Paper details

Paper authors	Maruša T. Veber
In panel on	Humanitarian Accountability in Technology
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Humanitarian assistance is increasingly being carried out by relying on digital information technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI). AI systems, which typically draw on large amounts of data, including biometric data of aid recipients, significantly improve the accuracy and effectiveness of aid delivery and help to prevent possible misuse of humanitarian aid. However, on the other hand, the use of AI in a humanitarian context gives rise to a number of legal issues, including those pertaining to data protection, the role of individual consent and accountability. This discussion is particularly topical in the context of humanitarian international organizations, as it is not settled in international law to what extent are these organizations bound by relevant international, regional and national data protection provisions. By focusing on the law and practice of the World Food Programme (WFP) this paper makes a twofold contribution. First, it argues that the enforcement of relevant national and regional data protection and AI legal regimes in relation to the work of international humanitarian organizations is generally precluded by the immunities to which they are entitled under international law. It is therefore the internal regimes of these organisations that provide the most relevant legal framework governing the use of AI and subsequent data gathering. Second, this paper demonstrates that humanitarian organisations should prioritise the incorporation of robust safeguards for data protection and the responsible use of AI into their respective internal legal regimes.

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