Date: Thursday, 17 September, 2015
Location: Conference Room 7 (CR7), United Nations Headquarters, New York
Time: 13h15-14h45
The Harvard Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research (HPCR) is pleased to announce a panel discussion event to be hosted by the Government of Switzerland that will focus on discussion about a new publication: the HPCR Advanced Practitioner’s Handbook on Commissions of Inquiry.
Recent scientific and technological advances have given rise to unprecedented means and methods of warfare. Some of these new technologies — such as observation and combat drones — are already in use, while others — for example, nanotechnologies, combat robots, and laser weapons — are still in experimental stages.
These developments have, and will continue to, profoundly change the ways that modern actors engage in armed conflict. On the one hand, these...
Presented in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières
Despite the Yemeni Government’s commitment to the 2014 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan and ongoing efforts toward a sustainable political transition, the country’s humanitarian situation remains dire. As Yemen struggles to sustain a series of ceasefires,...
The World Disaster Report (WDR) 2013 examines the profound impact of technological innovations on humanitarian action, how humanitarians employ technology in new and creative ways, and what risks and opportunities may emerge as a result of technological innovations. The responsible use of technology offers concrete ways to make humanitarian assistance more effective, efficient and accountable and can, in turn, directly reduce vulnerability and strengthen...
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In the year 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the world’s population was living in urban areas. Cities have become more numerous, more populous, and denser. The complexity and density of urban environments significantly alter the viability of certain humanitarian protection strategies that might work well in rural, more sparsely populated areas. In addition, it has become difficult to draw the line...
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Since the adoption of the First Geneva Convention in 1864, international actors have recognized the Red Cross emblem as a symbol that identifies and protects health care personnel, hospitals, and medical equipment in times of armed conflict. However, over recent years, the political instrumentalization of humanitarian healthcare has eroded the inviolability of the symbolic value of this emblem, as well those of the Red Crescent and...
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Over recent years, the rapidly evolving nature of conflicts and complex humanitarian crises has not only deeply challenged, but also changed the humanitarian sector. Three main types of factors influence today the future of humanitarian action: first, the multifaceted threats to populations and the corresponding mobilization of humanitarian response; second, the challenges to compliance with fundamental humanitarian principles,...
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As the four-year anniversary of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) issuance of the arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir approaches, efforts to achieve accountability for crimes committed in Darfur continue. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC has thus far issued arrest warrants or summonses for seven individuals for alleged crimes committed in Darfur. Additionally, in December 2012, Fatou Bensouda,...
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A central tenet of international humanitarian assistance is to fulfill the needs of a population unmet by the state in time of crisis. As such, a great deal of importance is placed upon how this need is calculated, how the collection of information might be standardized, and how the gathered information might be better shared. Despite this emphasis, it is unclear to what extent this information is used by operational decision...
