KATHMANDU: Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has been appointed Global Ambassador for the Grand Bargain, a major global initiative aimed at making humanitarian action more effective, accountable, equitable and locally led.
He was formally welcomed into the role at the 2026 Grand Bargain Annual Meeting in Geneva and will champion the initiative’s agenda for an initial two-year term.
In his new role, Chapagain will work with governments, donors, United Nations agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and local humanitarian organizations to strengthen collective action on some of the most pressing challenges facing the humanitarian system.
The Global Ambassador role is distinct from his responsibilities as IFRC Secretary General. In this capacity, he will represent the wider Grand Bargain community, bringing its diverse constituencies together around a common agenda.
Launched following the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit, the Grand Bargain was established as an ambitious effort to reform how humanitarian assistance is financed, organized and delivered.
Ten years after its launch, the initiative is entering a new phase. From January 2027, it will operate as the Collective Action Platform for the Grand Bargain (CAP4GB). The evolved platform will focus on three key enabling areas: quality funding, localization and equitable partnerships, while retaining accountability to affected people and gender equality as cross-cutting priorities.
The transition is intended to shift the Grand Bargain’s focus increasingly from global commitments to practical implementation at the country level. This will include working through National Reference Groups and strengthening links between country-level evidence and global humanitarian decision-making.
As Global Ambassador, Chapagain is expected to provide the political leadership, visibility and convening power needed to advance this agenda at the highest levels of the humanitarian system. His initial mandate will run for two years, with the possibility of renewal.
A central part of his role will be to champion the perspectives of local and national humanitarian actors and ensure that evidence and experience from countries inform decisions made by senior global policymakers. He will work impartially across the Grand Bargain’s diverse constituencies, in close cooperation with its Facilitation Group and Secretariat.
Chapagain has outlined three core commitments to guide his approach: listening first, conveying the concerns he hears to those with the power to address them, and following up on commitments to ensure they translate into tangible results.
He has also emphasized that his aim is not to develop another strategy, but to help turn existing commitments into action.
Strengthening local leadership will be a particular priority. Chapagain has pledged to use his global engagements to bring the voices and experiences of people and organizations working closest to crises into international humanitarian discussions and decision-making.
“Ultimately, the success of this platform will not be measured by the commitments we make in meeting rooms, but by whether people see and feel a difference in their daily lives,” Chapagain said after assuming the role.
A Nepali national, Chapagain has served as IFRC Secretary General since February 2020. His appointment as Global Ambassador places him at the centre of a renewed international effort to ensure that humanitarian reform translates into stronger local leadership, better-quality financing, more equitable partnerships and, ultimately, improved outcomes for people affected by crises.
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