of civilians, violations against children, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, all of which are core concerns of SDG 16. The call to “defend of our global norms and values” and enforce international humanitarian law is a direct appeal to strengthen institutions and promote peace.
2. SDG 5: Gender Equality
   • The article specifically highlights the disproportionate impact of humanitarian funding cuts on women. It states that these cuts particularly threaten “women-led and women’s rights organizations on the front lines,” which undermines efforts to empower women and ensure their participation in crisis response and peacebuilding.
3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article points to direct attacks on healthcare systems during conflicts. The mention of medical workers being killed and health facilities being damaged or destroyed in conflict zones demonstrates a severe setback for ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all, especially for vulnerable populations in crisis.
4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
   • The article discusses the “massive funding crisis” for humanitarian aid, contrasting it with surging global military spending. This highlights a failure in global financial partnerships and policy coherence for sustainable development. Furthermore, the entire GHPF event, along with initiatives like the “Humanitarian Reset” and “UN80,” are examples of multi-stakeholder efforts to revitalize global partnerships to address these challenges.
5. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article focuses on the “most vulnerable” populations who are hardest hit by conflict, climate change, and funding cuts. The mention of 122.6 million forcibly displaced people underscores the growing inequality faced by those who are uprooted from their homes and livelihoods due to crises.
6. SDG 13: Climate Action
   • The article explicitly identifies the “climate crisis” as one of the key threats creating “emerging risks faced by the most vulnerable.” This connects the humanitarian challenges discussed to the broader need for climate action to protect communities and prevent climate-related disasters from exacerbating conflicts and displacement.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Under SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions):
   • Target 16.1: “Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.” The article directly relates to this target by stating that “More than 36,000 civilians were killed in 14 armed conflicts in 2024.”
   • Target 16.2: “End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.” This is addressed by the statistic that “The UN verified 41,370 ‘grave violations’ against children in armed conflict.”
2. Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
   • Target 5.c: “Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.” The article implies a failure to meet this target by noting that funding cuts disproportionately harm “women-led and women’s rights organizations,” indicating a lack of protective financial policies for these crucial groups.
3. Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
   • Target 3.d: “Strengthen the capacity of all countries… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks.” The article shows a regression on this target by detailing the destruction of health infrastructure (“more than 90 health facilities damaged or destroyed”) and the killing of healthcare personnel (“More than 870 medical workers were killed”), which severely weakens a country’s capacity to manage health risks, especially during a crisis.
4. Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
   • Target 17.14: “Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development.” The article highlights a stark lack of policy coherence by contrasting the “massive funding crisis” for humanitarian aid with the record-high global military spending of “$2.7 trillion.”
   • Target 17.16: “Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships…” The GHPF forum itself, along with the “Humanitarian Reset” and “UN80” reform processes, are direct efforts aimed at achieving this target by fostering multi-stakeholder dialogue and reforming the multilateral system.
5. Under SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities):
   • Target 10.7: “Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people…” The figure of “122.6 million people globally remained forcibly displaced” points to the immense challenge and lack of progress related to this target, as forced displacement is the opposite of orderly and safe mobility.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article provides several specific quantitative data points that can serve as direct or proxy indicators for measuring progress (or lack thereof) towards the identified targets.

• Indicator for SDG Target 16.1: The number of civilian deaths in conflicts. The article provides the figure: “More than 36,000 civilians were killed in 14 armed conflicts in 2024.”
• Indicator for SDG Target 16.2: The number of verified violations against children in conflict. The article states: “41,370 ‘grave violations’ against children in armed conflict.”
• Indicator for SDG Target 10.7: The number of forcibly displaced persons worldwide. The article gives the number: “122.6 million people globally remained forcibly displaced.”
• Indicators for SDG Target 3.d: The number of attacks on healthcare. The article provides two metrics: “More than 870 medical workers were killed” and “more than 90 health facilities damaged or destroyed in 20 conflicts.”
• Indicator for SDG Target 17.14: A measure of policy incoherence can be implied from the comparison of humanitarian vs. military spending. The article provides the figure for military spending: “$2.7 trillion,” which can be contrasted with the described “massive funding crisis” in humanitarian aid.
• Indicator for SDG Target 5.c: The operational capacity of women-led organizations. An implied indicator is the percentage of these organizations at risk of closure due to funding cuts, as the article notes, “Nearly half of those surveyed on the impacts of the cuts said they expected to shut down within six months.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: reliefweb.int