An Agenda for a Dignified and Sustainable Rohingya Refugee Response in Bangladesh as such by the host country), when advocating for the rights of affected populations in line with international humanitarian principles.233 Similarly, international NGOs, while having strong technical capacity and financial resources, may be constrained by their limited understanding of the local context and their inability to build collaborative linkages with local stakeholders. 234 The dynamic between international and Bangladeshi NGOs is also affected by their need to secure additional funding or gain recognition or visibility in the response as preferred Government/UN/donor/partners. The competition for scarce resources in a fast-evolving aid landscape and lack of trust hinders NGOs’ capacity to fulfil their primary role in meeting the needs and upholding the rights of affected communities.235 At present, NGO coordination comprises of parallel systems at the Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar level operating without a shared understanding of issues and alignment of goals. Individual NGO networks have consistently made key advocacy interventions, for example, CCNF on localisation of aid or the NGO Platform on humanitarian access constraints or refugee protection concerns. However, the impact of these efforts has been thwarted by divergent priorities and fragmentation of rich and diverse knowledge and capacity. Moving into the fourth year of the Rohingya refugee response, creating a space for fostering an honest dialogue between NGOs while gradually shifting the discourse from individual/ group interests to securing the rights of affected refugee and host communities would be a welcome step in the right direction. 4.3 Conclusion A review of the overall coordination structure in the Rohingya refugee response236 in Bangladesh was undertaken in late 2018 jointly by UNHCR, IOM, UNDP and ICVA. The review team identified the need for clarification of accountability and leadership in the response, simplification of coordination mechanisms and alignment with government structures, among others, and proposed changes to the coordination structure at the Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar level. The recommendations of the review are yet to be implemented. Despite the unusual humanitarian coordination structure in the Rohingya refugee response and related systemic constraints, the humanitarian community has been successful in working together to provide life-saving assistance to more than 800,000 Rohingya refugees in a challenging environment with limited resources, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the diversity of actors and agendas in the response, there is much to be achieved by harnessing and complementing capacities. The “whole-of-society approach” or “multi-stakeholder and partnership approach”, is consistent with the concept of “collaboration and complementarity” and is a necessary and fundamental starting point for effective inter-agency and inter-sectoral coordination in the Rohingya refugee response. 233 Wake and Bryant, supra n. 174, p.16 Ibid, pp.17-18 235 Ibid, p.19 236 Review of the coordination structure of the refugee response in Bangladesh, 8 January 2019, available at https://www.icvanetwork.org/system/files/versions/0801Final_Coordination_Mission%20_Report_Bangladesh.PDF 234 Act for Peace / May 2021 53