Follow the Sun: A Digital Launch of the Data Protection Handbook (2nd ed.)

For the official launch of the second edition of the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action, the ICRC has organized an all-day digital event to discuss how, in today's technological landscape, data protection is a more essential concern than ever.

The event will be composed of 7 thematic panels: five focused on one of the technology areas explored in the new edition of the handbook and related data protection-concerns; and two with a special focus - the first is a “check-in” on the developments of the discussions regarding Covid-19 and Digital Contact Tracing, which was previously hosted on June 3rd, and the second is a session on Learning and Education.

The panels will “follow the sun” during the day, being hosted by Tokyo, Kula Lumpur, Amman and UAE, Addis-Ababa, Nairobi and Kigali, Brussels and London, and finally Washington and Bogota.

The day-long event will include the following panels:

1. Digital Identity and Biometrics (Hosted by ICRC Tokyo Delegation, 08.00-09.15 CET)
2. Covid-19 and Contact Tracing Applications (Hosted by ICRC Kuala Lumpur Delegation, 09.30-10.45 CET)
3. Use of Social Media and Messaging Applications (Hosted by ICRC Amman and UAE Delegations, 11.00-12.15 CET) 
4. Connectivity as Aid (Hosted by ICRC Addis Ababa Delegation, 12.30-13.45 CET)
5. Blockchain (Hosted by ICRC Nairobi and Kigali Delegations, 14.00-15.15 CET)
6. Training, Education and Literacy - Grounding data protection in operational realities (Hosted by ICRC London and Brussels Delegations, 15.30-16.45 CET)
7. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Hosted by ICRC Bogota and Washington Delegations, 17.00-18.15 CET)
8. Wrap-up and looking ahead (18.30 - 20.00 CET)

The discussion

Each panel will bring together stakeholders from the humanitarian and tech sectors; academia; data protection authorities; civil societies and affected populations; as well as other relevant sectors.

The objective of the event is to explore the opportunities and risks that an increasing digitalization of the humanitarian sector can bring, and to offer an insight on the importance of data protection to ‘do no harm’ in the digital era.

Each discussion will explore ways in which different sectors can work together for the ‘responsible use’ of these new technologies in the most volatile environments and for the benefit of the most vulnerable victims of armed conflicts, other situations of violence, natural disasters, pandemics and other humanitarian emergencies.  The panelists will discuss the ways in which this Handbook can be applied, leverage and build on existing guidelines, working procedures and practices that have been established throughout the many years of humanitarian action.

You will also find a chat box on the bottom right of this page, that you can use to send questions to the speakers.

If you prefer, you can also share your thoughts and reflections on social media through the hashtag:

#DataProtectionHB

The Virtual Café: an occasion for informal exchange

During the entire day of the event, a virtual coffee room will be available for informal exchange during, before and after panels. This virtual café offers a space where people choose their conversation partners and groups by approaching others, just like in real life. Conversation are sparkled by "circle", allowing you to move around different discussion clusters without being bothered by multiple ongoing conversations. In this virtual café room, you can get into contact with other participants, speakers and experts and continue the discussion once the panels end.

How does it work? It's quite simple:

1. Click on the link for the room.
2. Take a photo with your web camera, write your name, answer an icebreaker question and that's it: you're in the room.
   NB: you don't need to input your email address or phone to get in the room. If you are asked them, just click "skip".
3. Now it's time for talking – You can move your icon/avatar around by clicking outside the icon, to the part of the room you want to go to. To get in contact with a conversation partner, simply move towards them. As soon as you are close, a small circle will appear. All participants in this circle are automatically brought together in a video chat. If another interesting conversation partner appears in another corner of the room, just go there. A chat function also allows you to write with all people in this room or just one person at a time.

You can read more about the privacy policy of this platform here.

The speakers

PANEL 1. Digital Identity and Biometrics (Hosted by ICRC Tokyo Delegation, 08.00-09.15 CET)

• Regis Savioz, Head of Delegation in Tokyo (ICRC) - chair
• Vincent Graf, Strategic Technology Adviser (ICRC) - moderator
• Enrica Porcari, Chief Information Officer and Director Technology Division (WFP)
• Sophie Kwasny, Head of the Data Protection Unit (Council of Europe)
• Prof Kazue Sako, Professor at Department of Computer Science and Engineering School of Foundamental Science and Engineering (Waseda University)
• Alexandrine Pirlot de Corbion, Directory of Strategy (Privacy International)
• Shinya Kukita, Chief Engineer (NEC)

PANEL 2. Covid-19 and Contact Tracing Applications (Hosted by ICRC Kuala Lumpur Delegation, 09.30-10.45 CET)

• Biljana Milosevic, Head of Regional Delegation in Kuala Lumpur (ICRC) - chair
• Stuart Campo, Team Lead – Data Responsibility (UN OCHA) - moderator
• Professor Dr Teo Yik Ying, Dean of the School of Public Health (National University of Singapore) - keynote speaker
• Gabriela Poller-Hartig, Head of International Relations (Austrian Red Cross)
• Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor (EU) 
• Prof Abu Bakar Munir, Adjunct Professor of Law (University of Indonesia) and Research Consultant (Eversheds Harry Elias LLP)
• Sutawan Chanprasert, Founder (DigitalReach)
• William Malcolm, Legal Director-Privacy (Google)

