Day 2: 24 April 2024
Humanitarian Diplomacy and the Enhanced Role of Women & Youth
Panel
Ms. Laila Baker, Regional Director for Arab States, UN Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) – Chair, mentioned that involvement of women is irreplacable as the most vulnerable of populations where international aid is indispensable. As needs rise and less money becomes available, the scope of the crisis is so big that humanitarian aid alone is not enough. Women and young people are in a paradigm as agents of change. We are at a cross roads with humanitarian diplomacy where needs-based aid is indispensable.
It is assumed that traditional diplomacy will bring about good development and peace, but predictability of alliances and male-dominated actions were seen in WW 2. The next phase was relief and humanitarian paradigms, built on needs of short catastrophies so that aid was short in and out. Now humanitarian aid is a lifeline to people in need, foreseen to increase from the current 300 million to 1.2 billion by 2050, so a sustainable solution must be found to return to predictability where women and children can be engaged in a different way, removing structural barriers and moving to a dialogue. There is a need to be inclusive and for a quota system where voices are heard, and women can initiate their own change.
Dialogue is the preferred way for women to communicate, inclusivity the way to communicate and change the business model. The Panellists were invited to briefly introduce themselves and address tough questions to shift the paradigm.
Ms. Amany Qaddour, Regional Director of the Humanitarian NGO Syria Relief & Development, set out how she found her way to serve domestic health care and global health. The best approach she found to work from the local level to overcome structural barriers and also between different cultural worlds. She worked on the response to the Syrian crisis, focusing on protection of the team and partners, keeping in mind the persons to be served. Young people challenges and those of immigrants.
Ms. Sophie Barbey, Deputy Director of Operations, Terre des Hommes (TdH), Lausanne, has held her current position since 2020. As the head of the Operational Programs and Expertise Department of TdH, the leading Swiss foundation on children’s rights, she guides and manages the implementation of its strategic plan.
For more than twenty years before her current assignment, she led and managed several operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), both at field and headquarter levels. For ten years she demonstrated a cunning ability to manage operations and lead teams in complex, volatile and multi-cultural environments (India, Chad, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Palestine, Serbia and Albania). She spent five years at the ICRC’s headquarters as an expert, covering detention issues and files of persons deprived of their liberty, followed by three years as the Head of the ICRC Mission in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). She led humanitarian diplomacy efforts and engaged on key International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and protection areas with leading partners.
She reminded that Humanitarian Diplomacy is to “influence the influencers”; thus, integrating women and youth into diplomatic efforts will bring diverse perspectives and experiences to the table to lead to more comprehensive and sustainable solutions to complex challenges. By recognising and amplifying the role of women and youth into decision-making processes will promote and further protect the Rights of Children and Women, gender equality and build more inclusive societies while strengthening the social cohesion. She also reiterated the importance of continuing raising awareness on their role to play, including through training and educational sessions (with new technology and innovative tools) and emphasised the importance of their empowerment, as building block for changes can only be done if all concerned are involved in their full capacity.
Mr. Dherar Belhoul Al Falasi, Executive Director, Watani Al Emarat Foundation, PAM Special Representative on Children and Conflict, expanded on his vast experience in the humanitarian world. In 2012 his focus changed from media to community development and launch of humanitarian initiatives during Covid. It was a learning process and joy being able to enter the most restricted area with labour camps where all were contaminated, but when restrictions were lifted common joy followed. The delivery of 1 million food packages happened in perfect harmony with people following procedures. In UAE gender balance was reached early on, while youth are now also represented in councils, where majority are women in volunteering. He stressed that gender balance in his office called for male empowerment as his foundation has 75% female staff. Women have to fight for their right, volunteering starts at schools which are segregated.
Whereas in the UAE gender parity is reached, the question is whether this is also applicable in humanitarian diplomacy because the structure is mostly patriarchic and leadership is still mostly male dominated. Humanitarian needs discussions must also include human rights, and leadership must include female traits, integrity and passion as well as emotional intelligence. Gender parity does not necessarily entail including a voice at the table, active engagement of women needs skills to navigate open space to base on a human rights perspective.
