[Conference] Development cooperation and humanitarian aid, the new frontiers

Auditorium Ivan Pictet, Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID), 2 chemin Rigot, 1202 Genève

Development cooperation and humanitarian action are two distinct but related fields of international solidarity. The former emphasises a partnership approach to fight poverty and improve the living conditions of beneficiary populations in a sustainable manner; the latter operates in emergency and crisis situations, during natural disasters or armed conflicts, to protect and assist victims in a neutral and impartial manner.

Although development cooperation and humanitarian action have distinct objectives, types of intervention and principles of action, the question of their articulation has been discussed since the 1990s and is known as the "nexus", to which the peace-building dimension was added in 2016, following the World Summit on Humanitarian Action in Istanbul.

By the end of the 20th century, the links between them had become closer because of their simultaneous action in countries where people are subject to both poverty and armed violence. And in recent years, the combination of health, climate and security crises has made the discussion on the boundaries between development cooperation and humanitarian aid even more complex and porous.

In these circumstances, how should they adjust their activities? How can development projects take into account the impact of global warming, for example by making water resources scarcer? How can security risks be integrated and managed for development NGOs active in the Sahel region in particular? How can development activities, such as children's education, be linked to a humanitarian intervention that has a long-term impact due to a long-running conflict? How can we promote better coordination between development cooperation, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding, particularly in fragile contexts, in order to increase the effectiveness and relevance of aid? In the coming years, the convergence and division of labour between these fields of action will be a challenge and a subject for reflection for international cooperation policies.

The FGC, in partnership with the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), is proposing a conference-debate on these themes on Tuesday 24 May 2022, at 6.30 pm, in the Pictet auditorium of IHEID. The evening will provide an opportunity to compare the points of view of experts and professionals from the international cooperation sector in order to gain a better theoretical understanding of the nexus and to appreciate its impact on the field.

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