World Humanitarian Forum (WHF): London 2021

We joined the World Humanitarian Forum (WHF) London 2021, contributing on public systems during the session on technology and accessibility. Held virtually on 19–20 May 2021 under the theme "Building Back Better," the digital summit convened 85 sessions across more than 300 speakers, drawing over 3,000 attendees from 105-plus countries. The result of the Forum was published as the outcome report "Shaping the Future for a Better Tomorrow."

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World Humanitarian Forum, Building Back Better

The World Humanitarian Forum brings together leaders from the public and private sectors alongside international thought leaders to shape the future of humanitarian aid and international development, with WHF London 2021 organized around the Global Reset Dialogue and the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Structured across Main Stage sessions and six thematic theatres, including Tech for Good, International Development, Supply Chain Management, and Medical and Health, the summit addressed the socio-economic fallout of COVID-19 alongside the climate crisis, localisation, and the future of international development ahead of COP26. Our contribution came within the Tech for Good theatre, in a session on accessibility and technology moderated by Pete Horsley, founder of Remarkable Tech.

The forum featured Calls to Action across its six thematic theatres, calling for standardized impact measurement, blockchain-based aid transparency, and reformed Ed-Tech investment. It also reinforced existing initiatives, including UNICEF's Global Platform for Action for Sustainable Energy in Displacement Settings, the P3 Impact Award, and Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme, cited as a model for how supporting people with disabilities into employment ultimately pays for itself.

References

¹ Forum Europe. "AI 2021 – Delivering AI with Impact in Europe." Conference Agenda and Speaker List. March 25, 2021.

² Forum Europe. "Forum Europe's 3rd Artificial Intelligence Conference: One Month On." Forum Europe News. 2021.

³ AI-Mind Project. "Forum Europe AI 2021 – Delivering AI with Impact in Europe." Event Listing. 2021.