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Data Protection in Humanitarian Action

The Brussels Privacy Hub (BPH) as an academic research centre with a global focus, working on data protection and privacy issues, wishes to use its high-quality academic work to have a world-wide impact and give back to the international community. To further this goal, the BPH joined the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to produce the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action (Handbook) in 2014.

The first edition of the Handbook, which was published in 2017, offers guidelines to organisations providing humanitarian assistance on how to protect personal data of affected individuals and of their own personnel. By providing much needed guidance on data protection while focusing on the core humanitarian principles, in particular the principles of ‘do no harm’ and human dignity, the Handbook filled a knowledge gap in the humanitarian sector.

The work of international and non-governmental organisations in humanitarian emergencies such as armed conflicts and other situations of violence, forced displacement, large migration flows, natural disasters and epidemics is essential for the protection of life, integrity, and dignity of vulnerable persons. Conducting such work frequently requires the collection and processing of a great deal of personal data, which is often highly sensitive. With this in mind, the Handbook explores the data protection concerns that humanitarian organisations face in their work, especially when deploying innovative technology.

2nd Working Series

Due to constant changes in the technologies that are coming together to form humanitarian programs, there is a need to update the first edition of the Handbook by adding new chapters on different technologies that have been receiving increasing attention. With this goal in mind, the BHP and the ICRC launched the 2nd working series, which brings together different stakeholders to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the most pressing issues in data protection currently affecting the humanitarian sector. The advisory board and working group for the second edition has been expanded to include more representatives of humanitarian organisations, data protection authorities, academics, NGOs, and experts on relevant topics.

On 3 June 2020, the Hub together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) published the second edition of their Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action. The co-editors of the second edition are Christopher Kuner, co-director of the Hub, and Massimo Marelli of ICRC. The second edition builds on the first edition published in 2017, and includes additional chapters on data protection and the following technologies: digital identity; social media; blockchain; connectivity as aid; and artificial intelligence and machine learning.

For the release of the second edition of the Data Protection Handbook for Humanitarian Action, the ICRC has convened a panel of experts to discuss how, in today's technological landscape, data protection is a more essential concern than ever. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact societies worldwide, contact tracing apps are being developed in a bid to contain the spread of the virus. While arguably effective in this sense, such technologies also pose important questions regarding the relationship between public health, data protection and privacy.

More information about the event available here.

Handbook Dissemination

Since its publication, the Handbook has been presented at the following events:

• 23 October 2018, Brussels: ICDPPC 2018 Side Event: Data protection in humanitarian action 2nd working series
• 12 March 2018, Brussels: Conference on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action Presented by Minister of Development Cooperation, Digital Agenda Telecom and Postal Services, ICRC Delegation to the EU, NATO and the Kingdom of Belgium, Brussels Privacy Hub
• 30 November - 1 December 2017, Brussels: Annual DG ECHO Partners’ Conference, Brussels
• 22 November 2017, Brussels: Community Call on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Responsible Data Fourm
• 22-24 November 2017,Strasbourg: 35th Plenary of the Consultative Committee of the Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data (T-PD)
• 29 September 2017, Rennes: Digital data, migrants and refugees Workshop, Faculty of Law and Political Science of Rennes University
• 27 September 2017, Hong Kong: 39th International Conference Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners, side event on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action
• 4 September 2017, Gammarth, Tunisia: 10ème Conférence Francophone, Association Francophone des Autorités de Protection des Données Personnelles, session on Data Protection in International Humanitarian Action

Useful Links

• Data protection in humanitarian action
• Privacy International report on metadata Problem - Doing No Harm in the Digital Era
• ICRC Data Protection Office
• ICRC Rules on Personal Data Protection
• CPDP 2018: Data Protection challenges in Humanitarian Action (video)
• Creating International Frameworks for Data Protection: The ICRC/Brussels Privacy Hub Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action
• Summary: Conference on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action (12 March 2018)
• Next steps for the Handbook on Data Protection in Humanitarian Action
• Data protection law and the COVID-19 outbreak