Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW)
The Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Weeks (HNPW) is the annual event of the LEP (leading-edge programme) and the largest event of its kind. Every year, the HNPW brings together more than 2000 experts in crisis preparedness and response from over 350 organisations and countries. Well-established Networks and Partnerships, such as INSARAG or UNDAC, but also newly created networks hold their annual meetings and consultations at the HNPW and collaborate in identifying solutions and solving common challenges in crisis preparedness and response. The event offers a space where LEP stakeholders meet annually to take stock, become inspired and build new coalitions.
Due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2021, the Humanitarian Networks Partnership Week (HNPW) 2021 was held entirely remotely through online conferencing.
In 2021, the remote nature of the HNPW allowed to span the Core Event over a period of three weeks from 19 April to 7 May 2021 thereby reducing meeting overload and allowing more participants also from other regions to attend the sessions of interest. As in previous years, the “Core-Event” focused on inter-network collaboration and began and ended with a formal opening and closing co-chaired by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
HNPW & GISF
For the first time, SRM was one of HNPW’s nine priority topics this year. Recognising the Global Interagency Security Forum’s (GISF) leading role in supporting collaboration on SRM and improving aid workers’ protection, GISF was selected to lead sessions on this critical topic. Bringing together experts from across the aid world, GISF co-hosted five open sessions in partnership with different actors such as the UN, ICRC, FCDO, and Manchester University.
We welcomed all humanitarians to join our sessions and discuss how to keep aid workers safe and facilitate access to affected communities. SRM impacts all aspects of humanitarian action, and together, we will improve communication and coordination across the sector and identify how SRM must adapt to face current challenges. Across the three weeks, we had a total of 826 participants.
This year’s GISF-led HNPW sessions were
(1) Security Risk Management in the Changing Global and Humanitarian Context | Recording 1 | Recording 2
(2) Sharing Risk: Building Stronger Partnerships | Recording 1 | Recording 2
(3) Acceptance & Access | Recording 1 | Recording 2
(4) Managing Security Risks in the Digital World | Recording 1 | Recording 2
(5) A Person-Centred Approach to Security Risk Management in Humanitarian Response | Recording 1 | Recording 2
The summary brief and session outcomes are now available, and can be accessed on the left.