National-level Humanitarian Country Teams (HCTs)

In 2024, 29 surveyed operations had an active HCT, chaired by a Humanitarian Coordinator responsible for strategic coordination and decision-making in international preparedness and response. The average attendance of Humanitarian Coordinators at HCT meetings increased to 78 per cent in 2024, up from 74 per cent in 2023.

Membership

The average number of HCT members decreased from 35 to 32 in 2024. While this shift predates the Humanitarian Reset, it reflects a broader trend toward establishing a more streamlined and strategically focused coordination body, consistent with the ambition to enhance efficiency within humanitarian coordination structures. The operations with the largest HCTs were Myanmar (69 members), Madagascar (56 members) and Yemen (42 members).

The composition of HCTs evolved slightly over the course of 2024. United Nations representation in HCTs increased to 44 per cent in 2024 (up from 41% in 2023), alongside moderate increases in NNGOs and Red Cross/Red Crescent membership, which grew to 9 per cent and 6 per cent respectively (from 8% and 5% in 2023). This is in part due to the increased reporting from Libya, Iraq, and Pakistan. INGOs continue to hold the second largest proportion of HCT seats, though their share declined slightly from 22 per cent in 2023 to 21 per cent in 2024. Donor membership also decreased, falling to 12 per cent from 14 per cent the previous year. Regular or rotational members comprised 72 per cent of HCT members, with 26 per cent serving as observers or special invitees.

The representation of L/NNGOs within HCTs remained steady between 2023 and 2024, at least one local or national NGO represented in 93 per cent of HCTs in 2024. NNGOs and NNGO consortia accounted for the majority of local or national actors in HCTs, with presence in 90 per cent of HCTs in 2024, up from 89 per cent in 2023. Overall, L/NNGOs held 11 per cent of HCT seats, reflecting a continued year-on-year increase since 2021 (9% in 2021 to 10% in 2023).

The proportion of HCTs that included donor representatives fell to its lowest since 2019 (from an average of 14% since 2019 to 12% in 2024), reflecting increased alignment with the IASC-endorsed HCT Terms of Reference . In previous years, donors were more represented in HCTs than local or national actors, however in 2024, donors and local or national actors both held 12 per cent of HCT seats. Donors were recorded in 79 per cent of HCTs (23 HCTs) in 2024, compared to 86 per cent in 2023, with few donors reported in Yemen and South Sudan HCTs.

The proportion of women in HCTs increased from 34 per cent in 2023 to 40 per cent in 2024, marking a return to the levels observed in 2022.The countries with the highest representation of women on HCTs included Mozambique (71%), Ukraine (58%), and Lebanon (55%). In 2024, the countries with the least representation of women in HCTs included Ethiopia (12%, decreasing significantly from 55%) and Central African Republic (CAR) (7%, decreasing from 13%). Women-Led Organization (WLO) members were present in 20 operations’ HCTs..

The World Bank maintained membership in two HCTs (Afghanistan and Madagascar) in 2024, while the private sector actor was represented in one HCT (the Philippines).

Meeting frequency

Notably, 45 per cent of HCTs held meetings every two weeks in 2024, up from 43 per cent in 2023 and 27 per cent in 2022 – indicating a growing preference for more frequent strategic-level coordination meetings. Correspondingly, the proportion of HCTs meeting monthly declined from 54 per cent in 2023 to 48 per cent in 2024. Some 3 per cent of HCTs followed other meeting schedules, which included ad hoc or irregular meeting frequencies.

Tools and policies

In 2024, the vast majority of HCTs (97 percent) had established Terms of Reference, reflecting strong adherence to foundational coordination practices. However, the number of HCTs with formalized compacts has continued to decline since 2021, with only 46 percent maintaining such agreements . While HCT workplans are not an IASC requirement, 31 percent of HCTs developed them to guide their priorities and outputs during the year. This marks a modest increase from 29 percent in 2023.

The proportion of HCTs conducting coordination architecture reviews nearly doubled, with 45% completing reviews in 2024, up from 25% in 2023. These reviews are essential for evaluating whether existing coordination structures remain fit-for-purpose, and help determine whether they should be maintained, adjusted, or transitioned based on the operational context and national coordination capacity.

References

  1. In accordance with the IASC-endorsed HCT Terms of Reference, representatives of Member States and regional bodies, including donors, are not members of HCTs, however the HC/HCT should ensure regular, consistent engagement with these representatives.