In 2017, we continued to grow our portfolio and further developed our track record of reviewing the delivery of humanitarian response. In Iraq, We were asked to look at a range of agencies, which receive funding from ECHO, and to assess how humanitarian principles guide them in their work. When agencies say they deliver principled humanitarian action, one can wonder what this implies in practical terms. Is there a noticeable difference between principled and non- or unprincipled action? The Iraq review revealed that while all agencies consider the principles in planning and carrying out their activities, there is great divergence in the way they understand and apply them. Only a small minority of them, for example, consider that the aspect of most in need, which is part of the principle of impartiality, implies that they should deliver their services as close to the frontline as possible.