The COVID-19 pandemic presents a rare and immediate opportunity for a norm shift towards localisation in the humanitarian architecture. Whilst international humanitarian actors are facing constraints in funding and restrictions on movement and travel, national and local level humanitarian actors are on the ground to respond. A timely investment in local capacities and capabilities creates a strong platform for effective, efficient, and sustained response and recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the days, months, and years ahead.

Street Child, the Global Protection Cluster [Child Protection Area of Responsibility] and the Global Education Cluster are piloting and testing practical pathways to accelerate localisation, and to advocate for the adoption of proven approaches. They propose a number of practical options for international actors and agencies from their own efforts to accelerate local action, including our frontline relief and response experience in the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola Epidemic.