Opening remarks of the Duty of Care pavilion at AIDEX 2025

Considering these intersections of escalated risks to aid worker safety and decreased budgets for organisations delivering aid or international development programming; how can we support the safety and security of staff in the face of a funding crisis? How does the funding crisis impact staff safety and security? What ways can organisations innovate to support the holistic integration of safety and security for their staff amidst a funding crisis? The panel discussion brings together experts from across the sector to discuss innovations, capacity sharing and building, research and insights on ways organisations can stay resilient amid a humanitarian crisis nexus.

In this session, Protect Humanitarians present the Community of Practice on staff care, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for humanitarian personnel, currently being developed and supported through Protect Humanitarians. This community of practice brings together a wide range of humanitarian organisations, academic partners, experts, and survivors of violence; serving as a technical and learning hub for issues related to staff care and MHPSS for frontline humanitarian staff.

Despite decades of commitments, women remain underrepresented in global security efforts. When women lead, missions are stronger, trust runs deeper, and peace lasts longer. As one of the largest SRH service providers in humanitarian settings globally, MSI’s gender-responsive and conflict-sensitive approach to duty of care focuses on our clients, staff, and the communities in which we operate. This session explores two case studies from MSI's holistic and locally-led duty of care package on how they have built positive security cultures that protect our colleagues and our programmes.

In today’s humanitarian landscape, aid organizations face escalating physical, digital, and legal risks—while operating under increasing financial strain. Amid crises, insecurity, and sta burnout, the principle of Duty of Care remains non-negotiable. But how can NGOs sustain this responsibility when resources dwindle? This panel, hosted by Ambrelia, a specialist in NGO insurance brokerage, will explore how fit-for-purpose insurance mechanisms can serve as strategic tools for safeguarding people, missions, and reputations.

Technology presents both an opportunity and an expanding (digital) risk for humanitarian aid. This session will explore how organizations can leverage free and low-cost technologies throughout the risk life-cycle–from prevention to response and recovery. We will also discuss key capabilities, resources and processes to consider in building sustainable duty of care systems that get the most out of tech while mitigating the risks associated. Topics covered include: physical & cyber risk, AI, tech integrations, training/capacity building, humans in the loop and localisation.

A live legal case is putting the humanitarian sector’s duty of care under the spotlight. The Mauchline v. CADUS e.V. case challenges what happens when foreseeable risks are not adequately understood, mitigated, psychological injuries go uncovered, and post-incident support falls short. Drawing on his own landmark gross negligence case and work with over 50 injured aid workers, Steve Dennis unpacks five critical duty of care gaps exposed by the CADUS proceedings, from defining “who has duty” to ensuring accountability when no independent oversight exists.

This session blends case facts with practical lessons for leaders, security managers, HR, and donors who want to keep disputes out of court and protect both people and organizations. Participants will leave with concrete actions to strengthen post-incident care, close policy gaps, and move from reactive crisis management to proactive, survivor-centred systems

Many of the services that enable context appropriate Duty of Care, such as emergency medical response, legal advice, and risk insurance, are primarily delivered by private actors. In fact, security functions in the aid sector already rely on commercial providers more than most humanitarian sectors. Yet these relationships are often ad hoc, expensive, or poorly understood on both sides. This session focuses on how smarter, more coordinated approaches can ensure all aid workers, regardless of employer size, benefit from robust, fit-for-purpose Duty of Care mechanisms.

Travel and travel risk management are major parts of international humanitarian operations. With the current landscape shifts, navigating these safely and efficiently is crucial. In this session, hosted by Diversity Travel and ILS, panellists will discuss how organizations can effectively support international travel in line with ISO 31030, especially during times of resource scarcity.

This workshop looks at how non specialist staff can provide first response psychological care to staff members who are struggling. Following an overview of the philosophy and theory of mental health first aid (MHFA), participants will explore a MHFA sample training in managing a panic attack, a common and alarming manifestation of psychological distress that can be safely handled by mental health first responders.

This session explores localisation as it is increasingly driven by external pressures: from shrinking international aid budgets and deteriorating access, to donor demands for efficiency. Drawing from recent trends and case studies, this seminar will examine how localisation efforts may inadvertently result in the transfer of risk and how organisations can localise responsibly.

This session will explore how learning and development are key for cost effective approaches to crisis management. ILS will be delivering an immersive simulation with live, in-person role-players to understand how crisis management training can improve your systems in time of financial constraint.