UN Secretary-General Appoints Eight New Advisers to Central Emergency Response Fund

NEW YORK — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed eight new members to the Advisory Group of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) on September 30, 2026.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 2005, the Advisory Group provides strategic guidance to the Secretary-General on the allocation, utilization, and impact of the fund. This guidance is delivered through the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. The group consists of 23 members representing Africa, Asia, Europe, the Gulf, the Latin American and Caribbean region, North America, and Oceania, each serving a single three-year term.

The newly appointed members include:

• Australia: Beth Delaney, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN
• Belgium: Sophie De Smedt, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN
• Finland: Lauratuulia Lehtinen, Deputy Director General in the Department for Development Policy at Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs
• Ireland: Michelle Winthrop, Humanitarian Director at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs
• Republic of Korea: Jongin Bae, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the UN
• Pakistan: Qazi Shaukat Fareed, Senior Diplomat and Permanent Observer for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean to the UN and UN system organizations
• United States: Ryan Shrum, Senior Bureau Official for Disaster and Humanitarian Response at the U.S. Department of State
• United Kingdom: Dr. Rurik Marsden, Head of Humanitarian Policy and Programmes in the Humanitarian Directorate of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher noted that the fund is critical during crisis situations, stating that it enables rapid resource deployment as humanitarian needs increase.

According to the UN, CERF has distributed more than $10.1 billion in humanitarian assistance across more than 117 countries and territories since 2006. The financing has been supported by 133 UN Member States, observers, regional governments, corporate donors, foundations, and individuals.

In the first half of 2026, the fund allocated $278 million across 31 countries to address various emergencies, including an earthquake in Venezuela and the regional impacts of El Niño. Most recently, CERF released $2.5 million to initiate humanitarian relief efforts following major flooding in Nepal.

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