CERN and ICRC partnership boosts open science and humanitarian efforts

CERN and the ICRC signed a memorandum of cooperation in December 2022. The ICRC was represented by Massimo Marelli, Head of the ICRC Delegation for Cyberspace in Luxembourg, and CERN was represented by Joachim Mnich, Director for Research and Computing. (Image: CERN)

(IN BRIEF) CERN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed a cooperation agreement to share knowledge and expertise on using free and open source technologies to support vital humanitarian work. ICRC representatives from its Delegation for Cyberspace visited CERN for a knowledge-sharing session that included training on selected technologies such as CERN’s Indico platform for organizing events, CERNBox for storing and sharing data, Newdle for meeting scheduling, and OpenStack for open-source cloud computing. The ICRC is exploring these technologies as a means to maintain neutrality, impartiality, and independence of humanitarian action in a digital environment. The cooperation agreement recognizes the importance of openness and building pillars of knowledge to pursue respective mandates, from advancing science to protecting vulnerable populations.

(PRESS RELEASE) GENEVA, 24-Mar-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research and one of the world’s largest and most respected centres for scientific research, and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have signed a cooperation agreement to share knowledge and expertise on using free and open source technologies to support vital humanitarian work. The ICRC is exploring these technologies as a means to maintain neutrality, impartiality, and independence of humanitarian action in a digital environment.

Representatives from ICRC’s Delegation for Cyberspace visited CERN for a knowledge-sharing session that included the CERNBox for storing and sharing data, Indico platform for organizing events, Newdle for meeting scheduling, CERN’s Single-Sign On solution for authentication, and OpenStack for open source cloud computing. Members of CERN’s IT department will provide training on selected technologies and share their experience.

The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization that promotes respect for international humanitarian law and provides humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. The ICRC’s Delegation for Cyberspace is responsible for carrying out research and development to explore and test technology relevant for the deployment of services to populations affected by humanitarian emergencies by digital means, in a neutral, impartial and independent manner.

“Through this collaboration, we aim to develop new research-and-development opportunities for cooperation related to the use of free and open source software development, as well as to cybersecurity,” says Enrica Porcari, Head of the CERN IT Department. “We will work to further the sharing of knowledge, experience and tools in this area.”

“We will also identify new challenges as they emerge and develop guidance to help equip the humanitarian and academic sectors with the tools necessary to navigate them,” continues Porcari. “This is an important opportunity for us to further boost CERN’s positive impact upon society.”

CERN is at the forefront of the open science movement, which is based on sharing open data and creating open tools. Both organizations share common interests, including neutrality, independence, openness, data protection, and cybersecurity. They recognize the importance of openness and building pillars of knowledge to pursue their respective mandates, from advancing science to protecting vulnerable populations.

“This collaboration with CERN is an essential enabler for furthering our exploration in the area of neutrality, impartiality and independence of humanitarian action in the digital space,” says Massimo Marelli, Head of the ICRC Delegation for Cyberspace in Luxembourg. “Specifically, to do this, we will work with CERN to set up their free and open source software tools in the Delegation for Cyberspace environment and test new functionalities and tools as well as operating modalities.”

Initial plans were made for more in-depth training sessions later in the year. CERN works closely with other international organizations in Geneva to boost its positive impact on society, such as hosting the United Nations Satellite Centre, UNOSAT, and collaborating with the United Nations Office at Geneva on the Indico platform.

Media contact:

Ana Godinho
Interim Head of Media Relations
+41 22 767 4101
Ppress@cern.ch

SOURCE: CERN

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