Regional Offices

ACT Alliance regional offices strengthen coordination, support forums and members in each region, advance localisation of our humanitarian and development work, and connect national and regional priorities to ACT Alliance's global advocacy and humanitarian agenda.

Regional Offices Highlights

ACT Alliance regional offices strengthen coordination, support forums and members in each region, advance localisation of our humanitarian and development work, and connect national and regional priorities to ACT Alliance's global advocacy and humanitarian agenda.

MENA LAC Africa Asia Pacific Europe North America

01
Localisation and Membership Growth
01

Localisation and Membership Growth

 
The regional office prioritised strengthening locally led humanitarian and development action by expanding local membership and increasing the participation of local actors in regional coordination and decision-making. Discussions continued with additional local and church-based organisations interested in ACT Alliance membership.

02
Gender Justice and Community Engagement
02

Gender Justice and Community Engagement

The Gender Community of Practice was reactivated with new leadership and regional learning exchanges. ACT Alliance convened regional dialogue on family status laws, bringing together judges, church leaders, advocates, academics, and civil society actors to strengthen collaboration and support ongoing legal reform discussions in the region.

03
Climate Justice and Faith-Based Collaboration
03

Climate Justice and Faith-Based Collaboration

 
The regional office supported the Eco Theology Symposium in Egypt and continued convening a regional faith-based climate group that met regularly throughout the year, bringing together ACT members, churches, and ecumenical partners to strengthen shared learning, collaboration, and climate engagement across the region.

04
Quality, Accountability, and Learning
04

Quality, Accountability, and Learning

 
Regional members continued strengthening engagement with CHS and accountability processes through CHS self-assessments, complaints investigation training, and regional quality and accountability workshops, contributing to stronger accountability systems and peer learning across the region.

05
Humanitarian Coordination
05

Humanitarian Coordination

 
ACT Alliance members continued responding to humanitarian needs arising from conflict and displacement across the region. Local members remained at the forefront of humanitarian response, particularly in Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria, reinforcing ACT Alliance’s commitment to locally led humanitarian action.

01

Expanding Local Leadership Across the Region The MENA region welcomed four new local members in 2025:

  • CAPNI in Iraq
  • Compassion Protestant Society in Lebanon
  • YWCA in Palestine
  • Council of Services and Development, Synod of the Nile (CSD) in Egypt

bringing the total number of local ACT members in the region to eleven. The expansion strengthened ACT Alliance’s localisation agenda and supported the establishment of the Egypt Forum.

02

Strengthening Regional Capacity and Collaboration: Regional trainings and convenings focused on gender justice, CHS, investigations and complaints handling, resource mobilisation, and training-of-trainers approaches. More than 45 participants, including church leaders, judges, academics, women-led organisations, and ACT members, took part in a regional workshop on family status laws and gender justice.

03

Advancing Humanitarian Coordination and Ecumenical Engagement: Despite ongoing conflict and instability across the region, ACT Alliance members maintained humanitarian responses in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, including in hard-to-reach areas. The regional office also strengthened engagement with churches, faith-based organisations, and ecumenical partners through climate justice initiatives, dialogue platforms, and regional collaboration.

2026 Areas of Work

  • Deepening Localization: Continuing to expand local membership, with active engagement underway with the Anglican Church in both Palestine Egypt, and potential new YWCA membership in Jordan or Lebanon.
  • Advancing the Triple Nexus Approach: Building on lessons from the pilot, with a focus on applying learnings from the Nexus appeal to strengthen the humanitarian-development-advocacy linkage across the region.
  • Strengthening Field-Level Capacity: Continuing capacity building for local staff, with planned workshops including a focus on disability and inclusion.
  • Climate Engagement: Exploring targeted climate work at regional and country level, with a focus on identifying where ACT Alliance can meaningfully engage in strategic decision-making processes.
  • Ecumenical and UN Collaboration: Deepening cooperation with UN agencies and ecumenical partners to broaden the region’s collective influence and visibility.

01

Building a Shared Regional Agenda: The Regional Office supported Forum Coordinators from 11 countries to align around a shared regional agenda focused on climate justice and human mobility. This resulted in two funder-ready regional proposals designed to strengthen resource mobilisation and support locally led programming across LAC.

02

Regional Cohesion and Collaboration: Through in-person and virtual convenings, supported by Week of Compassion and PDA, the Regional Office deepened collaboration among forums, Communities of Practice, and regional partners. Bi-monthly coordination meetings reinforced peer learning and joint planning, positioning LAC as a more cohesive, high-performing region within ACT Alliance.

03

Advocacy and Ecumenical Engagement: The LAC office strengthened collective advocacy on climate justice, migration, human rights, gender justice, and democratic participation. Regional dialogues, faith-based initiatives, and collaborative campaigns amplified faith-rooted perspectives across regional and global platforms, including through deepened engagement with North American members and ecumenical partners.

04

Securing Funding and Advancing Quality Standards: The Regional Office secured and positioned funding to strengthen Forum work in Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, Peru, Colombia, Argentina, and the FESUR Forum. Progress on CHS implementation, supported through Kerk in Actie (KIA), led to LAC receiving its first external invitation for technical support from Groupe URD, reflecting the region’s growing credibility and quality standards.

