Our partnership approach
The DSG was established at the initiative of several government representatives who attended the Wolfsberg Humanitarian Forum and the ICRC roundtable on preventive action in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1997. During these events, the ICRC's major donors expressed their wish to have more insight into the organization's policy and programming.
In May 1998, the government of the Netherlands facilitated an initial meeting between the ICRC and its ten largest donors, each represented by the respective government officials in charge of humanitarian aid. These ten donors went on to become the first members of the DSG.
Since then, the ICRC's DSG has grown to more than 20 members. Each year, the ICRC provides its DSG with unique access and insights into the organization and its operations, enabling the members to better understand the humanitarian challenges the ICRC faces. It also provides an environment conducive to open and transparent exchanges that strengthen ongoing discussions and mutual understanding on a wide range of issues of interest, such as:
