Local communities, and local civil society in particular, should be encouraged and empowered to advocate to the parties to a conflict for the universal values underlying humanitarian action.

The Commission Communication of 25 October 2011 entitled ‘A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility’ states that private companies can play an important role and contribute to the Union's humanitarian operations, in particular through employee volunteering.

The Commission Communication of 25 October 2011 entitled ‘A renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for Corporate Social Responsibility’ states that private companies can play an important role and contribute to the Union's humanitarian operations, in particular through employee volunteering.

They thereby recognised and further encouraged the full participation in and contribution to the implementation of the Convention by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (‘the ICBL’), the International Committee of the Red Cross (‘the ICRC’), national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (‘the IFRC’), the UN, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (‘the GICHD’), international and regional organisations, mine survivors and their organisations, and other civil society organisations, as provided for in action No 62 of the Cartagena Action Plan.

5.1 Following the Arab uprising, all European bodies caught unawares by the developments, and with no alternative immediate response strategies except to provide humanitarian assistance, accepted that in future the EU must focus in particular on civil society organisations and other independent social and professional bodies.

A wide range of instruments is available for promoting governance whilst at the same time combating poverty and promoting sustainable development, e.g. humanitarian aid, support for building up transport, health and education institutions, support for administrative reform, combating corruption, maintaining peace and security, promoting respect of human rights and participation by civil society, trade promotion, support to enable the country to take ownership of reform programmes and budget support.