PANEL 3. Use of Social Media and Messaging Applications (Hosted by ICRC Amman and UAE Delegations, 11.00-12.15 CET)

• Stephane Bonamy, Head of Regional Affairs Team in Amman (ICRC) - chair
• Omar Odeh, Head of Regional Delegation for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Countries (ICRC) - panel rapporteur
• Barnaby WIllitts-King, Senior Research Fellow (Humanitarian Policy Group at Overseas Development Institute - ODI-HPG) - moderator
• Hau Yan Wan, Data Protection Officer (UNHCR)
• Malavika Jayaram, Executive Director (Digital Asia Hub)
• Veronica Yarnykh, Associate Professor and Head of Master Program "International Journalism and Global Communication" (Russian State University for Humanities)
• Jessy El Murr, Journalist and Social Media Expert in the Middle East (former BBC, Sky News Arabia)
• George Salama, Head of Public Policy, Government & Philanthropy (Twitter MENA HQ)

PANEL 4. Connectivity as Aid (Hosted by ICRC Addis Ababa Delegation, 12.30-13.45 CET)

• Julien Lerisson, Head of Delegation in Addis Abeba (ICRC) - chair
• John Warnes, Innovation Officer (UNHCR) - moderator
• Andrew Rugege, Regional Director for Africa (International Telecommunication Union - ITU) - keynote speaker
• Brent Carbno, Managing Director (NetHope)
• Eleanor Marchant, ConflictNET Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (University of Oxford)
• Peter Batali, Executive Director (CTEN)
• Kimberly Brown, Head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation, Mobile for Development (GSMA)
• Catherine Kayser, Humanitarian Desk Officer, Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs (Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs - MFEA)

PANEL 5. Blockchain (Hosted by ICRC Nairobi and Kigali Delegations, 14.00-15.15 CET)

• Olivier Dubois, Head of Regional Delegation in Nairobi (ICRC) - chair
• Francois Moreillon, Head of Delegation in Kigali (ICRC) - panel rapporteur
• Christina Vasala Kokkinaki, Senior Legal Officer (IOM) - moderator
• Prof. Yoshiyuki Yamamoto, Professor (Osaka University) and former Special Advisor for UN Engagement and Blockchain Technology (UNOPS) - keynote speaker
• Safia Verjee, Innovations Manager (Kenyan Red Cross)
• Michèle Finck, Senior Research Fellow (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich)
• Adam Norige, Associate Group Leader (MIT Lincoln Lab Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Systems Group)
• Lacina Koné, Director General (Smart Africa Secretariat)

PANEL 6. Training, Education and Literacy - Grounding data protection in operational realities (Hosted by ICRC London and Brussels Delegations, 15.30-16.45 CET)

• Knut Doermann, Head of Delegation in Bruxelles (ICRC) - chair
• Helen Alderson, Head of Delegation in London (ICRC) - panel rapporteur
• Heather Leson, Data Literacy Lead (IFRC) - moderator
• Urvashi Aneja, Co-Founder & Director (Tandem Research)
• Cosimo Monda, Director of the Maastricht European Centre on Privacy and Cybersecurity (Maastricht University)
• Carlos Ballester Lafuente, Technical Project Manager at the Center for Digital Trust (EPFL)
• Khaled Hijab, Founder and Executive Director (Tech Tribes)

PANEL 7. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (Hosted by ICRC Bogota and Washington Delegations, 17.00-18.15 CET)

• Patrick Hamilton, Head of Regional Delegation in Washington (ICRC) - chair
• Lorenzo Caraffi, Head of Delegation in Bogota (ICRC) - panel rapporteur
• Mary Nunn, International Data Protection Coordinator (MSF) - moderator
• Aubra Anthony, Strategy & Research Lead (USAID Center for Digital Development)
• Catherine Lennman, Delegate for International Affairs and Francophonie (FDPIC)
• Carmela Troncoso, Tenure Track Assistant Professor (EPFL)
• Chenai Chair, Research fellow on Data Protection and AI (Mozilla Network Pulse) and Research Manager on Gender and Digital Rights (Web Foundation)
• Maarten van der Veen, Founder and Strategic Lead (510.global, Netherlands Red Cross)

PANEL 8. Wrap-up and looking ahead (18.30 - 20.00 CET)

• Sarah Dwidar, Data Protection Legal Adviser (ICRC) - moderator
• Nathaniel Raymond, Lecturer at Jackson Institute of Global Affairs (Yale University)
• Júlia Zomignani Barboza, PhD Researcher (Vrije Universiteit Brussel - VUB)
• Balthasar Staehelin, Digital Transformation & Data Director (ICRC)
• Sarah Telford, Lead, Centre for Humanitarian Data (UN OCHA)
• Maja Messmer Mokhtar, Head of Humanitarian Policy, Human Security Division (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland)

You can now download or purchase the Handbook here