What does it take to become a UN humanitarian work?

We interviewed Hovig Etyemezian, Head of Innovation at UNHCR, the UN Agency for Refugees to find out about his journey and how working in the field, in the frontlines, managing refugee camps logistics, finding ways to innovate in volatile situations teaches one to be agile and resilient, qualities he brings to his role as Head of Innovation at the UNHCR in Geneva.

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Interview with Mark Manly, head of donor relations and resource mobilisation at the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

The UNHCR focuses on providing international protection and solutions for refugees, internally displaced people, and preventing statelessness. Their fundraising strategy relies on flexible annual funding from government donors and increasingly from the private sector, including individual donations and corporate contributions.

The organization has a presence in 140 countries and emphasizes integrating refugees into national programs when they cannot return to their homes due to continued conflict.

UNHCR aimed to raise $1 billion from private donors by 2025, surpassing this goal in 2022 due to the Ukraine crisis. They continue to highlight overlooked emergencies like Sudan to secure ongoing support.

We spoke about the demonization of immigrants and refugees by the hard-right pundits and how the news media can be an ally to counter misinformation and fake news.

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Seeking Common Ground in a World of Rivalry

The organization led by Justin Vaisse, historian and diplomat, is supported by the French government and private sector sponsors, including Microsoft.

There will be panels with AI companies and how they are engaging with governments, academics, and UN officials from Africa and Europe.

Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith will be speaking on using AI in the humanitarian field, and their multiple partnerships with UN agencies in the areas of advanced disaster monitoring systems, and education projects with UNICEF, including the Learning Passport, and other digital literacy programs.

The Learning Passport is a Cambridge University-designed initiative launched with Microsoft’s support to ensure forcibly displaced children and young people can continue their education in their native languages, and not miss the school year due to war or civil conflicts that might take years to resolve, as they will need to temporarily settle in the host countries.

Microsoft is also working with Least Developed Countries and supporting the achievement of the SDGs targets by partnering with the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

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Watch my interview with Paris Peace Forum founder Justin Vaïsse, to find out more.

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