The Future of Humanitarian Aid

Moderator: Claus Haugaard Sørensen 

Panel members: Karin Kneissl, Mark Lowcock, Peter Maurer, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle

Further panel members to be announced.
Humanitarian needs are increasing around the world. Armed conflicts last longer while new actors appear both on the geo-political and on the humanitarian arena. In times of increasing defence budgets global disarmament is not prioritized and thus there is no prospect of a decrease of armed conflicts.

Aid is also becoming increasingly instrumentalized and politicised, reflecting a changed geopolitical context affecting large and small states alike. At the same time global warming has changed the patterns of natural disasters, and made them more frequent.  An additional risk factor for armed conflicts.

At the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016, experts from across sectors discussed external trends and influences, as well as the imperative for change within the humanitarian system: safeguarding quality in increasingly complex working environments, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian interventions.

But is the global humanitarian system ready for this future and what are the responsibilities of states, international institutions and humanitarian organisations?

Main Ceremonial Chamber / Großer Festsaal