Kirsten Salyer, Public Engagement, Tel.: +41 79 265 8773; Email: kirsten.salyer@weforum.org
New York, USA, 20 September 2019 – The World Economic Forum, in partnership with the co-chairs of the Humanitarian Investing Initiative, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Bank Group, announces today the release of a new white paper entitled, Humanitarian Investing – Mobilizing Capital to Overcome Fragility. This initiative is supported by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The paper outlines the role and initial landscape of humanitarian investing, which provides financing to address crises and fragility while seeking a return on that investment. By harnessing the growing pool of investment capital looking for a double bottom line, humanitarian investing also focuses on situations of conflict and fragility that are causing increasing flows of migrants and refugees.
There is a clear need to rethink humanitarian assistance. About 2 billion people live in countries that are affected by fragility, conflict and violence and, according to OECD predictions, by 2030, more than 80% of the world’s poorest people will live in such conditions. Climate change could bring internal displacement figures to 140 million by 2050, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
While the number of internationally led responses to crises doubled between 2005 and 2017, the current environment faces increasing pressures and there is a lack of investment opportunities for investors who are looking to drive impact.
At the same time, there has been increased focus among investors seeking more purpose-oriented investment options and an emerging opportunity to bring together a new mix of partners to design long-term solutions.
Humanitarian investing acts as a market to match impact-driven investment capital to opportunities that enhance resilience, mitigate crises or promote stability and recovery. The paper explores how this inclusive, sustainable financing model complements traditional humanitarian assistance, leverages development financing instruments and broadens the potential to use investment opportunities to tackle long-term challenges.
"We are challenging humanitarian and development communities, as well as investors and business leaders, to rethink their role in providing support and financial assistance to those most affected by fragility and crises,” said Borge Brende, President, World Economic Forum. “Humanitarian investing can unlock new capital and identify investable opportunities to support vulnerable communities.”
Humanitarian investing applies capital to investable opportunities that:
Humanitarian investing helps those most affected by fragile situations and crises by responding to their needs, ensuring their dignity and agency, addressing inefficiencies in aid and aid delivery systems, overcoming restrictions on the nature of aid given, and advocating for high-need communities.
“We must build on the current momentum toward addressing fragility, protracted crises and forced displacement and develop new financial tools for people,” said Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross. “I see a real opportunity to bring development, humanitarians, investors and business communities together to build inclusive, sustainable markets and harness capital to deliver impact, and help those in greatest need.”
In the months ahead, the initiative plans to develop a collaboration platform, to continue working with key stakeholders to promote organizational readiness, and to form dedicated industry and regional tracks that will engage stakeholders to co-develop investable opportunities as proofs of concept that will enable future deal pipelines.
The Humanitarian Investing Initiative brings together key humanitarian and development actors and representatives from the investor and corporate communities. The members of the initiative are Credit Suisse, Impact Advisory and Finance; the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom; Global Steering Group for Impact Investment; International Committee of the Red Cross, World Economic Forum; World Bank; World Food Programme; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Capricorn Investment Group; IFC; Gulf International Bank; Mastercard; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Novo Nordisk Foundation; Overseas Development Institute; US Agency for International Development; United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, European Commission; the Conduit; and IKEA Foundation.
The Sustainable Development Impact Summit takes place 23-24 September in New York. This year’s meeting will convene more than 800 regional and global leaders from government, business, civil society and academia. The meeting will explore four themes: transforming markets; accelerating climate action; financing sustainable development; and mobilizing action for inclusive societies.
The Co-Chairs of the Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2019 are Jesper Brodin, CEO and President, Ingka Group (IKEA Retail, Ingka Centres, Ingka Investments); Sebastián Piñera Echenique, President of Chile; Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands; and Melati Wijsen, Co-founder, Bye Bye Plastic Bags.
Notes to editors
Read the white paper here
Follow the 2019 Sustainable Development Impact Summit at http://wef.ch/sdi19
Read the Meeting Overview
Learn about the World Economic Forum’s impact: https://www.weforum.org/our-impact
View the best Forum Flickr photos at http://wef.ch/pix
Become a fan of the Forum on Facebook at http://wef.ch/facebook
Follow the Forum on Twitter at http://wef.ch/twitterRead the Forum blog at http://wef.ch/agenda
View upcoming Forum events at http://wef.ch/events
Subscribe to Forum news releases at http://wef.ch/news
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).