New edition of the Minimum Standards for Economic Recovery

The third edition of the Minimum Standards for Economic Recovery (MERS) is available in electronic format as well as in print.

More than 175 practitioners and leading experts contributed to the new MERS. They represented over 90 organisations worldwide, including national and international NGOs, UN agencies, research and academia as well as other humanitarian actors. They have all volunteered their time and expertise to contribute to the new MERS.

“As I think back to 2005 when the MERS process began and I review the first and second editions, I can see an evolution of thinking, learning and a real embracing of the complexity inherent in market systems and people’s livelihoods in the third edition of MERS,” says Sarah Ward, lead technical consultant for the revision.

“We have also committed to making the MERS a living document with an on-line life, allowing it to react to new thinking, research and learning as we move forward,” adds Ward.

Since the second edition of the MERS Handbook was published in 2010, the humanitarian sector has advanced rapidly. Some of the changes reflected in the new MERS are: the rise of cash transfer programming, leaps forward in information and communication technologies and mobile banking, new tools for market analysis and monitoring and a deepened understanding of how to support community resilience.

Starting with an event on 30 March in Washington, D.C., a series of launch events will take place around the world, including London and Geneva, in the coming months. If you would like more information about the launch events or are ready to host a MERS-related event within your organisation, please contact programs@seepnetwork.org

The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) represent a sector-wide consensus on economic recovery for humanitarian action. They are a .