New technologies provide great opportunities for development cooperation: accelerating change, improving results and stimulating innovation. The ICRC gathered a large amount of international development and humanitarian NGO’s in London in December in order to reflect on the consequences of digitalisation. Topics included protecting civilians in the digital age, opportunities for digital transformation & innovation, weaponization of information and digital risks in armed conflict – a broad agenda that led to the realisation that collective norms on digital do-no-harm & digital opportunities are necessary. Through the conference they put together a report on the matter, asking the key questions;

How can we promote digital do-no-harm?  And stimulate responsible innovation? 

The debate will present the findings of the report, raise awareness and kickstart a reflection with the panel and you. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently working on a Digitalisation and Development Cooperation policy, NGO’s are actively exploring new grounds; the ICRC report is extremely timely.

Delphine van Solinge, Adviser on Digital Risks for Populations at the ICRC will inform us about the challenges posed to humanitarian actors and conflict management in the digital era, as well as ways forward to tackle them. It will be followed by a panel discussion including speakers from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Partos, the Red Cross, and Leiden University Innovation Centre. Afterwards, the discussion will be opened to include the audience in the debate on digitalisation & international cooperation.

Please register at this link here.

The amount of seats is restricted, we will work on a first-come-first-serve base.

Programme 

14:30 : Walk-in with coffee & tea

15:00 : Opening by Wim Janson, Head of International Relations, The Hague

15:05 : Presentation of the Conference Report “Digital Risks in Situations of Armed Conflict” by Delphine van Solinge, ICRC Geneva

15:20 : Panel Discussion

• • Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tjeerd de Vries
  • Red Cross
  • Partos
  • Leiden University Innovation Centre, Thomas Baar

Moderated by Elisabeth van Steenhoven

16:00 : Plenary Debate on Digitalisation & International Cooperation

16:55 : Closing and follow-up

17:00 : Networking Drinks