On 9 March 2006, former United Nations Secretary-Genera Kofi Annan launched the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) in New York. Click here to read the press release and the Secretary-General's remarks at the launch.

The CERF will have up to US $500 million, including a grant facility of up to US $450 million and a loan facility of US $50 million. The CERF grant component has two windows; one for rapid response and one for under-funded emergencies. The CERF is funded by voluntary contributions from around the globe from Member States of the United Nations, private businesses, foundations and individuals. Click here for more information about the CERF High Level Donor Conference.  Click here to see a complete list of CERF donors in 2006 and 2007.

The Fund is managed by the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC), Sir John Holmes, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General.  The Fund allows the UN to react immediately when a disaster strikes by making funding available for life-saving activities to eligible agencies, i.e. UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes as well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Click here for former ERC Jan Egeland's briefing at the six-months mark in September 2006. Click here for the UN Secretary-General's Report on the Use of the CERF published in September 2006.
 
CERF is intended to complement - not to substitute - existing humanitarian funding mechanisms such as the UN Consolidated Appeals. The CERF provides seed funds to jump-start critical operations and fund life-saving programmes not yet covered by other donors. Click here to read the GA Resolution on the Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance of the UN. Click here to download the brochure CERF: A Sound Humanitarian Investment.

[Last Update: 28 June 2007]

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