Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

Highlights

Central Emergency Response Fund: Two-year Evaluation - The report addresses CERF’s effect on overall funding as well as on humanitarian performance, its interaction with other elements of humanitarian reform, and the management, use, and effectiveness of the Fund.

CERF - FAQs

What is the CERF?

The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which was the first concrete outcome of the Secretary-General’s reform process and the Millennium Summit, was launched on 9 March 2006.  The Fund represents an important international multilateral funding instrument that saves lives through the provision of rapid initial funding for life-saving assistance at the onset of humanitarian crises and critical support for poorly-funded, essential humanitarian response operations. Since March 2006, the grant component of CERF has received pledges and contributions from over 110 public and private donors of more than US$ 1.6 billion.

Management of the CERF

The Fund is managed by John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC). The ERC is supported by a Secretariat housed within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). A CERF Advisory Group was established, as an independent body of experts, to provide periodic policy guidance and advice to the Secretary-General on the use and impact of the Fund.
The Fund enables more timely and predictable response when a disaster strikes by making funding for life-saving activities available to eligible agencies such as UN and its funds, programmes, and specialized agencies and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). These agencies often work with other partners on the ground, such as national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to implement live-saving projects.

Objectives of the Central Emergency Response Fund

The CERF was created by all nations, for all potential victims of disasters. It represents an opportunity to provide predictable and equitable funding to those affected by natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies. The CERF has three objectives:

- Promote early action and response to save lives;
- Enhance response to time-crucial requirements based on demonstrable needs; and,
- Strengthen core elements of humanitarian response in under-funded crisis.
 

Timorese children play on UNHCR emergency supplies in a village near Hera, Timor Leste on 21 June 2006. [Photo: UNHCR/Ng]

The UN agencies and their implementing partners are able access the Fund within 72 hours of the crises, enabling more lives to be saved in the earliest moments of a disaster when people are at most risk.

In 2008, 80 Member States, one Observer State and seven private organizations pledged US$453.2 million in order to support relief operations in 55 crisis-affected countries.

To track pledges and contributions, please click here.

To make private donations, please click here.

A brief history of the CERF

The CERF builds on General Assembly resolution A/RES/46/182, which aimed at strengthening the United Nation's capacity to respond to natural disasters and complex emergencies through the establishment of a Central Emergency Revolving Fund.  During the 56th session of the General Assembly in 2001, Member States endorsed several proposals made by the Secretary-General to expand the use of the CERF (A/RES/56/107).

On 15 December 2005, the General Assembly adopted, by consensus, resolution A/RES/60/124, upgrading the former Central Emergency Revolving Fund to the Central Emergency Response Fund.

CERF grant and loan facilities