UNHCR Standing Committee 69th Session: Cash-based interventions
This statement was delivered by the UK at UNHCR Standing Committee 69th Session during the discussion on cash-based interventions on 29 June 2017.
UNHCR's headquarters are in Geneva.
We welcome UNHCR’s significant efforts and investments in institutionalising and substantially increasing its use of cash. We acknowledge the emphasis placed on ensuring that UNHCR selects and delivers the most appropriate combination of transfers and services to address people’s emergency needs based on sound analysis.
The UK believes that where appropriate and feasible, all needs that can be accessed safely through markets should be in the form of a single transfer that includes food and non-food assistance. This provides greater choice for people, reduces duplication and creates opportunities to link with safety-nets and social protection mechanisms. We strongly encourage UNHCR to deliver multi-purpose cash as a single transfer wherever appropriate.
The investment by UNHCR on common procurement standards (the common cash facility) is welcome. We call on UNHCR to do more and explore actively what other functions can be jointly designed and delivered, to increase aid coherence and results for affected populations.
We encourage UNHCR to contribute and participate actively in collective action within the Grand Bargain work-stream.
Finally, we encourage UNHCR to measure its use of cash following the definitions being agreed at the Grand Bargain cash work-stream, and hope UNHCR will systematically measure and share the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of different forms of transfer used in its responses. Measuring outcomes is a high priority for the UK and we encourage UNHCR to pursue this and contribute actively to the Grand Bargain cash work-stream on this matter.