Paper details
| Paper authors | Mayumi Fuchi |
| In panel on | ‘Real’ Humanitarian Governance: Accountability, Advocacy, and Alternatives |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
This paper critically examines how accountability mechanisms in the NGO sector are shaped and contested, focusing on the evolving role of people affected by crises as active agents in humanitarian governance. While formal frameworks such as the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)—one of the sector’s most widely adopted accountability standard as of 2025—aim to centre affected populations, accountability remains elsewhere - largely upward, privileging donors and governments over those directly impacted (Edwards & Hulme, 1996; Hilhorst et.al., 2021; Fuchi, 2024).
Drawing on discourse analysis, extensive documentation, and 33 interviews with sector experts and CHS stakeholders, the paper interrogates the CHS’s underlying assumptions and power dynamics. It finds that although the CHS emerged from a broad global consultation and has attempted to amplify the voices of marginalised and vulnerable groups, these efforts did not go far enough in addressing their specific needs. The process was dominated by Global North actors and failed to incorporate a truly intersectional approach that considers the unique challenges of intersectionality, including gender, race/ethnicity, disability and language/culture. The paper argues that meaningful accountability must be co-produced with affected populations—not just as beneficiaries, but as co-governors of humanitarian action.
