This event is organised by DCAF and GHC and follows a series of joint activities between the organisers on the role of the security sector in preventing and managing global health crises. The joint initiative between health and security sector experts was triggered and informed by the experiences of the 2014–2015 Ebola epidemic in West Africa. Subsequent health crises such as the spread of the Zika virus in Brazil, the Ebola flare-up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Cholera outbreak in Yemen, cases of plague in Madagascar and the recent outbreak of the Marburg virus in Uganda clearly demonstrate the continued relevance of further research on the intersection between the health and the security sectors.

The event is conceived as an interactive event to examine the contributions made and the progress achieved in (1) the development of recommendations for training modules for health and security agencies (2) the development of recommendations for the design of multi-agent and cross-sectoral simulation exercises of health epidemic outbreaks, and in (3) the mapping of early analysis and early warning systems for their coverage of health crises. Ongoing research in these three fields will be presented and reviewed by the speakers. Subsequently, the audience will be encouraged to ask questions and to comment on the presentations. A rapporteur will ensure that relevant points raised will be fed in the ongoing research.

This event is organised in collaboration with DCAF, and as part of the Geneva Peace Week 2017.

Geneva Peace Week is a collective initiative facilitated by the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform in collaboration with the Swiss Confederation. By synchronizing meetings and events on different topics related to the promotion of peace during one week, Geneva Peace Week maximizes synergies between organizations in Geneva, focusing on the cross-cutting nature of peace.

Programme

Introduction:

•  Background and presentation of the project - Albrecht Schnabel, Head, Operations Asia-Pacific, DCAF

Presentations followed by Q&A sessions:

• Recommendations for training modules for health and security agencies

  • Christian Haggenmiller, Commander, Medical Sercices and Health Science, Leadership Academy, German Armed Forces

  • Gian Luca Burci, Senior Fellow, Global Health Centre; Adjunct Professor, International Law, the Graduate Institute

• Recommendations for the design of multi-agent and cross-sectoral simulation exercises

  • Raphael Zumsteg, Research Assistant, Operations Asia-Pacific, DCAF

  • Anne Bennett, Programme Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa Division, DCAF

• Mapping of early analysis and early warning systems for their coverage of health crises

  • Danny Sheath, Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva

  • Youngchan Kim, Project Officer, Operations Asia-Pacific, DCAF

Moderated by Albrecht Schnabel