Humanitarian leaders from more than 85 countries will gather in Doha, Qatar, from April 8-9 to explore how transformative leadership can reshape the future of the international humanitarian system at the 2025 Humanitarian Leadership Conference (HLC).
Hosted by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) and the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL), the HLC is expected to attract more than 200 delegates over the two days, plus hundreds more online.
CHS Director and Conference Co-Convenor Dr Ghassan Elkahlout says CHS is pleased to welcome delegates to Doha for the HLC:
“The HLC aligns with our goal to support decision-makers, researchers and practitioners to enable them to face the challenges of conflict and humanitarian action with effectiveness and awareness," Dr Elkahlout says.
“Over two days we look forward to the many presentations, panel discussions and workshops as we strive to create real, tangible change in the lives of conflict and crisis-affected communities that continue to struggle for hope and peace.
CHL Director and Conference Co-Convenor, Associate Professor Mary Ana McGlasson, says the Conference comes at a crucial time for the sector, amid massive funding cuts, compounding and cascading crises, and the collapse of rules-based order.
“I can't think of an important way to spend our time learning from each other and collectively designing a new world order where communities affected by crisis design their own solutions and are supported by a global solidarity movement to thrive with dignity," A/Prof McGlasson says.
“This encounter will put the spotlight firmly on local leaders and support them to share their knowledge and ideas on a global stage. The time for humanitarian sector reform is long overdue, and we want to highlight fresh ideas and a plurality of valid solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach."
Thanks to the generous support of the Irene M. Staehelin (IMS) Foundation and Gates Foundation, 34 local leaders have been sponsored to travel to Doha to attend the Conference. A further 25 delegates who otherwise wouldn't have been able to participate have been sponsored with online registration by CHL and CHS. Qatar Charity is also a sponsor, while Qatar Airways is the official air travel partner.
Highlights of the two-day programme include keynote speeches from Her Excellency Mrs Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al-Misnad, Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tammam Aloudat, CEO of The New Humanitarian, Hibak Kalfan, Executive Director of NEAR, and Imtiaz Sooliman, Founder of Gift of the Givers.
The 2025 HLC program can be viewed online and online registrations are still being accepted.