The Joint Steering Committee

The Joint Steering Committee to Advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration (JSC) is a critical mechanism to promote greater coherence of humanitarian and development action in crises and transitions to long-term sustainable development and in reducing vulnerabilities to build resilience. It was established by the Secretary-General in 2017. As outlined in greater detail in its Terms of Reference, the Committee will focus on guiding policy setting and fostering synergies in humanitarian and development action to achieve progress on the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The JSC will empower and support Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN country teams (UNCTs) in efficiently addressing the humanitarian-development nexus through closer collaboration, integrated approaches, including the New Way of Working, and through joint missions to the field. RCs will act as an interface between the UN and national governments, to adequately articulate and operationalize collective outcomes, with the overall aim to reduce needs, risks and vulnerability and achieve sustainable development.

The Joint Steering Committee will be chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, with the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) as well as the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs as Vice-chairs.

Additional membership of the Committee, at the level of Principals, will be as follows: FAO, IOM, OHCHR, PBSO, DPA, DPKO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNWOMEN, UNFPA, World Bank, WFP and WHO.

Other United Nations entities relevant to specific discussions may be invited to participate on an as-needed basis and in an advisory capacity.

The Steering Committee will meet in person twice a year at the level of Principals, chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General, in the margins of the meetings of the Chief Executive Board. Principals may also meet on an ad hoc basis to take forward decisions, chaired by the ERC and the Administrator of UNDP, if required.

The agenda of the meetings of Principals will consider how to overcome systemic barriers to implementation; will identify and promote incentives to advance strong coherence, complementarity, collaboration and coordination within and between development and humanitarian activities; and will reflect on progress toward achieving key milestones, including by reviewing good practice and lessons learned from concrete country examples or crisis settings.

The Committee will be assisted by a joint support team with capacities pulled from existing units of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and UNDP, with no additional resources required. The joint support team will ensure participation, inclusion and consultation with field counterparts, members, champions and interested parties. It will work in close collaboration with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.

The Committee will be kept abreast of the work of relevant, existing inter-agency bodies such as the UNDG Sustainable Development/Sustaining Peace Results Group and the IASC Task Team on the Humanitarian-Development Nexus and of progress made in collective action to advance humanitarian and development cooperation in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Guide policy setting for collective action and to foster greater synergies in humanitarian and development action to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

• The Committee seeks to promote greater coherence of humanitarian and development action in crises and transitions to long-term sustainable development and in reducing vulnerabilities. In line with the Report of the Secretary-General “Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda– Ensuring a Better Future for All” – and drawing on relevant aspects of the New Way of Working and its contribution to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – it will focus on three main areas: