On October 21, 2024, a public lecture was held in a mixed format by Natalia Karpchuk, Doctor of Political Science, Professor of the Department of International Communications and Political Analysis, Lesya Ukrainka Volyn National University (Lutsk), Chief Coordinator of Jean Monnet ERASMUS+ projects of the modules «EU Strategic Communications: Counteracting Destructive Influences» (2022–2025) and ‘EU Counteraction to External Information Manipulation and Interference’ (2024–2027), on the topical topic «Humanitarian Assistance and Civil Protection as an Area of the European Union’s Activity to Promote International Peace and Security».
During her speech, the speaker focused on such important categories as civil protection and humanitarian assistance as a direction of the European Union’s activities to promote international peace and security. During the lecture, Natalia Karpchuk outlined the peculiarities of the activities of the Committee on the Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CIVCOM), which is an advisory body in the EU dealing with the civilian aspects of crisis management. CIVCOM prepares planning documents for new missions, provides recommendations to the Political and Security Committee, and develops strategies for civilian crisis management and civilian capacity.
The lecturer focused on the basic principles of humanitarian aid in the EU, namely humanity, neutrality, independence, impartiality and solidarity. Natalia Karpchuk also presented information on the mission of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid (DG ECHO), such as: to save lives, prevent and alleviate human suffering, and protect the integrity and dignity of the population affected by natural and man-made crises. The lecturer also emphasized the importance of the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid, as well as the presence of DG ECHO field humanitarian staff in the world.
The expert paid a lot of attention to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, the Emergency Response Coordination Center, and rescEU. She also focused in detail on auxiliary instruments (satellite maps, cooperation with the European Maritime Safety Agency, the European Standby Additional Capacity, the European Civil Protection Pool, the EU Civil Protection Knowledge Network, the EU Early Warning and Information System). In addition, Natalia Karpchuk gave interesting examples of recent response operations using the resources of the European Civil Protection Pool, EU humanitarian operations in 2023, and the application of the EU civil protection mechanism to Ukraine. The speaker presented an infographic for 2023, which shows that the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was activated more than 700 times.
Natalia Karpchuk highlighted new challenges to EU humanitarian action, such as protracted conflicts, massive violations of international humanitarian law, shrinking humanitarian space, increased presence of armed non-state actors, recurring emergencies due to climate change and poverty, resource scarcity and poverty, increased urbanization, and migration. The main areas of EU humanitarian aid, the lecturer emphasized, include: capacity building, cash transfers, climate change, digitalization, people with disabilities, disaster preparedness, education, food aid, etc.
Particularly interesting was the speaker’s information on the humanitarian assistance provided by the EU to Ukraine and the data presented from the Eurobarometer survey on what Europeans think about EU civil protection and humanitarian assistance.
The event was held within the framework of the EU’ s Global Responsible Leadership: Climate Change, Environment and Humanitarian Aid (EU_LEAD) project, which is supported by the EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Program.
More information about EU_LEAD can be found on the project’s website within the Lviv Polytechnic Portal.
