United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed 12 new members to the Advisory Group of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). Three of them are Nordic.
Established by the UN General Assembly in 2005, the Advisory Group provides the Secretary-General with policy guidance and advice on the use and impact of CERF through the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.
Since 2006, CERF has provided more than US$9.2 billion in life-saving assistance to people in over 110 countries and territories. This has been made possible by contributions from 143 Member States and observers, as well as regional governments, corporate donors, foundations and individuals.
In the first half of 2025, CERF has made $214 million available in 24 countries, including in Afghanistan, to provide proactive support ahead of expected droughts and to respond to the surge of returns from Iran. During 2025, CERF has also supported innovative climate resilience efforts in eight countries and allocated $4 million to reduce the humanitarian impact ahead of droughts in Guatemala.
With CERF being a critical resource for enabling prompt and efficient action to respond to humanitarian crises, the Advisory Group is instrumental to managing the fund efficiently and ensuring that assistance reaches people most in need.
“With humanitarian needs outpacing available resources, CERF is more crucial than ever – a trusted, indispensable tool enabling rapid, effective responses to crises worldwide,” said Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. “I thank the members of the Advisory Group who have put in such a strong shift, and I look forward to working with the new advisers who I know will bring energy and creativity to this vital work.”
The new Advisory Group members are:
- Azerbaijan: Mr. Elmaddin Mehdiyev, Director of the Azerbaijan International Development Agency (AIDA) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Canada: Ms. Tara Carney, Director for Humanitarian Operations at Global Affairs
- Côte d’Ivoire: Ms. Ossepe Virginie Akossi épse Yapo, Director of Humanitarian Action at the Ministry of National Cohesion, Solidarity, and the Fight Against Poverty
- Denmark: Ms. Marie-Louise Koch Wegter, Director for the Department for Humanitarian Affairs and Civil Society at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark
- Gambia: Mr. Muhammadou M.O. Kah, Ambassador of The Republic of the Gambia to the Swiss Confederation & Permanent Representative to the UN Offices at Geneva (UNOG), World Trade Organization (WTO), and other International Organizations in Switzerland
- Germany: Dr. Ina Heusgen, Deputy Director General for Humanitarian Assistance in the German Foreign Office
- Netherlands: Ms. Christine Pirenne, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ethiopia
- Niger: Mr. Mahamane Hachimi, Acting Coordinator of the Food Crisis Unit (Cellule Crises Alimentaires, or CCA) under the Prime Minister’s Office in Niger
- Norway: Ms. Ingunn Vatne, Policy Director in the Section for Humanitarian Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway
- Qatar: Mr. Faisal Mohamed Al-Emadi, Secretary-General of the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS)
- South Africa: Ms. Sicel’mpilo Shange-Buthane, Director of Humanitarian Affairs at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in South Africa
- Sweden: Ms. Sofia Karlsson, Humanitarian Director and Head of Section for Humanitarian Policy in the Department for Multilateral Governance and Humanitarian Policy
The Advisory Group comprises 23 members representing Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, the Latin American and Caribbean region, North America, and Oceania. CERF Advisory Group members serve a single three-year term.
