Ethics, Foresight & Innovation in Humanitarian Action

The Estonian Refugee Council’s International Humanitarian Assistance Conference returns for its second year, taking place on November 7, 2024 in Fotografiska, Tallinn. The conference brings together a diverse group of experts and panellists from international humanitarian organisations to delve into the evolving challenges faced by the humanitarian sector. 

This year’s conference is centered on critical themes at the intersection of ethics, anticipatory action, and innovation in humanitarian action. 

In a world increasingly characterised by complex and protracted crises, humanitarian organisations are faced with difficult decisions about resource allocation, prioritisation, and response effectiveness amidst limited funding and escalating demands. Exploring the intersection of humanitarian ethics, anticipatory action, and use of innovative technologies, the conference aims to equip practitioners and policy makers with insights necessary to navigate the evolving landscape of humanitarian assistance. 

This year’s featured topics are: 

• Between Scylla and Charybdis: Navigating the ethical dilemmas and moral conundrums in humanitarian settings
• The possibility of foresight in conflict settings: Exploring strategies of preparedness and anticipatory action in conflict settings to mitigate the impact of potential crises before they escalate
• The role of AI in humanitarian action: Potential and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence in humanitarian response

The conference features high-level panels with experts from a diverse range of international humanitarian organisations. Panellists include Christina Bennett (CEO of Start Network), Juliet Parker (Director of ALNAP), William Anderson (Director of Sphere), Karin Maasel (Executive Director of Data Friendly Space), Robbie Phillips (Humanitarian Science and Technology Lead at FCDO), Miro Modrusan (Representative & Policy Advisor at INTERSOS), Thomas Byrnes (Independent Consultant at Market Impact), and Catalina Jaime (Head of Climate and Conflict at RCRC Climate Center), the panels are moderated by Eero Janson (Estonian Refugee Council), Sigrid Solnik (Estonian Refugee Council) and Kristen Davis (CinqC).

The conference will be held in English. 

Registration is closed for this year. Thank you to everyone interested, and see you at the conference on November 7!

NB! A recording of the conference will be made available and shared later on our channels.

The conference is supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Center for International Development Cooperation.