Statement: Under pressure: The Grand Bargain 3.0’s final year of implementation and future. As we enter the final year of 3.0 implementation, Signatories have been called on to think about the future of the Grand Bargain. For NEAR, it is increasingly clear that a quid pro quo model centred at the global level and steered primarily by international actors was not only ineffective but is no longer legitimate. (October 2025) Español / Français
Drastic funding cuts, rollbacks on multilateralism, and increased violations of humanitarian law have created not only a crisis of legitimacy for the humanitarian system, but a crisis of survival for people relying on aid. These realities continue to take a toll on local and national civil society actors, who have had to halt programmes to communities, cope with the hypocrisies within the sector, and respond to the fallout of increased distrust from communities. The sector faces different challenges than it did ten years ago, and these cannot be ignored by the Grand Bargain.
As we enter the final year of 3.0 implementation, Signatories have been called on to think about the future of the Grand Bargain. For NEAR, it is increasingly clear that a quid pro quo model centred at the global level and steered primarily by international actors was not only ineffective but is no longer legitimate. Rather than double down on business models that no longer deliver for communities, Signatories must think differently. This is a challenging yet pivotal moment for change.
As NEAR considers possible futures of the Grand Bargain, we have a guiding star: Power and resources must be re-organised and decentralised from the select few to support wider, diverse ecosystems of local, national, and regional actors.