The Global Risk Platform

Today, analysts, practitioners and decision-makers often struggle to comprehend the increasing complexity of our world and can lack the knowledge, skills, partnerships and analytical instruments to understand volatility in its multiple manifestations. 

The Agenda 2030 provides a common framework for both humanitarian and development actors to work together with the objective to successfully address the needs of the most vulnerable and at-risk populations, leaving no one behind. There is a consensus around the importance to confront risk and to focus on resilience to achieve the Agenda 2030.

The current humanitarian, peace and development systems – national entities and international actors - are ill-equipped to plan, prepare and implement effectively and comprehensively in light of complexity. Other communities of practice – in the private sector, in the security domain, or the worlds of insurance and international finance, research, technology and communications – also struggle to address complexity. Decision-makers in high risk countries and fragile settings are especially challenged to define the scope of such risks, to identify and address root causes, to mitigate, prevent or prepare for crises. 

Objectives

The Global Risk Platform concept was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. With the objective to influence decision-making and improve planning for immediate crises as well as support the shift from relief action towards long-term risk reduction and sustainable development planning and by so lessening the need for humanitarian action, the platform aims to provide an integrated global community space for stakeholders from all relevant disciplines. 

 A space that does not currently exist, and use this to influence decisions, short and long term, humanitarian action, risk reduction and sustainable development.  Its core objectives is to bring together expert risk and vulnerability analysis from across all fields and synthesize this analysis into multi-risk data and information, and use this to:

• Deepen understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of risk
• Inform and improve response to crisis
• Improve investment in both short and long-term risk management
• Provide a long-term scanning of the horizon for multiple layers of risk that could have a major humanitarian impact
• Help developing countries deliver development that is comprehensively risk-informed, and tied to the achievement of the SDGs.

The platform will do this by building upon already existing initiatives across six inter-connected areas:

• Networking: A global multi-disciplinary networking platform will be created, bringing in a range of partners beyond the ‘traditional’ including the private sector, technology and science/research. 
• Senior-Level Advice: Bringing expertise from different regions and sectors to assess all risks in key contexts, both short term and long-term horizon scanning, with a special focus on informing decision-making at the highest levels.
• Multi Hazard Risk Analysis: Existing investigations into risk will be synthesized into high-quality open-source, multi-risk analyses available to the entire humanitarian and development community, national and international.
• Evidence: Products and tools will be developed to underscore the importance of risk-informed decision-making, with specific emphasis on turning analysis of all-risks into long-term development planning and programming. 
• Strategic Horizon Scanning: looking at the potential new and colliding risks that could have a major humanitarian impact in the future ranging from conflict, security, economic, health, migration, environmental, agricultural, energy, other risks and their combinations.
• Decision-Making: Processes and systems will be created to inform decision-making at all levels, from humanitarian action through to long-term development. These will include concrete recommendations for developing countries and donor partners for achieving delivering development that is risk-informed and therefore sustainable.  

The Global Risk Platform serves the needs from actors from the Global South; supported by UNDP and The World Bank. The Independent Advisory Group represents the diverse range of disciplines and expertise required and is equally composed of members from the Global South and Global North.

Further Information

Contact: Jan Kellet, Risk Reduction Advisor - jan.kellett@undp.org and, Sara Sekkenes, Conflict Prevention & Partnerships Advisor - sara.sekkenes@undp.org