Since 1991, and especially since 2005, the international humanitarian system has undergone several significant reforms aimed at improving the efficiency of our work. The initial steps to strengthen the United Nations coordination of humanitarian assistance in complex emergencies and natural disasters were taken in 1991 with General Assembly resolution 46/182. It focused on prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery and led to the creation of the following: the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) position, the Inter- Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the consolidated appeal system (CAP, now replaced by the HPC) and the Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF), and the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA, later renamed Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Adapted from UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Handbook, IASC, 2021, p. 20.

See 1.4 for more details on the key actors at global level, the roles they play and why they are important to be aware of as an FSC Coordinator.