Views from the Center

On the sidelines of the 74^th annual proceedings of the UN General Assembly, one recurring idea caught my attention: interconnectedness.

Criminalizing humanitarian aid to refugees and migrants has not only failed, it is also causing unnecessary deaths and suffering. The recent agreement last month by 14 EU member states to a new “solidarity mechanism” to allocate migrants and refugees rescued at sea is a welcome development. 

The Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh continues to grip the region and—particularly with heightened risks during monsoon season—international headlines. There have been important steps toward a comprehensive solution that recognizes the reality of protracted displacement—but additional commitments and coordinated policy dialogue are needed. And regional partners will be key to the ultimate success of these efforts.

While donor countries have poured significant resources into branding aid—emblazing a donor’s flag or aid agency logo on everything from food aid to bridges—the benefits of branding are iffy at best and counterproductive at worst. Studies of its impact tend to pay little attention to how branding affects the relationship between recipient governments and their publics, but evidence shows that it can have corrosive systemic impacts.