Humanitarian Intervention Today: New Issues, New Ideas, New Players

September 24, 2003 – New York City

Mary Robinson opens the 2003 Humanitarian Symposium

Mary Robinson delivered the opening remarks at the 2003 conference.

The fifth international humanitarian assembly sponsored by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation brought together leaders from governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foundations, corporations, and multilateral institutions to explore the changing and challenging circumstances that are transforming the landscape of humanitarian interventions in the 21st century. In addition to the distinguished panelists, the Honorable Mary Robinson, executive director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland, delivered the keynote address. As in previous years, the conference was broadcast on the Internet.

The assembly was held in conjunction with the eighth annual presentation of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, spiritual and temporal leader of the Tibetan people and recipient of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, was the keynote speaker for the Hilton Prize luncheon honoring the 2003 recipient, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT).

Speakers and presentations

Lincoln C. Chen, M.D.

Director, Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University

Expanding the Humanitarian Space: Challenge for Global Philanthropy (pdf)

Noeleen Heyzer, Ph.D.

Executive Director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Human Security Through Women's Eyes (pdf)

Bob Francis Jalang'o

Former Permanent Representative of the Republic of Kenya to the United Nations

Opportunities for Africa in the HIV/AIDS Pandemic (pdf)

Zahir Jamal

Chief of Regional Programmes in the Arab States, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Righting Human Wrongs: the First Arab Human Development Report (pdf)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Hilton Humanitarian Prize Ceremony Keynote Address (pdf)

Mark Malloch Brown

Administrator, United Nations Development Programme

The Role of the U.N. in Reconstruction in Iraq (pdf)

Todd Petersen

Chief Executive Officer, HelpAge International

Reaching Those in Greatest Need? Current Realities—Future Trends (pdf)

Mary Robinson

Executive Director, Ethical Globalization Initiative; former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and, former President of Ireland

Human Rights and Human Security (pdf)

Jeffrey D. Sachs

Director, The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Special Advisor to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the Millennium Development Goals

Ending Global Poverty (pdf)

Robert A. Seiple

Chairman and Founder, Institute for Global Engagement

Religion: the Little Girl with the Curl (pdf)

George F. Ward, Jr.

Former Coordinator for Humanitarian Assistance in the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), Iraq

Civil-Military Cooperation—An Impossible Dream? (pdf)

Symposium materials

Agenda (pdf)

Executive summary (pdf)

Sympsium report (pdf)