Start date: 16 June 2026, 10 a.m. (America/New York)
End date: 19 June 2026, 1 p.m. (America/New York)
Location: New York, United States of America
Since 1998, the ECOSOC Humanitarian Affairs Segment (HAS) has been an essential platform for discussing the activities and issues related to strengthening the coordination and effectiveness of the humanitarian assistance of the United Nations. The HAS provides a key opportunity for Member States, the United Nations system, humanitarian partners, development actors, and the private sector to discuss current and emerging humanitarian challenges and priority themes and share experiences and lessons learned.
The 2026 HAS will take place from 17 to 19 June in New York. The HAS will be chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Héctor Gómez, Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations in New York, in his capacity as the ECOSOC Vice-President for the HAS.
On the basis of the ECOSOC decision agreed on 27 March, the theme for the 2026 HAS is “Strengthening humanitarian assistance to address unprecedented humanitarian challenges: advancing transformations, upholding humanitarian principles and respect for international humanitarian law, and reinforcing the coordination, funding, delivery and impact of humanitarian assistance to support people in need” (E/2026/L.6).
Three high-level panel discussions will be held during the HAS. In addition to the high-level panel discussions, the organization of the HAS will include opening and closing sessions, including a general discussion. A limited number of side events will be held on the margins of the HAS from 15 to 19 June:
- “From reset to results: strengthening humanitarian coordination and the delivery and impact of humanitarian assistance”;
- “From commitments to practice: mobilizing action to protect civilians, strengthen respect for international humanitarian law and uphold humanitarian principles”;
- “Funding with impact: financing humanitarian action to deliver results in support of people in need”.
In addition to the high-level panel discussions, the organization of the HAS will include opening and closing sessions, including a general discussion. A limited number of side events will be held on the margins of the HAS from 15 to 19 June.
The ECOSOC Meeting to Discuss the Transition from Relief to Development will be held immediately preceding the HAS in New York on 16 June under the theme “Transition from relief to development: advancing solutions for internally displaced persons and strengthening financing for crisis contexts” (E/2026/L.7).
The meeting will be co-chaired by His Excellency Ambassador Wellington Bencosme, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations in New York, in his capacity as ECOSOC Vice-President for the Operational Activities for Development Segment, and Ambassador Héctor Gómez, in his capacity as ECOSOC Vice-President for the HAS. The meeting will be held pursuant to General Assembly resolution 75/290 A.
The HAS and Transition Meeting programme and all related updates will be provided on this website as soon as available. For further information on the HAS and the Transition Meeting, please contact ochaecosochas@un.org
UN Resolution to strengthen the Economic and Social Council | https://docs.un.org/en/a/res/75/290a
OCHA – (the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs) | https://www.unocha.org/ecosoc-2026