Background: This breakfast seminar takes stock of the proliferating use of drones in the humanitarian sector. Drones are frequently portrayed as being a 'game changer' for humanitarian action, both with respect to information gathering and aid delivery. However, at the moment, the limitations of existing technology, an immature regulatory framework and the lack of well-documented use cases mean that this potential is far from realized. There are important unanswered questions with respect to community consent and participation, the challenges of responsible data gathering and management as well as the lingering associations with the use of armed drones. Another challenge is the emergence of a field of non- traditional humanitarian actors (security, military, development, trade) who describe a wide range of drone deployments as having 'humanitarian purposes', independent of any consideration of humanitarian imperatives of 'do no harm' or of offering assistance according to need, or adhering to the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality.

Previous breakfast seminars have discussed drones and human rights, protection of civilians and armed drones and disaster drones. To better understand the practical and legal challenges and opportunities for humanitarian actors, this seminar invites humanitarian actors in Norway, and the general public to share experiences and viewpoints.

Speakers and programme:

08:30 Breakfast & coffee

08:35 Welcome & introductions

  • John Karlsrud (Chair, NUPI)

08:40 Presentation by Panelists

  • Kristin Bergtora Sandvik (PRIO): Humanitarian Drones: the State of Play
  • Kyrre Lind (MSF): Drones – the field perspective
  • Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (PRIO): "Humanitarian" uses by non-humanitarian actors

09:30 Q & A session

N.B. This breakfast seminar will be held in English and is organized by the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS), in collaboration with the PRIO research groups on Humanitarianism and Law and Ethics.

A light breakfast will be served.

Contact info: **** Eric Cezne- ericez@prio.org /Tel.: +47 478 20 359