Several assessments conducted in 2024 and 2025 show that while Movement components face similar challenges across contexts and situations, there is a clear lack of a centralized and coordinated approach. This applies across crisis management, capacity development, available response actions, early warning and detection mechanisms, links with other Movement initiatives (including the Safer Access Framework, MHPSS, and CEA/AAP), as well as research and external engagement.
The origin of the Hub
On the margins of the statutory meetings of October 2024, 20 secretaries-general of Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies, the IFRC, and the ICRC confirmed the need for urgent, collective action, recognizing the Movement’s unique role as a trusted provider of neutral and impartial humanitarian information.
Against this backdrop, an initiative on Harmful Information was launched. Through collaboration across National Societies, the IFRC and the ICRC, this collective effort seeks to equip Movement partners to provide timely, life-saving information or services while safeguarding trust in their communication and minimizing humanitarian consequences.
The Hub’s objectives
Hosted since April 2026 by the Swiss Red Cross, the Hub acts as an enabling foundation, aligning Movement-wide outputs across crisis management, training, thematic work, and external engagement to generate an integrated Movement response to harmful information.
The Movement operates with strengthened, coherent, and context-sensitive capacities to detect, assess and respond to harmful information.
A protected and trusted humanitarian space is preserved, enabling acceptance, access, and safety in contested information environments.
The Movement is recognized as a credible thought and operational leader on harmful information, contributing evidence-based frameworks to humanitarian, policy, and research communities.
The path ahead
The Hub will pave the way until the 35th International Conference at the end of December 2028. By this date, the Movement aims to respond robustly and in a coordinated manner, build strong internal expertise, and position itself as a thought and operational leader on harmful information. It will drive systemic changes across the humanitarian sector in line with the 2024 Council of Delegates resolution on “Call for respect and support for principled humanitarian action”.
