Amel Association in collaboration with the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) and The Humanitarian Forum and supported by UN OCHA, organised a consultative workshop which took place at the Commodore Hotel in Beirut. It was attended by representatives from over 30 civil society organisations and actors in the humanitarian field. The participants identified the failure of the state to play a leading role in crisis planning, preparation and preparedness as a cause of delay and inaction in assuming responsibility during crises. They spoke about how this resulted in giving greater roles to United Nations agencies and other international organisations, and has perhaps contributed to the marginalisation of local civil society. They suggested creating an inter-ministerial coordination unit whose members would include civil society actors, in order to plan, follow up, and enforce accountability within the framework of preparing for and managing crises.