For promotion of rights of children and women and building a more inclusive society including all to be perfect, requires also including youth to have a proper response to a humanitarian crisis. Women must also have a voice by focusing on empathy for a more balanced response. Capacity building of women is recommended by ensuring that women are integrated in all layers of society. Education and participation of children are key to have their voices heard, bringing about empowerment. Research shows that empowerment means that power should not be domination over, but power with and for. A collective approach with community-based alliance in power structures at local levels has to involve women, but more education / skills building must be done for their involvement in decision making. To grow a new generation of diplomats.
For children in conflict and humanitarian settings to be involved more effectively in humanitarian diplomacy requires their empowerment and giving them a chance and tools to grow with a dialogue and results-based empowerment: not just talks but action to bring about impact with their involvement. (attachments)
The Clair paraphrased the discourse on equal opportunity and the right skills sets and tools, recommending what is needed to move to empowerment in a balanced manner and together with the community also as active participants, e.g. through training. Currently, 21% of ambassadors in the world are women, in other leadership positions only 10% because of structural barriers which may be a deterrent. Now masculine power sticks but needs engaging for a solution as humanity as a whole is failing, needing a voice for women and youth to be active agents of change. It needs more empathising with communities being served, even if it is intimidating. One way is to overcome the often prohibitive structural barriers of women who are unpaid and for them to become part of the debate and be integrated in humanitarian diplomacy, e.g. by creating a more maternal family based structure. A concrete example is shared maternal and paternal leave, entailing a western imposed lens vs a localised perspective.
Comments from the Floor:
-How to embrace feminine soft skills and yet being taken seriously in a male dominated society?
-In the context of UN Res 1325 on including women in peace and security, how to include women with (un)paid leadership roles in humanitarian crises?
-On dialogue and communication, is there a bias against women and children that is a barrier?
-Observation indicates that most men are in support of gender balance, but still missing is an enabling safe environment for men questions, so not the when but the how is key to overcome a bias.
-In military settings, combatants are male so how to give women a voice?
In wrapping up the Session, the Chair appreciated the good interaction from the audience, sound experience at field work but in need of opening of the space and removing barriers for women and youth to be involved next to men. It is important to choose the right interlocutors, continue to build the evidence, and work on overcoming the barriers which can also be funding. “Power is taken, not given.”
SESSION 4
Humanitarian Diplomacy – Leadership and New Actors
Panel
Mr. Panos Moumtzis, Executive Director of the Global Executive Leadership Initiative (GELI), Chair – called Dubai an enabler capable to adapt to changing times. Humanitarian diplomacy and new actors and welcomed voices from the floor. Significant changes have taken place in the last five years, to have better results to serve people but new crises are hampering the purposes of our sector. Many basic needs are not met. GELI invests in soft skills of leadership and focus on the most urgent need identified as humanitarian diplomacy to bring better results as humanitarian negotiators with governments, donors or non-state actors is an art, a skill learned over time. However, the pervasive influence of social media is making diplomacy more challenging due to visibility.
Humanitarian diplomacy places people to assist at the forefront and be voice of the voiceless, with new actors and new ideas: individual vs collective action, competing for funds and space are making collective leadership essential; risk aversion needs be replaced by more creative leadership to be the voice of the voiceless and for silos to be dismantled.
Who are the new actors: local and grassroots organisations with incredible profiles for which the Grand Bargain needs more progress to empower them together with everything else; cultural and religious leaders can have a significant influence; private sector partnerships must be placed at a higher level; youth and women organisations often bring innovation and critical thinking; technology companies deserve to be enhanced and accelerated to help better work; social media to become influencers for advocacy; philosophic foundations and academics for evidence-based bottom-up feedback with digital information and analysis leveraging knowledge.
