ILS Duty of Care Pavilion and Conference

The Duty of Care Pavilion and Conference, hosted and curated by ILS, offers security managers, HR leaders, programming and operational staff a dedicated space to come together and discuss the challenges, solutions and the future of meeting integrated duty of care obligations and effectively supporting staff to work in challenging environments.

Duty of Care has never been more important: with resources scarcer and the risks more acute than before, we must make the most of the momentum that has returned and come together to share knowledge, resources, skills, and services.

The Duty of Care Pavilion and Conference considers topics such as safety and security, safeguarding/PSEA, wellbeing, cyber risk, travel and more. The structure involves:

  • An exhibition area; featuring exhibits from leading duty of care suppliers, coordinating bodies and service providers to the sector
  • ILS also hosts a collaborative networking and peer support space, providing access to thought leaders and consultants who are pushing forward the duty of care agenda in the sector
  • A large conference space jointly curated by ILS. This ‘conference within a conference’ offers a thought-provoking, educational and inspiring agenda of discussion panels, workshops and case studies devoted to the sharing of knowledge, experience and good practice

This year, the theme of the Duty of Care Pavilion and Conference is "Escalating Risks x Decreasing Budgets: Collaborative, Cost-effective Innovations for Staff Safety and Care." Watch last year's highlights video to get a feel for the Duty of Care Pavilion and Conference:

Discover the conference agenda in 2025

*The agenda and speaker line-up are subject to change.

Day 1 - 22 October

10:00-10:15  Keynote Opening Address - Stephen Cornish, Director General, Operational Centre Geneva - Médecins Sans Frontières
10:20-11:20

Escalating Risk x Decreasing Budgets
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.

Speakers include:

Ayaki Ito, Director, Division of Emergency, Security and Supply - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Beth Chapman, Director of Risk Advisory - ILS

Abby Stoddard, Partner - Humanitarian Outcomes

Jon Novakovic, Executive Director - Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF)

Stephen Cornish, Director General, Operational Centre Geneva - Médecins Sans Frontières

11:35-12:30

Establishing a Global Community of Practice: Advance Staff Care, Mental Health, and Psychosocial Support for Humanitarian Workers
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.

Speakers include:

Allison Male, Community of Practice Coordinator - Protect Humanitarians

Mykola Obelchak, Regional Head of Social Support - NGO Proliska

Mila Leonova, Director of the Alliance - Alliance UA CSO (Ukrainian Civil Society Organisations)

Melissa Pitotti, CEO - Facilitating the Future, LLC

Imad Abuhasira, Protection Officer - Retired, Formerly ICRC

13:15-14:10

Power to Act - Women Shaping Security and Duty of Care in Crisis Settings
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.

Speakers include:

Sonja van Reede, Global Humanitarian Director - MSI Reproductive Choices

Chris Watson, Operational Risk Manager - MSI Reproductive Choices

14:25-15:05

Insuring Resilience: Innovative Risk Transfer for Duty of Care in a Cost-Pressured Era
In today’s humanitarian landscape, aid organisations face escalating physical, digital, and legal risks—while operating under increasing financial strain. Amid crises, insecurity, and staff 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.

Speakers include:

Stéphane Lorey, Director - Ambrelia

Bertil Postema, International Insurance Advisor - Médecins Sans Frontières

Jeremy Vedel, NGO/IGO Insurance Specialist - Allianz

15:20-16:15

Getting the Most out of Low-cost Tech: Creative Processes for Cost Efficiency
Technology is only as useful and cost effective when leveraged with creative processes and innovative systems within organisations. This session will explore how organisations can effectively utilise low-cost/free technologies and tools to support humanitarian safety and security in the wake of limited resources.

Speakers include:

Jessie End, Vice President of Social Good and Nonprofit Partnerships - Dataminr

Jess Kenneth Torp, Head of Safety and Security Coordination - WIPO

Fabien Leimgruber, Head of Cyber Resilience - CyberPeace Institute

16:30-17:10

Duty of Care on Trial - The Case of Mauchline v. CADUS

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.

Speakers include:

Steve Dennis, Founder - Proper Support

 

Day 2 - 23 October

10:00-10:50

Stronger Together: Rethinking NGO–Private Sector Collaboration to Sustain Duty of Care
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.

Speakers include:

Jon Novakovic, Executive Director - Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF)

Salim Nakueira, Director for Global Health - International SOS

Kim Scrivens, Executive Director - H2H Network

Beth Chapman, Director of Risk Advisory - ILS

11:05-11:55

Smart Travel and Risk Strategies - Navigating ISO 31030 in Resource Scarcity
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.

Speakers include:

Zoe Knight, Senior Risk Advisor - ILS

Jamie De Freitas, Senior Vice President of Sales and Account Management EU - Diversity Travel

12:10-13:05

HEAT Training for the Mind: Building a Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Toolkit
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.

Speakers include: 

Imogen Wall, Founder - IW Response Associates

Steve Ryan, Mental Health First Aider

13:35-14:30

Localising responsibly - From language to logistics
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.

Speakers include:

Zoe Knight, Senior Risk Advisor - ILS

Aimee Ansari, Executive Director - CLEAR Global

John Ede, Chief Executive Officer & President - Ohaha Family Foundation

Talha Keskin, International Relations Director - IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation

14:40-15:30

Training as a Lifeline: Strengthening Local and Regional Risk Management Capacity in Times of Scarcity
This session will explore how learning and development for risk management can be strategically adapted and deployed as a cost-effective tool to strengthen field teams, uphold duty of care, and mitigate rising mental health challenges particularly in a context of increasing localisation without matched investment in support structures.

Speakers include: 

Beth Chandler, Learning & Development Manager - ILS

Hosted and curated by

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