Coming soon. The Humanitarian Accountability Report (HAR) 2026: Accountability under pressure

Date: 1 July 2026
Time: 17:00–18:00 CEST (one hour)
Location: Geneva (in person) and online
Registration: required (free)

Why the HAR 2026 matters right now

The humanitarian system is facing a moment of profound disruption. Caught between escalating global crises, unprecedented funding cuts, and a widening climate of political impunity, the sector is under an intense stress test.

As organisations face brutal choices about how to stretch dwindling resources, a critical question remains: Are we upholding our commitments to be accountable to people affected by crisis, or brushing those commitments aside for institutional survival?

The Humanitarian Accountability Report (HAR) 2026 takes an honest look at the state of Accountability to Affected People (AAP). Drawing on years of tracking the accountability agenda, and on data from the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), this edition explores the persistent gap between people-centred promises and institutional realities.

What you will learn

  • Accountability under austerity: how hyper-prioritisation and a “life-saving only” approach to aid are cutting out community voices when they are needed most.
  • The state of progress: a look at where the sector is advancing, and why traditional, upward accountability still eclipses efforts at community engagement.
  • The localisation gap: the stark reality behind why promising “locally led action” without transferring power or funding is a systemic accountability failure.
  • Four levers for genuine change: practical, urgent steps to make accountability enforceable, shift power, and re-anchor our work in political honesty.

“How communities experience aid is the most relevant measure of our performance.” — Jessica Alexander, lead author

Join lead author Jessica Alexander and a panel of global practitioners for the launch of the report, as we unpack the findings and explore how we can use this moment of disruption to leverage change.

Secure your place

Register for the launch

What is the HAR?

The Humanitarian Accountability Report (HAR) sets out what is at stake for the accountability to affected people (AAP) agenda, and the values underpinning it, amidst current funding realities and the Humanitarian Reset. An evidence-based report, the HAR analyses the state of accountability to people affected by crisis, bringing together sector-wide data, research, and practitioner insight to:

  • Identify trends in accountability practice
  • Highlight persistent gaps and systemic challenges
  • Showcase progress and innovation
  • Provide practical recommendations for strengthening people-centred approaches

The HAR serves as both a reflection point and a forward-looking roadmap for improving how the humanitarian system listens to, responds to, and is accountable to crisis-affected people. Most importantly, it is produced following contributions and synthesis from multiple stakeholders across the humanitarian sector.

When was it last published?

The most recent edition was published in 2022, Humanitarian Accountability Report 2022: Accountability is Non-Negotiable.  It examined system-wide accountability performance, highlighted recurring safeguarding and AAP challenges, and called for stronger collective ownership of accountability commitments.

HAR 2026 builds on this foundation, tracking progress and identifying where renewed effort is needed.

How is the HAR 2026 developed?

The process includes several stages:

  1. Scoping and evidence planning – defining key questions and priority themes

  2. Evidence collection – reviewing data, research, evaluations, and sector reporting

  3. Stakeholder consultation – gathering practitioner insight and lived experience perspectives

  4. Analysis and drafting – identifying patterns, trends, and priority recommendations

  5. Peer review and validation – strengthening quality and sector relevance

  6. Publication and launch

Throughout the process, the emphasis remains on rigour, transparency, and practical relevance.

Be there on 1 July

The HAR 2026 lands at the moment the case for accountability has never been clearer. Come and be part of the conversation about what comes next.

Register for the launch

Know a colleague who should be in the room? Please share this page and help us bring the sector together on 1 July.