International conference “Understanding humanitarian action: finding the space”

During the second half of 2013, Lithuania held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The rotating Presidency was an opportunity to prove that the country is a reliable partner and increase the role and weight of civil society in the decision-making process.

Together with the Faculty of Law of the University of Vilnius, the Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA) organised an awareness raising seminar to discuss the challenges and scope of international humanitarian action, its potential and requirements. The main aim of the seminar was to raise public awanress on Lithuanian civil society, the NGO sector, media and government institutions about humanitarian action globally, at the European level and regionally (in particular the Baltic region) focusing on the challenges, requirements and opportunities for international humanitarian action.

The conference focused on issues relevant to finding a space for potential new humanitarian aid actors in international humanitarian action and on possibilities for building regional capacity.