Governance

Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya visits UNFPA’s Casa de Mujeres Espacio Seguro in Barrio La Yesquita, Colombia, to learn about CERF-supported gender-based violence response efforts. May 2023.
Assistant Secretary-General Joyce Msuya visits UNFPA’s Casa de Mujeres Espacio Seguro in Barrio La Yesquita, Colombia, to learn about CERF-supported gender-based violence response efforts. May 2023. Photo: OCHA/Marc Belanger

The Latin America and the Caribbean Humanitarian Fund (LAC HF) is a regional pooled funding mechanism established by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, who also approve the opening of country envelopes, based on OCHA's recommendation after consulting with various stakeholders, including donors and operational partners.

At country level, LAC HF´s Country Envelopes are under the overall authority of the Humanitarian Coordinators (HC), supported by an Advisory Board, OCHA and the existing humanitarian coordination mechanism. The HC determines the Fund’s strategic focus, sets the allocation amounts, approves projects and initializes disbursements. The HC chairs the Advisory Board comprised of senior-level representatives from local and national NGOs, international NGOs, UN agencies, donors and observing organizations.  The core function of the Advisory Board is to support the HC on strategic focus, ensuring that the allocations are in line with humanitarian priorities identified in coordinated humanitarian response planning in country, and that the main objectives of the Fund are met.

On a day-to-day basis, the Latin America and the Caribbean Humanitarian Fund (LAC HF) is managed by OCHA Regional Humanitarian Financing Unit (RHFU) on behalf of the HC. The RHFU ensures adequate and efficient management of the Fund, including the coordination of allocation processes and oversight of the entire funding cycle from the opening of an allocation to the closure of projects, while providing technical support and policy advice to the HC. The RHFU oversees accountability requirements, including risk management and operational modalities, and with OCHA Country Office and sub-offices. Further, the RHFU ensures donor contributions are channeled to partners in compliance with the minimum requirements outlined in the Global Country-Based Pooled Fund Guidelines. 

Strategic guidance in the use of the management of the Fund is also provided by the localized relevant documents developed through consultation process for each Country Envelope, such as the HC’s Vision Paper, the Localization Note and the Risk Management Framework. The funds contracted to partners are further subject to the United Nations Financial Regulations and Rules.