Join the H2H Network at HNPW 2025

The H2H Network is once again looking forward to the Humanitarian Networks and Partnerships Week (HNPW). This year’s event will take place from 17 to 28 March, with the first week held remotely and the second week in-person at the CICG in Geneva. As we come together to discuss the challenges and future of humanitarian aid, H2H Members will highlight the critical role their services play in enabling a more efficient and effective humanitarian system.

We invite you to stop by the H2H Network booth, connect with our team, and visit our members at their exhibition spaces. Join us for a range of sessions that will explore how we can collectively strengthen the humanitarian response and build a better future for those in need.

Please register and learn more about the inspiring H2H sessions below.

24 March, 09:00-10:30 CET

The humanitarian and development sectors are at a pivotal moment, grappling with entrenched power dynamics and traditional leadership structures that often marginalise transformative change.

Feminist leadership offers a bold alternative—centered on inclusivity, equity, and shared power—that can unlock innovation and resilience in addressing global challenges. Drawing on cutting-edge research and collaborative efforts, this approach reimagines leadership to amplify diverse voices and foster systemic shifts.

Member: Humanitarian Leadership Academy

24 March, 09:00-10:30 CET

A lot of data producers are motivated by the value that their data can have for humanitarian decision-making. However, in evolving humanitarian contexts, the precision and granularity of data can change, making it challenging to align the right data, at the right time, for a decision. This session will feature panellists from organisations working on the production & collation of data from multiple sources (citizen-generated data, crowdsourcing, telecoms data, census and MSNA data) and pose the question: How can the uncertainty of data, especially when it is new or evolving quickly, be better communicated to end-users, so that they can take strong data-informed decisions?

Members: Flowminder, HOTOSM, ACAPS, CLEAR Global

24 March, 11:00-12:30 CET

Every day, humanitarians make life-saving decisions in complex and fast-changing contexts. But navigating these situations requires more than just intuition—it demands clear, actionable insights grounded in evidence. Gathering the right data, interpreting it effectively, and providing solid analysis are essential for ensuring aid reaches those who need it most.

Currently, no formal training for humanitarian analysts exists. Many learn on the job by trial and error. To give humanitarians a leg up in becoming analysts, ACAPS developed the Humanitarian Analysis Bootcamp (HAB)—an interactive online course designed to equip humanitarians with the knowledge, skills, and mindset required to produce high-quality analysis at scale.

Member: ACAPS

24 March, 16:00-17:30 CET

While Geographic Information Systems are now well known in the aid sector, few organizations have managed so far to leverage GIS to actively pilot their humanitarian response organizations. A decade ago the same could be said of Médecins Sans Frontières, where the use of mapping was close to non-existent. GIS is now used on a daily basis on MSF's most critical field operations: from response to epidemics such as Ebola, to managing the safety of its personnel in the field, to transportation planning, to managing refugee camps, etc. But, how did we get there?

Member: CartONG

24 March, 16:00-17:30 CET

As AI becomes an integral part of humanitarian operations, ensuring trust in these tools is paramount. This session will delve into the ethical considerations, transparency measures, and inclusive design principles needed to build and maintain trust in AI-powered systems. By prioritizing human-centered approaches, organizations can mitigate risks and maximize the potential of these technologies. We will focus on GANNET, cutting-edge AI tools designed to empower humanitarian workers by providing real-time, tailored insights. Built to alleviate the strain of information overload, our GANNET tools enable teams to rapidly synthesize data and make informed decisions under tight deadlines.

Member: Data Friendly Space

25 March, 09:00-10:30 CET

The Humanitarian System is coming under increasing strain as outdated bureaucracies struggle to adapt to escalating needs. This diminishes the space for the inventiveness, creativity, and collaboration crucial for change to emerge. Drawing insights from other industries, it is evident that transformative change often arises not from reform, but from new ideas, mindsets, and collaborations by those closest to the problem. Despite the abundance of innovative local organizations, the current system suppresses the ingenuity needed to unlock its own potential. The key to meaningful change lies in mobilising a vibrant and dynamic ecosystem centred on those at the frontlines of crises. The Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA) champions this with a mission to inspire a movement for locally led humanitarian action. With 800,000 learners, more than 50 partners, and a growing cadre of next generation ecosystemic leaders, the HLA is uniquely positioned to influence the future, seeking inspiration from beyond the sector as well as within.

