Since the establishment in 2003 of the Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative (GHDI), the world in which humanitarian donors seek to be ‘good’ has altered significantly: the nature of humanitarian challenges has changed; the demands on humanitarian donorship have escalated; the humanitarian coordination landscape has become more crowded; and yet the global respect for humanitarian norms and the geopolitical space for multilateral cooperation has diminished.

Arguably, in this context, the work of a group of donors committed to good humanitarian donorship is both more necessary and more difficult than it was 20 years ago. Although the initiative has proved highly successful in attracting a diverse group of members, and in establishing an important set of norms for donor behaviour, there is a widespread sense that it requires reinvigoration.

This 20-year review provides insights into five areas of action where the GHDI will need to agree its future niche, breadth, and depth of engagement.

Report by the Overseas Development Institute