Inter-Agency Standing Committee

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee, along with the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs, assists the Emergency Relief Coordinator as strategic coordination and consultation mechanisms among key humanitarian actors.

The IASC was established in 1992 following General Assembly Resolution 46/182 that called for strengthened coordination of humanitarian assistance. It is a unique inter-agency forum for coordination, policy development and decision-making involving the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners. Under the leadership of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, the IASC develops humanitarian policies, agrees on a clear division of responsibility for the various aspects of humanitarian response, identifies and addresses gaps in response, and advocates for effective application of humanitarian principles.

A single Secretariat in OCHA serves the IASC and the ECHA. This arrangement ensures that parallel discussions in the two Committees are based on a common understanding of the problems and on effective decision-making  processes. The Secretariat has a strategic role in supporting the Emergency Relief Coordinator in his capacity as the chairman of both committees, and the Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator in his capacity as the  chairman of the IASC Working Group, to ensure that they function effectively and in a coordinated manner.