7 October 2009: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the
appointment of seven new members of the Advisory Group for the $450 million Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
The sixteen-member CERF Advisory Group provides the Secretary-General with expert advice on the use and impact of the Fund through the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes. Mr. Holmes manages the Fund on behalf of the Secretary-General.
The Advisory Group was established by the General Assembly under resolution 60/124 of 15 December 2005. The members include government officials from countries that have contributed to or received funding from CERF, representatives of humanitarian non-governmental organizations, and academic experts. Members of the Advisory Group serve in their individual capacity, and not as representatives of their countries or governments.