2025 ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment and ECOSOC Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development

Start date:: 17 June 2025 10 a.m. (Europe/Zurich)
End date:: 20 June 2025 5 p.m. (Europe/Zurich)

Location

Geneva, Switzerland

Since 1998, the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) has been an essential platform for discussing the activities and issues related to strengthening the coordination and effectiveness of the humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. The HAS provides a key opportunity for Member States, the United Nations system, humanitarian partners, development actors, and the private sector to discuss current and emerging humanitarian challenges and priority themes and share experiences and lessons learned.

The 2025 HAS will take place from 18 to 20 June in Geneva. The HAS will be chaired by Her Excellency Ambassador Maritza Chan-Valverde, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York, in her capacity as the ECOSOC Vice-President for the HAS. On the basis of the ECOSOC decision agreed on 16 April, the theme for the 2025 HAS is “Renewing global solidarity for humanity: saving lives, reducing suffering and mobilizing solutions for humanitarian action” (E/2025/L.4).

Four high-level panel discussions will be held during the HAS under the following themes:

“The humanitarian reset: a dialogue with principals on the future of humanitarian action”;
“The humanitarian consequences of armed conflict: promoting respect for and good practices in the application of international humanitarian law”;
“Mobilizing and adapting humanitarian financing for an effective and efficient response”;
“Reimagining the humanitarian system: innovative models to save lives, reduce suffering and promote peoples’ resilience and livelihoods”.

In addition to high-level panel discussions, the organization of the HAS will include opening and closing sessions, including a general discussion. A limited number of side events will be held on the margins of the HAS from 16 to 20 June.

The ECOSOC Meeting to Discuss the Transition from Relief to Development will be held immediately preceding the HAS in Geneva on 17 June, under the theme “Transition from relief to development: driving solutions and addressing challenges for people in vulnerable situations in crisis contexts” (E/2025/L.5). The meeting will be co-chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations in New York, in his capacity as ECOSOC Vice-President of the Operational Activities for Development Segment, and Ambassador Maritza Chan-Valverde, in her capacity as ECOSOC Vice-President for the HAS. The meeting will be held pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/290 A.

The HAS and Transition Meeting programme and all related updates will be provided on this website as soon as available. For further information on the HAS and the Transition Meeting, please contact ochaecosochas@un.org.