Dan Maxwell, Helen Young, and Antonio Donini joined the more than 60 scholars present at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) and signed the Statement of Commitments from Humanitarian Scholars at the WHS. The statement recognizes key role that those involved in humanitarian studies must play in efforts to improve responses to humanitarian crises. It states that the future of humanitarian response “depends on developing a strong base of knowledge about current emergencies, future threats and their contexts; the populations affected by these emergencies; and the legal frameworks, institutions and interventions that seek to meet humanitarian needs and resolve these crises.”

The scholars made six commitments:

1. To make humanitarian research more collaborative and inclusive
2. To research the impacts of the WHS – both positive and negative – on those affected by humanitarian emergencies and the future of humanitarian action
3. To further develop and adopt evidence-based approaches relevant to humanitarian research
4. To localize humanitarian research and education within the regions and communities affected by emergencies
5. To improve the impact and increase the use of humanitarian research by encouraging and supporting trans-disciplinary research that collaborates with non-traditional knowledge actors
6. To protect academic freedom, uphold scientific ethics, and be accountable for the research we do, how it is undertaken, and how it is used