Humanitarian Diplomacy in Practice: Diplomacy as Enablers of Humanitarian Action

Humanitarian Diplomacy in Practice: Diplomacy as Enablers of Humanitarian Action UNGA81

United Nations Headquarters, New York

Background

Over 120 million people were forcibly displaced globally, while humanitarian needs continue to outpace funding, with response plans consistently underfunded. Conflicts have become more protracted and complex, increasing risks for civilian populations. Despite legal protections, violations—including restrictions on humanitarian access, attacks affecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, and disregard for humanitarian principles—remain widespread. A defining feature of today’s crises is that humanitarian constraints are increasingly political rather than purely operational. In many conflict settings, these constraints persist not because solutions are technically unavailable, but because a more fragmented and multipolar geopolitical landscape has further complicated humanitarian action.

In many contexts durable humanitarian gains depend on broader political openings. Ceasefires, confidence-building measures, regional diplomacy, local arrangements, de-escalation understandings, respect of IHL, and sustained external diplomatic engagement often create the space in which humanitarian action becomes possible. Member States play an important role to create more space for humanitarian actions. Saudi Arabia is an evolving significant actor supporting stabilization efforts, dialogue, and humanitarian response across several priority contexts. A side event convened by KSrelief along with other humanitarian actors examines how diplomacy can be more intentionally linked to humanitarian outcomes in the Middle East and worldwide.

Core Aim: Humanitarian Situations in Crises Context

This session builds on previous discussions on Humanitarian Diplomacy series at UNGA 79, and 80, RIHF4 with an emphasis on how states, regional actors and humanitarian organizations can better align diplomatic engagement efforts with humanitarian priorities “on the ground” to secure access, protect civilians, and uphold humanitarian commitments across contexts—particularly in the Middle East and neighboring regions. The discussion could draw on practical examples where diplomatic engagement contributed to humanitarian openings, such as arrangements that facilitated cross-border and crossline assistance in Syria following the 2023 earthquakes, the Black Sea Grain Initiative and its broader humanitarian implications, as well as sustained diplomatic engagement in contexts such as Sudan, Yemen, and elsewhere to create or preserve humanitarian space. It would also allow reflection on cases where political processes generated only limited humanitarian improvements, examining the limits, trade-offs, and potential of HD as a tool for strengthening civilian protection amid constraints, system fragility, security dynamics, and widening funding gaps across settings.

Key Discussion Focus

1. Diplomacy as Enablers: How peace talks, shuttle diplomacy, regional initiatives, confidence-building measures, humanitarian pauses, ceasefire arrangements, and local agreements can protect humanitarian issues from political discussions and open humanitarian space to improve operational conditions.
2. Translating Political Momentum into Humanitarian Gains: How broader negotiations can create tangible outcomes such as improved humanitarian access, safer aid delivery, protection of civilians and respect of IHL, restoration of essential services, movement of medical cases and relief supplies, and reduced operational uncertainty.
3. The Role of Regional Power Diplomacy: How states with access, credibility, relationships, or convening power can help bridge divides, facilitate dialogue, and support practical solutions where formal processes are blocked.

4. Sustaining Openings Once Created: How humanitarian actors, donors and political stakeholders can help ensure that temporary access gains or pauses evolve into more durable humanitarian improvements.

   Relevant contexts for the practical application of humanitarian diplomacy, with a focus on how diplomatic leverage can be optimized in each:

   • Sudan: cross-border access and reach isolated communities—managing fragmentation and complexity while prioritizing civilian protection needs.
   • Syria: Sustained cross-border access, essential services, early recovery—transition, access modalities, and sanctions constraints.
   • Gaza: securing humanitarian corridors, temporary pauses and bureaucratic impediments, and the sustained entry of life-saving supplies.
   • Yemen: Ceasefire dividends, political dialogue—access dynamics, maintain basic services (health/food), and enable aid delivery in complex operations.
   • Lebanon: stability, the protection of civilians and the continuity of essential institutional services during times of heightened vulnerability and mass displacement.

Objectives

• Define the Diplomatic Roadmap. Clarify the role of humanitarian diplomacy in advancing civilian protection within today’s fragmented geopolitical landscape.
• Strengthen Principled Access. Identify diplomatic best practices that support safe, unhindered, and sustainable humanitarian access.
• Identify lessons learned from contexts where political engagement has generated humanitarian openings, whether temporary or sustained.
• Foster sustainable partnerships and promote more systematic cooperation between diplomatic actors and humanitarian organizations while preserving humanitarian principles.

• Highlight the role of influential regional actors in supporting de-escalation and humanitarian outcomes.

  ---

Programme

Moderator: Ms. Margaret Besheer, Former Journalist

Opening Segment Remarks by Co-Hosts 

H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah
Supervisor General and Advisor to the Royal Court, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief)

H.E. Ms. Hadja Lahbib
European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management, European Union 

Mr. Tom Fletcher
United Nations Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator

High-Level Panel Discussion
H.E. Dr. Mariam bint Ali Nasser Al-Misnad
Minister of State for International Cooperation, State of Qatar (TBC)

Mr. Jan Egeland
Secretary General, Norwegian Refugee Council

Ms. Amy Pope
Director General, International Organization for Migration

Intervention Period

Closing Segment
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah
Supervisor General and Advisor to the Royal Court, King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief)