Frontline negotiations to humanitarian diplomacy: Engaging weapon bearers for the protection of civilians (Friday 24 May 15h-16h30, Permanent Mission of Norway)

Background

The humanitarian community is facing an increasingly challenging operational environment in armed conflicts. This includes the multiplication of state and non-state armed actors; attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure; harassment and misinformation campaigns; increased bureaucratic and administrative impediments; or restrictive policies such as sanctions and counterterrorism measures.

Humanitarians are on the frontline of crisis response in armed conflicts and must negotiate daily with a variety of weapon bearers for access to populations in need, delivery of assistance and protection of civilians.

This engagement with weapon bearers is critical to contribute to the implementation of IHL and a civilian centred approach to protection. Humanitarians also increasingly share the space with diplomatic actors, who are often working on political processes but also frequently engaging in humanitarian diplomacy.

Acknowledging the challenges we are facing today to ensure the protection of civilians in armed conflict, we need to find new ways of constructively engaging a diversity of stakeholders, starting with weapon bearers in armed conflicts. We should also reflect how best we can support and invest in capacitating humanitarian staff leading these difficult negotiations on the ground. Eventually, we must reinforce opportunities of engagement with States to identify when humanitarian diplomacy efforts can help humanitarian negotiations on the ground.