The question is whether the current engagement is enough, and whether humanitarian diplomacy is failing, requiring concerted efforts to fortify sufficiency and reduce suffering. The ultimate solution lies in political will, holding decision makers accountable. He concluded by calling for compassion and solidarity by reminding the wise words from the UAE founding father, ‘True wealth is not measured in money or status or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love and those we inspire.’ (attachment)
Dr. Manal Omran Taryam, CEO and Board Member, Noor Dubai Foundation, mentioned alarming global statistics of over 1.1 billion visually impaired, 64% of whom are women. The Foundation assumed the challenge with a budget to treat one million people in the first year, while a collective programme lead to five million people treated around the world with only 30% of the budget used. The impact was reached with collective diplomacy, involving different sectors in preventing blindness, now reaching 33 million people. The main enabler was an eye opener as success was reflected by measuring the nexus model of SDG 3 and 7 in total, e.g. poverty, education, gender equality, and climate change by the use of advanced technology like telemedicine / ophtalmology in Nepal, by reducing unnecessary referrals and carbon print, and now also AI. The number of people below the poverty line was reduced to less than 20%, and the rate of drop-outs by 80% by providing them reading glasses. Figures help convincing decision makers to allow them to provide more to the people in need. “Humanitarian diplomacy only fails when we fail. “ (attachment)
Mr. Fyras Mawazini, Director of International Development for SOS Méditerranée, is an example in action of a new actor and purpose by saving people on high seas, often clashing with officials. It is shocking how humanitarian diplomacy can play a role in a better future. Journey at sea and also on land: high seas mean there is no particular state jurisdiction, unknown where refugees take life risking routes. In the past ten years documented numbers are 63,000 deaths of which 40,000 at sea. The initiative of EU Mare Nostrum saved 100,000 lives after 330 lives had been lost with the shipwreck at Lampedusa in 2014. When Mare Nostrum was stopped, the sea was becoming a space where humanitarian crisis was enfolding but no response was given. The NGO organised a 100 metre long ship that can accommodate 400 people in high seas, but at the cost to also having to deal with surrounding authorities. Conflict and climate change became the main reason for 40,000 refugees, some 30% unaccompanied children, from 44 countries to look for a safer place from Syria, Afghanistan and from Sub Saharan and East Africa, and Central Asia. The project partnered with the IFRC to focus on protection and disembarkation in a safe place, involving negotiations with receiving authorities such as Italy.
Humanitarian diplomacy requires to be transparent and honest, creating awareness of the public and political leaders and being visible, also in schools. The humanitarian imperative is a must and is not negotiable as every single life is important and nobody should be dying at sea.
Mr. Simon Missiri, Director, Global Humanitarian Services and Supply Chain Management Department (GHS&SCM), Special Representative IFRC, focused on a new IFRC approach to localisation. He stressed that humanitarian organisations face shrinking humanitarian space, while many challenges have not changed. Generic is that local actors are the main actors with national societies. Humanitarian diplomacy is about access and funding above all, but not engaging with local actors is a huge mistake. More training is needed to be successful humanitarian diplomats and involving local actors being able to meet with foreign actors. The migration crisis in Europe in 2015 was not successfully handled by the position of governments of national societies who became a barrier to action, and this confirmed the need to move out of the comfort zone. The humanitarian imperative is to be the top priority and the cause to move, rather than political or other priorities. Not giving up, living by example, being a humble servant is a key for success.
Courage is needed to achieve nearly impossible goals and bring results. Refugee rights are often violated in countries of passage, while policy makers are often not used to provide data for humanitarian purposes and not just technical data. The local partners must be helped to be at the front and take the lead with the analysis and choose to being less public when no result is yet found. It is important to rebalance between the less successful actors and the new ones, to rely on local approaches as the community best knows the type of needs and how to respond. Criminalisation of new actors is the biggest challenge, when they base their intervention on push factors, i.e. the situation of their place of departure. A challenge is also the difference between cultures which requires explaining and respect to understand, which is helped by using local implementers. The advocacy from humble service is invaluable.
Comments from the Floor:
-How to navigate challenges of IHL and how humanitarian diplomacy plays a role in addressing IHL violations.
-How to select local actors in cases of conflict.
-Employment of illegal migrants without any labour rights still contributes to the home countries. How can humanitarian space open up legal space for such economic migrants?
-What avenues are available for leaders of the future and how to overcome risk aversion?
-Access by new humanitarian actors obtained while large NGOs did not succeed, so how to support those groups?
-Challenges for new actors to break in to this new area and help them face risk?
-Knowledge and information on local conditions need to be centralised.
Children of DIHAD
Diplomacy in the giving world – how children can be involved in humanitarian diplomacy – focused on donating and arranging events to spread the word and work together in a team and recognise teamwork. “Team work is dream work.”
