Paper details
| Paper authors | Clara Egger, Ashmi Krishnan |
| In panel on | Adjusting to a Changing Humanitarian System: Practices from the Global South |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
Humanitarian aid traditionally draws support from a wide base of donors, transcending the historically dominant role of OECD countries. A quick look at humanitarian aid data shows that, at one time or another, every government in the world has pledged support to crisis-affected communities. However, since the 2000s a smaller group of Global South countries – such as Turkey, Qatar, India and, more recently, China – have taken visible steps to reform humanitarian governance. By examining how these actors position themselves within existing humanitarian institutions, we aim to uncover the rationale and dynamics of their engagement.
The study employs a two-step methodology. First, we utilize large language models to analyse the discourse on humanitarian issues presented by non-OECD donors at the UN General Assembly and ECOSOC. This analysis identifies patterns in their approaches to humanitarian donorship. Second, through interviews with humanitarian officers in Geneva, we contextualize these patterns by exploring the motivations behind non-OECD donors’ contributions and their coordination mechanisms with traditional donors.
Our findings challenge the explanatory power of the "Global South" concept in humanitarian governance. While non-OECD donors commonly reject the term “humanitarian” due to its colonial undertones, their underlying motives and practices often align closely with those of OECD donors. This convergence highlights the need to rethink global humanitarian institutional frameworks to accommodate the growing diversity of actors while addressing shared challenges in crisis response.
