IASC

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) is the primary forum for coordinating humanitarian response among the major actors involved in emergencies, including United Nations system agencies, international non-governmental organizations, and other partners. It was established in 1991 by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and a range of humanitarian actors to promote coherence and effectiveness in humanitarian action.

Membership and governance are centered on collaboration among participating UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, and, in practice, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and other humanitarian partners. The IASC operates through a structure that includes principals, a core group, and working groups tasked with policy development, guidance, and coordination mechanisms. A key feature of its work is the cluster approach, introduced in 2005, which designates lead agencies for essential sectors such as health, shelter, water and sanitation, food security, protection, and education to ensure coordinated and comprehensive relief efforts.

Activities and impact of the IASC include the development of humanitarian policies, standards, and guidance to harmonize action across agencies and crises. It supports coordinated responses in both rapid-onset and protracted emergencies and emphasizes accountability to affected populations. The committee has driven reform initiatives such as the Transformative Agenda, aimed at making humanitarian action more predictable, timely, and principled, by strengthening field-level coordination and decision-making.

See also: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian principles, cluster coordination, humanitarian reform.