Humanitarian Negotiations with Armed Groups

Humanitarian negotiation with armed groups –

to ensure provision of assistance and protection to vulnerable groups;
to safeguard humanitarian space; and
to improve respect for international law

– can often be a humanitarian necessity!

FOREWORD

For humanitarian workers, the ability to negotiate with all actors in situations of crisis or conflict is essential to effective and timely provision of humanitarian assistance and protection. Indeed, where the humanitarian imperative dictates, negotiation – conducted in an independent, impartial and neutral manner – can sometimes be a humanitarian necessity!

Every day, humanitarian workers are faced with situations that require some form of negotiation, from seeking agreement on how best to access those in need, to reaching an understanding with other actors of how best to protect civilians in times of armed conflict. This often involves interaction with non-state armed groups.

The absence to date of a structured approach to humanitarian negotiations with armed groups resulted in these interactions having been undertaken in an ad hoc manner, sometimes with less than optimal outcomes.

For that reason I am delighted to present this Manual on Humanitarian Negotiations with Armed Groups, which provides a much-needed structured approach to humanitarian negotiations in a clear and user-friendly manner. I am confident that this Manual and the accompanying set of Guidelines will become essential guides for humanitarian practitioners in the field. (...) more

Jan Egeland
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and
Emergency Relief Coordinator

INTRODUCTION

Humanitarian negotiations are those negotiations undertaken by civilians engaged in managing, coordinating and providing humanitarian assistance and protection for the purposes of: (i) ensuring the provision of protection and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations; (ii) preserving humanitarian space; and (iii) promoting better respect for international law.

This manual provides guidance on humanitarian negotiations with non-State armed groups and is intended for use by humanitarian, development and human rights organizations and by humanitarian personnel tasked with conducting these negotiations. Humanitarian negotiations do not in any way confer legitimacy or recognition on armed groups, nor do they mean that the humanitarian negotiators support the views of an armed group.

The guidance presented here is not intended to supplant or circumvent existing security policies and procedures. At all stages of negotiations, humanitarian organizations must consult with designated security officials and must ensure that the operational aspects of the negotiations are conducted in accordance with the relevant security procedures.

Note: Hyperlinks highlighted in blue refer to Chapters of the Manual and Guidelines and to documents and websites accessible only via the internet. The links in green refer to documents available on this CD Rom.

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Contacts

Produced by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs OCHA) in collaboration with members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC).

Gerard Mc Hugh and Manuel Bessler

For more information on the Humanitarian Negotiation Project, contact:

Manuel Bessler
Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB)
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
United Nations
New York, NY 10017, USA
Telephone: +1 (212) 963-1249
Fax: +1 (917) 367-5274
Email: bessler@un.org

For more information or to contribute to the development of the CD-ROM, contact:

Stephane Rey
Policy Development and Studies Branch (PDSB)
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
United Nations
New York, NY 10017, USA
Telephone: +1 (917) 367-9257
Fax: +1 (917) 367-5274
Email: rey2@un.org