SESSION 5
Humanitarian Diplomacy and People on the Move
Panel:
Mr. Khaled Khalifa – Senior Advisor; Representative to the Gulf Coordination Council, UNHCR,- Chair, pointed at the unpredictable time in which we live now with more refugees than ever, of whom more than half come from Muslim countries, 39% are in the Middle East which has only 5% of the population. In Chad more than 80% are women, from Ukrainian refugees more than 96% are women. More than 4.4 million people are stateless, including the desperate in Bangladesh who do not have much hope for the future. Most current crises are caused by political problems, which raises the importance of humanitarian diplomacy, ranging from settlement to negotiating residence. The current humanitarian world has many challenges never seen before.
Dr. Hiba Ahmed, Director-General, Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (IsFD), focused on poverty side pointing at the complementarity between humanitarian and development tracks and with the International Development Bank. The Fund focuses on 57 countries of which 31 are poor or fragile and host a large share of displaced persons. The ramification is that partnerships are vital, needing to work in two parallel lines of long-term impact and establish a system to avoid conflict; build resilience to shocks; and develop opportunities to move out of poverty. Poverty reduction and the issue of displacement are largely dependent on the inadequacy of the governments which only get support when proven their tasks and delivery.
One step is the establishment of a USD 500 million replenishable fund with UNHCR to finance humanitarian needs, partly in the form of grants and loans. There are situations when humanitarian diplomacy has brought a solution. It needs to persuade decision makers of the needs of affected or poor populations, needing funding and sustainable means of assistance. Diplomacy has to do with persuasion with Member States; partnerships with local organisatioms and NGOs; trying to address the whole range of conflict.
Because during conflict or crisis most if not all factors have changed, repatriation is complex.
Mr. Amin Awad, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Former Crisis Coordinator for Ukraine; Senior Fellow, Advanced Leadership initiative, Harvard University, indicated that humanitarian diplomacy did work in response to crisis situations by preparing an environment where it can work. Relevance today is the contradiction between humanitarian work and humanitarianism, the need to leverage everything possible to get by, and it cannot always be complementary to the situation on the ground. An advocating and advisory approach should not be topdown but engagement of affected countries. Equity and humanitarian diplomacy should be applied in global endemic situations. Humanitarian mechanisms and good offices have helped to move beyond humanitarian space by engaging in the whole cycle of the crisis. Humanitarian diplomacy should be involved with all aspects and fases of a crisis, in the whole cycle and not just the aftermath of a crisis. Leverage of existing agreements should be used with initiatives to move beyond the demarcation area, effectively engage. There is a deficit of humanitarian leadership globally, with a move going on from a bipolar to a polar system, with a grab approach and incomplete agreements.
Mr. Rami Adwan, Head of Arab Relations, UNRWA, reiterated that the Organisation is facing unprecedented problems, particularly since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. The extent of death and destruction has never been anticipated before. Out of 2.3 million Gazans now 1.7 million are displaced, and 34,000 have died. Cities have been destroyed, the health system has fallen apart, 87% of the education system is no longer working and a whole generation is lost. UNRWA itself lost 178 staff, only nine out of its 24 health care centres are operational, while in the West bank and East Jerusalem also 150 Palestinians have been killed.
UNRWA is also working in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, but since the attack of 7 October there is a search for exit strategies: adherence is not an option but legal; blockage of aid leading to only 5% of needs entering; diplomacy aimed at addressing accusations against UNRWA of which so far no evidence has been given. UNRWA has preserved neutrality unlike the accusations. Despite the recent resumption of aid delivery and support to UNRWA, a massive deficit is still existing and foreseen to continue. The strong feeling is that the whole world is letting the Palestinians down, a lack of respect for human rights opined by political views. Palestinian refugees enjoy a special category in International Humanitarian Law, since 1948, but are still living in inadequate conditions and dependent on the Member States for a decent living.
In the margin of the topic of the Session, reference was made to the Grand Bargain and how far Humanitarian Diplomacy plays a role in it, seen as a show of human diplomacy in itself. Humanitarian aid needs to be more negotiated with a longer term vision and locally involved. Anticipatory action is to be included and bring all players together. Especially Gulf countries should join the Grand Bargain initiative.
Comments from the Floor:
-Internal displacement and the role of humanitarian diplomacy to gain access to the IDP- rights in fragile situations.
-Role of civil society to feel legitimatised in intervening in crises.
