In the event of an emergency, national governments are the first to respond and they have the primary responsibility for providing and coordinating humanitarian assistance. However, if the extent of a disaster exceeds the capacity of the national government (or in the absence of national authorities), the humanitarian response structure provides a framework for coordinating the different humanitarian actors involved in helping the national authorities. The ‘coordination architecture’ depends on the context, available resources, and existing capacities and mechanisms. Where possible, it builds on and complements existing national and local-level mechanisms, instead of creating separate or parallel structures. The coordination structures must be re-assessed, adapted and deactivated over time, while promoting an increased role for local actors, national authorities and/or development partners as the situation moves from emergency to recovery and development.