OCHA: Global Symposium +5 on Information for Humanitarian Action - Final Report

With the ever-changing humanitarian landscape, challenges and opportunities continue to characterize the humanitarian community’s ability to share, manage and exchange information. While timely, relevant and reliable information remains central to effective humanitarian coordination and response, users increasingly expect information to support evidencebased advocacy, decision-making and resource allocation. Given these expectations, information professionals recognize they must work together to produce information tailored to serve a range of different needs in affected countries based on common standards and sound analytical methods. Today’s technology offers many solutions but real progress is still only possible through the willingness of people and their organizations to collaborate in sharing, managing and communicating information as a community.

It was in this context that the 2007 Global Symposium +5 on Information for Humanitarian Action was held in Geneva at the Palais des Nations on 22-26 October. The Symposium brought together more than 300 humanitarian professionals to build upon a community of practice on humanitarian information and knowledge to strengthen humanitarian response through timely and reliable information. Participation represented the broad spectrum of humanitarian actors globally. This report reflects the collective wisdom and learning of this wide base of humanitarian information professionals representing more than 100 organizations. The report outlines emerging themes, recognizes lessons and good practice, and reaffirms the agreed principles supporting quality standards. Most importantly, it provides recommendations that will guide the humanitarian community forward.

Download the report from Reliefweb.