Member: Humanitarian Leadership Academy

25 March, 11:00-12:30 CET

This panel discussion will bring together humanitarian practitioners from different organisations who will share their personal and organizational experiences of their learning journey with utilizing AI tools. They will delve into the fundamental questions surrounding AI in the humanitarian sector, exploring the motivations, methodologies, and limitations associated with its implementation. The discussions will in particular be based on case studies explored by the panelists on their day-to-day work.

Members: CartONG, Groupe URD

25 March, 14:00-15:30 CET

Anticipatory action (AA) is increasingly seen as the silver bullet of humanitarian action, in a context of growing complexity and severity of crisis and shrinking funding. The logic behind it is indeed irrefutable: it saves times, prevents costs and delivers better-quality aid. But is it really that new? Our panel will discuss how local actors have not waited the formalization of AA approaches to identify concrete triggers, prepare for crisis and build field resilience nets. These local systems however often lack formalization, and don't fit in global indicators and mechanisms, which tends to make them invisible. They might however prove to be more cost-efficient, based on concrete experiences of communities, and fit to purpose. While less compatible with standardization and scale-up mechanisms, and therefore less adapted to the humanitarian industry processes and funding channels, this doesn't mean they cannot inform and improve global systems and approaches.

Members: CartONG, Ground Truth Solutions

25 March, 14:00-15:30 CET

Conflict-induced hunger is a pervasive global crisis, with violence and conflict driving acute food insecurity across numerous regions. According to the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC), conflict, coupled with climate shocks and economic challenges, disrupts food systems, livelihoods, and access to essential resources. By leveraging anticipatory action, humanitarian organizations can mitigate these disruptions, protect vulnerable populations, and build resilience against future crises.

Member: Insecurity Insight

26 March, 14:00-15:30 CET

The humanitarian and international development data ecosystem has progressed strongly over the past year. NGOs and international organizations have embedded Information Management functions in their processes, dynamic support organizations and H2Hs help them and develop pooled services, and innovations from the private sector are regularly adopted. This evolution seems to be accelerating with the rise of Artificial Intelligence technologies. But are these progresses shared equally by all actors? During this panel, we’ll discussed the hypothesis, that the system could be divided in two tiers, between the actors that can cope with this fast evolution (mostly international, from the Global North, including the UN and global NGOs), and a growing number of actors will be left behind (local actors, from the Global South, and most regional NGOs).

Member: CartONG

27 March, 11:00-12:30 CET

Access has long been a focal point of scrutiny in the humanitarian sector, as it lies at the core of effective humanitarian response—regardless of the channel through which it is achieved. Despite numerous campaigns, statements, and evaluations, the conclusions remain the same: there are more obstacles than drivers for access, both from the perspective of humanitarian actors and crisis-affected populations. How can analysis, data collection, and interpretation shift this dynamic? Can they become the game-changers that drive practical solutions and inform critical decisions, ultimately transforming how access is achieved and sustained?

Member: ACAPS

27 March, 14:00-15:30 CET

The 90-day freeze of U.S. funded foreign aid has sent shock waves through the humanitarian sector. This session will discuss how humanitarian outcomes, operational capacities, and the information landscape have been impacted by this abrupt change in the U.S. policy. To explore this critical issue, we bring together expert voices from several organisations working on analysis of humanitarian space to explore how different actors are navigating financial uncertainty. The discussion will highlight how organizations are leveraging data and analysis to manage shifting funding landscapes, sustain essential operations, and mitigate risks. Panelists will share insights on the real-time impact of aid disruptions on humanitarian response and the affected communities, as well as the role of data-driven decision-making in addressing funding volatility.

Member: ACAPS

27 March, 16:00-17:30 CET

Bureaucraticand administrative obstacles are among the most persistent and least visible challenges faced by humanitarian negotiators. From navigating complex visa and customs regulations to overcoming procedural delays imposed by host governments, these barriers can significantly slow down or even prevent life-savingassistancefrom reaching affected populations. While often framed as technical or logistical hurdles, bureaucratic constraints arefrequentlythe result of political dynamics, risk management policies, or competing governance priorities.

Member: Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation

28 March, 14:00-15:30 CET

This session will explore general progress and innovation opportunities in humanitarian knowledge management, linking to existing global platforms and National Reference Groups. The session will draw upon, but in no way be limited to, progress by Shelter Centre in the evolution of our Humanitarian Library knowledge-sharing platform, which celebrates and connects other platforms. The Humanitarian Library is an open source platform for all humanitarian stakeholders to share knowledge in real-time, in any language, from policies to spreadsheets.

Member: Shelter Centre