Aden – 23 June 2026

The Strategic Planning Workshop of the Yemen National Reference Group (NRG) concluded today in Aden after three days of deliberations, with the participation of His Excellency State Minister Waleed Al-Abara, and active engagement of 62 participants representing a broad spectrum of humanitarian actors, including local and national civil society organizations, women-led organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, UN agencies and international organizations, donors, as well as representatives from government entities and 16 Yemeni governorates.

The workshop was organized by Tamaddin Youth Foundation (TYF) in partnership with Oxfam, facilitated by the Yemen Localization Initiative (YLI), and supported by the project "Humanitarian System Transformation through Local Humanitarian Leadership (HST-LHL)" funded by the European Union. The workshop aimed to develop a multi-stakeholder accountability mechanism to track the implementation of Grand Bargain commitments in Yemen, promote humanitarian system reform pathways through supporting localization, strengthening local leadership, and enhancing collective accountability and equitable partnerships among various actors.

Comprehensive Review of Progress

The workshop featured a series of dialogue sessions and specialized discussions that addressed key pillars of the Grand Bargain, including quality funding, local financing, engagement of local actors in leadership, accountability to affected populations, anticipatory action, linkages between humanitarian action, development and peace, innovative financing, as well as gender equality, inclusion, equitable partnerships and risk-sharing.

Participants also discussed progress made in implementing Grand Bargain commitments during the period 2023-2026, and reviewed existing challenges and opportunities to accelerate humanitarian reform efforts and strengthen the role of local actors in leading humanitarian response.

Adoption of Next Phase Priorities

The workshop produced a number of key outputs, most notably agreement on a draft action plan for the National Reference Group for the period 2026-2028, which includes priority actions, shared responsibilities, and monitoring and accountability mechanisms, as well as identification of messages and recommendations that will represent Yemen's contribution to the Grand Bargain annual meeting in 2026.

The workshop also featured presentations of good practices and successful experiences in the areas of localization, local financing, national leadership and innovative financing, contributing to documentation of lessons learned and scaling up of effective models in humanitarian action.

High-Level Dialogue to Promote Humanitarian Reforms

The closing day included a high-level dialogue session with participation from representatives of donors, the United Nations, government entities, and national and international organizations, who discussed the priorities required to accelerate localization and improve the effectiveness of humanitarian response in Yemen in the coming phase, emphasizing the importance of promoting equitable partnerships, expanding opportunities for direct funding to local organizations, and empowering them to play a leading role in all phases of humanitarian action.

At the conclusion of the workshop, it was announced that work will continue on completing Yemen's Accountability Report, the National Reference Group action plan, and the national position paper on the Grand Bargain, strengthening Yemen's experience in global discussions on humanitarian system reform and the future of localization beyond 2026.

National Reference Group

The National Reference Group (NRG) is a coordination and accountability mechanism regarding Grand Bargain commitments in Yemen. It operates within the framework of the Yemen Localization Initiative to promote a more just and effective humanitarian system through evidence generation, promotion of multi-stakeholder dialogue, and support for humanitarian sector reforms.

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