On 8 December, the CERF high-level Pledging Event took place, fully digital. As in previous years, Flanders, represented by Deputy Representative Nicolas Polet, allocated an amount of 600,000 euros to the UN emergency aid fund.
With this pledge, the Government of Flanders expresses its confidence in the necessity and effectiveness of the CERF. "In line with the Grand Bargain and the principles of Good Humanitarian Donorship, the Government of Flanders is convinced of the need for coordination to obtain an effective system that can respond to the current humanitarian situation."
The Government is also pleased with the attention of CERF for women and girls. In view of the rising demand for emergency aid and the current pandemic, extra vigilance is needed to ensure that the work of recent years in the area of gender equality is not lost.
"With gender equality being a core value of our Flemish Development Cooperation, we also highly appreciate the specific attention of the fund on supporting women and girls, including reproductive health, empowerment and tackling gender-based violence. This is especially relevant now as the Global Humanitarian Overview clearly states the risk that rights and prospects of women and girls are being set back."