21st century challenges to independent humanitarian action

Chris Lockyear, secretary general of MSF

Chris Lockyear, Secretary General of MSF International, talks through some of the major challenges that face MSF today, as it approaches fifty years of existence.

He will draw upon some specific humanitarian crises that MSF is working in today as well as pointing to some of the key trends that the organisation faces – some of which are new, some of which are unfortunately only too familiar.

Bio: Christopher Lockyear became Secretary General of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) International in October 2018.

Starting with MSF in Darfur in 2005, he has subsequently held field coordination roles in Sudan, Somalia, and Pakistan. He has overseen operations from headquarters with responsibility for programmes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Sudan. In 2014 he joined Action Against Hunger USA as Operations Director and was a Member of the UN Emergency Director’s Group. Originally from the UK, Chris is a 2014 Yale World Fellow and holds an MA in Philosophy and Ethics from Exeter University, and degrees in Engineering from Cambridge University.

This seminar also links to the LEAP Event - Seminar and Student-led Debate - 'The Professionalisation of Humanitarian Practice' which was held later in the day