The HQAI 2025 Annual Report is now available. Ten years after our founding in Geneva, and in the year of the CHS revision, this report is an opportunity to reflect on what has changed — and what stubbornly has not.
A Record Year for Audits
In 2025, HQAI completed audit engagements with 14 new organisations — our highest number to date. Eight CHS Certifications were awarded. Nineteen audit reports were published in full. The organisations audited collectively reach over 100 million people annually across 55 countries.
Twenty-seven organisations benefited from HQAI subsidies, including 13 national NGOs accessing our services for the first time. The group verification pilot — launched this year for consortia of national NGOs — proved successful in three country contexts and will be expanded in 2026.
New Passporting Agreements
2025 saw two new formal donor passporting agreements: with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together with the existing FCDO and DG ECHO frameworks, this means CHS Certification is now recognised by four major institutional donors for due diligence purposes. For organisations in our certified portfolio, the combined reduction in compliance burden is significant.
The CHS Revision: Implemented
The revised Core Humanitarian Standard was formally adopted in April 2025. HQAI's updated audit methodology — incorporating new requirements on environmental responsibility and strengthened localisation commitments — is now in use for all new audit engagements. The first audit reports under the revised CHS will be published in Q4 2025.
The Accountability Deficit: Still There
For all the progress, our audit data continues to point to a persistent accountability deficit at the heart of humanitarian action. Commitment 4 (accountability to affected populations) remains the lowest-scoring commitment across our audit portfolio. The gap between policy and practice on feedback and complaints is not narrowing at the pace the sector needs.
We say this not to be discouraging but to be honest. The organisations that have used HQAI audits most effectively — that have genuinely invested in accountability systems change — have demonstrably improved outcomes for the people they serve. The evidence is there. The question is whether the sector has the will to follow it.
Thank You
HQAI exists because of the organisations willing to be audited, the donors who fund our subsidies, the auditors who conduct rigorous assessments in difficult contexts, and the communities who speak honestly with our teams. This annual report is for all of them.
Download the full 2025 Annual Report from our About page.