The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU sent a document to the Member States on Friday 17 December in which it presents its recommendations for the development of digital technology in the field of humanitarian aid. This document should serve as a basis for reflection on the use of digital tools in this sector and encourage the development of “safe” practices.
In concrete terms, the Slovenian Presidency believes that work on data is crucial, while insisting on keeping a human and risk-based approach. Data collection, the Slovenian Presidency says, could help solve some of the problems inherent in humanitarian crises.
“A major problem in crises is the identification and registration of affected people in need of assistance, which is essential for the delivery of aid”, the document explains, adding: “The common denominator of most forgotten crises is displacement. However, refugees often do not have identity papers”.
The use of digital identity documents and biometrics, the Slovenian EU Council Presidency argues, could help ensure “secure and accurate” registration of refugees and at the same time allow them to access certain services.
In addition, the Slovenian Presidency puts forward the idea of a privileged relationship with the private sector. This closer collaboration - with more than just large companies involved in designing solutions to humanitarian crises - could lead to greater funding being made available.
This could give more room for innovation development, whereas most of the current funding is spent on assistance itself.
Finally, the paper calls for the sustainability of infrastructure, which is “not always robust enough” to support the development of technologies and withstand disasters and crises.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for funding and the use of digital technologies in humanitarian aid. In 2020, more than 243 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. At the same time, there were some 82.4 million forcibly displaced people globally.
See the document: https://bit.ly/33GeYpk (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)