Following the adage of ‘nothing about us, without us’, the EU needs to understand and acknowledge the importance of the voice of CSOs as legitimate representations of the most vulnerable and marginalised. Civil society in the country, in tandem with INGOs, are well embedded in the communities they serve, are strong advocates on their behalf, and are uniquely positioned to deliver aid at scale, up to and including the last mile.

Within this context,we recognise that a significantly more positive impact on the wellbeing of local communities can be achieved, and less harm done, if the EU would engage and learn more deeply from the experiences and knowledge of local and international actors such as CSOs and locally-present INGOs.