  1. Pilot implementation of the Due Diligence Passport in LAC as part of a broader set of reforms for 2026 – 2027, the programme will pilot the Due Diligence Passport to strengthen the role of national members and support more effective, locally led humanitarian responses. This initiative introduces a standardized due diligence process, supported by a tiered funding system and a “passporting” modality to streamline eligibility and access to funding.
  2. Conduct three strategic country visits (e.g., Cuba, El Salvador, and Honduras) to strengthen accompaniment, deepen contextual understanding, and support forum development and regional engagement.
  3. Promote stronger cross-regional collaboration among ACT Forums in the Americas, with particular emphasis on fostering coordinated advocacy efforts and identifying joint fundraising and resource mobilization opportunities.
  4. Strengthen regional coordination and peer learning by continuing bi-monthly coordinators’ meetings and incorporating a more structured peer-exchange component for Community of Practice (CoP) moderators to enhance alignment, shared learning, and thematic collaboration.

01

Strengthening regional engagement of national members: ACT Alliance’s Africa Region convened its inaugural meeting of CEOs and General Secretaries, bringing together 27 members for a two-day workshop. Participants committed to strengthening forum engagement, implementing ACT’s Mandatory Policies, advancing quality and accountability, promoting localisation and locally led responses, and enhancing resource mobilisation through a consortium approach.

02

Sub-regional engagement of members in Southern Africa: The ACT secretariat took part in the Southern Africa Regional Forum (SARF) meeting held in Johannesburg, South Africa, on 17 to 18 June 2025, with strong representation from forums across the sub-region and active discussion of the issues facing members’ work there.

03

Meeting of General Secretaries of National Councils of Churches (GS-NCCs): Held on 30 July, this meeting strengthened collaboration between ACT Forums and NCCs, reflecting the ACT Forum Policy’s provision that NCCs have a permanent invitation to the forums. The meeting deepened understanding of the role councils of churches play in ACT Alliance’s work and the need to collaborate with ACT Forums, whether or not they are ACT members.

04

The region welcomed 4 new members, from Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Angola, extending ACT Alliance’s reach into more communities.

05

Strengthening African Union Advocacy: Monthly coordination meetings continued to enhance members’ engagement with the African Union and AU-EU processes. In 2025, members jointly developed a briefing paper ahead of the Nordic-African Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, demonstrating the strength of coordinated regional advocacy briefing paper.

01
Forum Accompaniment and Alliance Development
01

Forum Accompaniment and Alliance Development

The regional office continued supporting forums through accompaniment, coordination, and alliance strengthening, helping members sustain collaboration and rebuild momentum following periods of organisational and operational disruption.

02
Ecumenical Diakonia and Faith-Based Engagement
02

Ecumenical Diakonia and Faith-Based Engagement

ACT Alliance strengthened collaboration with national and regional ecumenical bodies across Asia Pacific, contributing to ongoing dialogue on ecumenical cooperation, locally led engagement, and the role of faith-based actors in humanitarian and development work.

03
Regional Coordination and Strategic Engagement
03

Regional Coordination and Strategic Engagement

The office supported regional coordination discussions focused on strengthening collaboration among members, expanding engagement in East Asia and the Pacific, and reinforcing the role of forums within ACT Alliance’s evolving global strategy.

01

Reactivating and Strengthening National Forums:
ACT Secretariat engaged with national forums across the region, contributing to the reactivation of forums in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Thailand, all significantly affected by the long-term impacts of COVID-19 and organisational transitions. The reactivation of the Thailand Forum also led to the approval of the membership application of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT), strengthening ACT Alliance’s national presence and local engagement in the country.

02

Strengthening Ecumenical and Regional Partnerships:
The region made important progress strengthening relationships with ecumenical bodies and national councils of churches. ACT Forums, members, and the Secretariat deepened engagement with key ecumenical partners, including the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), both non-ACT members, while continuing active collaboration with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka, both ACT members. These partnerships strengthened regional dialogue on ecumenical diakonia and collaboration between ACT Forums and broader faith-based networks.

03

Expanding Engagement in East Asia and the Pacific:
The regional office continued exploring opportunities to strengthen ACT Alliance’s presence and coordination in East Asia and the Pacific. In China, engagement with Amity Foundation advanced through its active participation in ACT meetings and alliance platforms. Discussions also progressed on strengthening member coordination across East Asia, including China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, alongside the exploration of new regional partnerships. In the Pacific, the ACT agenda remained a strategic priority for the PANZ Forum and the Secretariat, with plans to strengthen ACT visibility, communication, and engagement in the sub-region through ecumenical partners such as the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC), and to expand collaboration with the broader partnership networks of PANZ members.

