Improving Partnerships Between National and International NGOs in Africa

Fifteen years ago, when I joined the humanitarian sector, I believed that article 6 of the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief regulated field practice. It stated “we shall attempt to build disaster response on local capacities… Where possible, we will work through local NGHAs as partners in planning and implementation…”. Complementarity with local actors was subsequently emphasized in the 1996 Sphere Project, the 2003 Good Humanitarian Donorship principles, and the 2007 Principles of Partnership.