Opening | Setting the Scene: Shaping the Future of Child Protection Amid Financing Challenges

The opening session of the 2026 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, which took place on 9 June from 13:00–14:00 CEST, brought together a wide range of actors — from frontline practitioners to senior sector leaders — to collectively take stock of the mounting pressures facing child protection in humanitarian contexts. Through a mix of practitioner reflections, high-level dialogue, and interactive discussion, the session created space for honest conversation about the risks, difficult choices, and strategic shifts required to sustain child protection outcomes amid shrinking finances and an increasingly constrained operating environment. Facilitators and Speakers: Hani Mansourian, Elspeth Chapman, Sheem Sen Gupta, Inah Kaloga, Alaa Zaza, Cathrine Andersen, Solomon Okech, and Youth Advocate.