2026 Areas of Work

  • Strengthening Ecumenical Cooperation: The regional office will continue advancing ecumenical cooperation processes initiated in 2025, focusing on strengthening relationships between ACT Forums, national councils of churches, and regional ecumenical bodies.
  • Asia Pacific Regional Forum Meeting: A face-to-face Asia Pacific Regional Forum meeting will be convened in Sri Lanka in September 2026, bringing together forums and members to strengthen regional collaboration and discuss strategic priorities for the region and the wider Alliance.
  • Strengthening Localisation through the Rapid Response Fund (RRF): The office will continue supporting localisation efforts across the region, with particular attention to the ongoing strengthening and reform of the Rapid Response Fund as a key mechanism for locally led humanitarian response.
  • Expanding Regional Partnerships and East Asia Engagement: Building on progress made in 2025, the regional office will further explore partnership opportunities and strengthen coordination across East Asia and the Pacific, including through planned engagement by the ACT General Secretary in 2026.

2026 Priorities

  • Strengthening Regional Coordination and Strategic Alignment: An annual regional online meeting will be convened to follow up on key regional priorities, including strengthening forum sustainability through peer learning and experience sharing on resource mobilization. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to reflect on emerging African contextual developments and contribute regional perspectives to the implementation of the new ACT Strategic Plan.
  • Revitalizing the West and Central Africa Regional Forum (WARF): A key priority for 2026 will be the reactivation and strengthening of the West and Central Africa Regional Forum (WARF). In collaboration with regional leadership and members, a face-to-face meeting will be organized to strengthen member engagement, enhance coordination, and identify opportunities for joint action on shared priorities.
  • Establishing the Greater Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Forum: Building on interest expressed by national members, the ACT Regional Office will facilitate the establishment of the Greater Eastern Africa Sub-Regional Forum. The initiative aims to foster closer collaboration, improve coordination, and strengthen collective action among members in the sub-region.
  • Enhancing Engagement with National Forums: The Regional Office will continue regular engagement with national forums through their existing meeting platforms, providing updates on regional initiatives, strengthening information sharing, and ensuring effective communication between members and the ACT Secretariat.
  • Promoting Sustainable and Collaborative Action: The region will continue supporting forums to explore collaborative approaches to programming, advocacy, and resource mobilization, with a focus on strengthening member ownership, localization, and collective impact across Africa.

01

Advancing Localisation and Humanitarian Reform:
ACT Europe Forum, ACT EU, and the Humanitarian Directors Meeting convened in Dublin to advance discussions on localisation and the future of humanitarian response within ACT Alliance. Members explored ways to strengthen the Rapid Response Fund (RRF), expand locally led response mechanisms, and increase the role of local actors in humanitarian decision-making and resource allocation.

02

Supporting National Forums and Regional Coordination:
The Secretariat continued accompanying the national forums in Ukraine and Armenia, strengthening coordination among members and keeping national priorities connected to ACT Alliance’s broader humanitarian and advocacy agenda.

03

Elevating Youth Voices in Advocacy and Ecumenical Spaces:
Youth representatives engaged directly with the ACT Europe Forum and the Advocacy and Policy Group, contributing perspectives on youth-led advocacy and organisational leadership. The Youth Community of Practice also convened a lecture series on youth leadership, climate justice, and gender justice, and took part in broader ecumenical initiatives with the World Council of Churches and the Season of Creation closing event.

2026 Areas of Work

  • Finalise and advance the ACT Alliance Youth Policy through consultations and focus group discussions informed by the 2025 survey findings.
  • Continue supporting implementation of localisation commitments, including strengthening the Rapid Response Fund and locally led humanitarian approaches.
  • Deepen engagement with national forums, particularly in Ukraine and Armenia, to strengthen coordination and humanitarian response.
  • Expand collaboration between youth leaders, the Advocacy and Policy Group, and regional forums to strengthen youth participation in ACT governance and advocacy.

01

Advancing Localisation and Humanitarian Reform:
ACT Europe Forum, ACT EU, and the Humanitarian Directors Meeting convened in Dublin to advance discussions on localisation and the future of humanitarian response within ACT Alliance. Members explored ways to strengthen the Rapid Response Fund (RRF), expand locally led response mechanisms, and increase the role of local actors in humanitarian decision-making and resource allocation.

02

Supporting National Forums and Regional Coordination:
The Secretariat continued accompanying the national forums in Ukraine and Armenia, strengthening coordination among members and keeping national priorities connected to ACT Alliance’s broader humanitarian and advocacy agenda.

03

Elevating Youth Voices in Advocacy and Ecumenical Spaces:
Youth representatives engaged directly with the ACT Europe Forum and the Advocacy and Policy Group, contributing perspectives on youth-led advocacy and organisational leadership. The Youth Community of Practice also convened a lecture series on youth leadership, climate justice, and gender justice, and took part in broader ecumenical initiatives with the World Council of Churches and the Season of Creation closing event.

2026 Areas of Work

  • Finalise and advance the ACT Alliance Youth Policy through consultations and focus group discussions informed by the 2025 survey findings.
  • Continue supporting implementation of localisation commitments, including strengthening the Rapid Response Fund and locally led humanitarian approaches.
  • Deepen engagement with national forums, particularly in Ukraine and Armenia, to strengthen coordination and humanitarian response.
  • Expand collaboration between youth leaders, the Advocacy and Policy Group, and regional forums to strengthen youth participation in ACT governance and advocacy.
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