Central African Republic (CAR), Norwegian Refugee Council, Committee of NGOs Coordination (CCO)

The Central African Republic (CAR) continues to cope with conflict and armed group presence, exacerbated by climate change. Despite efforts, displacement, violence against civilians, and instability persist. New hotspots emerged in 2023, particularly in the southeast. Challenges include increased use of explosive devices, refugee influx from Sudan, and hindered humanitarian access due to administrative barriers. Coordination among actors remains difficult, and efforts to restore security and basic services face obstacles.

As envisaged during the establishment of the CCO in 2014, the objective of sustainability for the structure remains, given its significant demonstrated value and effectiveness. In a context where the population must navigate daily survival and rebuild over several years, our proposal for another 1-year engagement is both logical and aligned with the guidelines and work plan for the CAR.

The main objective is to improve the response to humanitarian, recovery, and development needs of populations in the Central African Republic through quality coordination among international NGOs.

Specific objectives include:

• Enhance independent and effective humanitarian, recovery, and development coordination among INGOs and in connection with other humanitarian actors.
• Improve the response to communities regarding humanitarian, recovery, and development needs to facilitate the regulatory framework for humanitarian access.
• Strengthen the acceptance of humanitarian and development actors in the Central African Republic

All stakeholders in the humanitarian and development arena, primarily the 60 members (6 observers).

Non-members indirectly benefit from the project through close connections between members and numerous local structures. Vulnerable populations also benefit from enhanced efficiency in humanitarian aid.

To ensure independent humanitarian coordination among INGOs and in collaboration with other humanitarian actors, and achieve three main results:

R1: CCO members benefit from coordination services addressing major humanitarian aid issues and participate in various forums exchanging with recovery and development humanitarian actors.

R2: By the end of 2024, authorities, donors, and UN agencies have committed to implementing the nexus approach in the Central African Republic.

R3: International NGOs that are members of the CCO are increasingly accepted by authorities, civil society, and Central African populations to enhance their access.

Expected results:   Members of the CCO benefit from coordination services addressing major humanitarian aid issues, enabling them to establish common positions and representation in key exchange and decision-making forums. The acceptance of NGOs by authorities, civil society, and the Central African population is enhanced to improve their activities. CCO members also benefit from coordination and administrative support services, enabling them to operate more effectively.

Results from previous phases:   The CCO holds the legal status of a national NGO and works closely with the Ministry of Economy and International Cooperation. It plays a crucial role in the humanitarian environment, with the majority of stakeholders and visitors relying on its services. The humanitarian coordinator, UN agencies, NGOs (both national and international), the Red Cross Movement, and donors strongly support the CCO as the official representative in national decisionmaking and exchange spaces. Its actions have strengthened its legitimacy internally among NGOs and externally, enhancing aid effectiveness through coordination. In November 2023, CCO members decided to review their service offerings, prioritizing certain areas. Consequently, the CCO now focuses primarily on its core mission of advocacy and coordination among its members, while training remains available as needed. Over five years, the CCO trained over 3200 individuals, with communication efforts supporting advocacy initiatives.