HAP International is recognised as a lead initiative in self-regulation within the humanitarian sector.
HAP International is named as a key accountability initiaitive in a recent EC report, Study on Recent Public and Self-regulatory Initiatives Improving Transparency and Accountability of Non-profit Organisations in the European Union.
The European Center for Non-profit Law authored the report for the Commission's Director-General of Justice, Freedom and Security. The study highlights the specific challenges of accountability in humanitarian responses and calls on the sector to undertake more research into information-sharing between actors, best practice and practical tools to improve transparency and accountability.
The Report’s key goal is to map and assess the recent and most important public and self-regulatory initiatives enhancing non-profit organisations (NPO) transparency and accountability in the 27 EU member states. The Report also identifies and helps to develop best practice, and makes recommendations for possible common EU-level actions.
The findings suggest that a contextual analysis is needed in addressing accountability initiatives, determined by a number of key factors; among others, the legal system and the level of development of regulation and the non-profit sector. Following the lead of EC COM (2005) 620, the starting point for the Report is upward accountability (to Government, donors and the public at large), but it also bears in mind the wider (and increasing) interest in downward accountability (to partners and beneficiaries).
The Report concludes that there are important roles for self-regulation, which should be considered as a complementary tool in achieving an optimal state of accountability and transparency through a model of co-regulation.
To read the full report either visit the European Center for Non-profit Law website or download a copy of the report from our Resource Library by clicking here.