-Displaced are frequently staying several decades in one place such as a camp. How can humanitarian diplomacy help responsibilising, and what role can the private sector play?
-The role of civil society and private sector is dependent on the nature of the environment.
-Can humanitarian aid be separated from politics, and if so, how?
-Do humanitarian diplomats have sufficient capacity to reign against political powers, and can they be separated?
-On Gaza response, is a system needed to overcome the gaps between agencies? Synergy on the ground is not the responsibility of UN agencies but of the recipient government.
-In the Gaza situation humanitarian diplomacy may have failed, so question arises whether it was used in the right way, as in Gaza the conflict is between a state and an opposing group.
-Gaza can never be forgotten, and how is the future seen – with an escalation of crisis in particular regarding mental health needs?
-Can the final outcome of the recent UN S-G’s review influence the funding for UNRWA?
-Is the Palestinians’ ability to return being promoted by humanitarian diplomacy?
Message from the panel: there is hope, we need all to work together with the limited resources, the current lack of global leadership needs vision and diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy requires more tools to enforce advocacy. Hopefully a new World Order will emerge to put things straight.
SESSION 6
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Global Health Challenges
Panel:
Dr. Mukesh Kapila, Professor Emeritus Global Health & Humanitarian Affairs, University of Manchester; Former Under-Secretary-General,IFRC, introduced the Panel by stating that peace is a pre-requisite for health. According to the Uppsala Conflict Data Programme, 189 armed conflicts took place in 2022 with 311,000 deaths, up from 86 conflicts around the year 2000. He described the current status of victims of wars which are lasting a decade or more such as Syria or Yemen, reason for the World Health Assembly (WHA) statement of “health for peace and peace for health”, which is not just the absence of disease. The dilemma at the core of the health nexus is that health can create stronger fighters, sapping opponents in the logic of war. Pandemics are created as diseases do not know boundaries, while access for medical technology can become a basis for conflict. Health has become politicised, the reason that it is unlikely that a pandemic treaty will be adopted at the World Health Assembly. Access to health care is becoming a security issue, justifying direct targeting of health facilities and workers with the fourfold number of attacks. Health care is under attack in times of conflict, prominently in Gaza, Ukraine and a number of African countries where the sanctity of health workers and taboos is degrading the status of health, despite universal norms and laws.
Applying health strategies also in public violence approaches to address grievances of current conflicts. Selfishness rather than selflessness seems to be at the core of conflicts, with the dilemma of using health as a bridge for peace rather than as a weapon for war. Wars only end when one of the sides loses. The question is whether more can be done to make it possible for health to be able to transform into peace, defuse violence and reduce brutality.
Before giving the floor to the Panellists, he concluded that lamenting of lost facilities and lives is okay for the record, but health workers must go beyond this and develop strategies to prevent brutality. (attachment)
H.E. Paul Bekkers, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the UN and WTO in Geneva; Former Special Envoy for Mental Health – addressed mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian crises – Mind the mind now. There is no health without mental health. One of every four people will be temporarily unable to perform optimally because of a mental health issue. Figures of affected youngsters are scary, they are influenced by social media which bring to young people more than their brains can cope with. They need role models, an issue which in the past could hardly be raised, but nowadays all do. The isolation from the world during the Covid pandemic has helped in some ways, but not for people in areas in distress, living in fear of death. Social media also play a critical role and are also open for improvement and faster recovery for communities if allowed to deal with trauma in their lives and loss. The awareness about the problem has grown considerably with affected people asking for psychological and not only physical support. It is a key component of life-saving efforts and now seen as an effective tool to achieve impact. Although many tools are available with several groups and joint efforts, there are far too few professionals to help meet psychological needs. At the same time, there is also the duty of care and space for those who provide help to be able to deliver this help.
In this context, the Speaker referred to the book “My hero is you”, for children affected by Covid-19, developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, which could certainly prove to be of value for other crises. (attachment)
Dr. Nehal Hefny, Deputy Regional Director, Middle East & North Africa, IFRC, highlighted issues related to mental health and pointed out inequalities. By 2030 more than halfof the global population will live in situations without access to food. Health principles and humanitarian principles are indivisible. The annual expenditure on health per capita in several crisis countries is not more than USD 10. Gaza has suffered more than 460 severe attacks on health facilities, making it the most attacks, more than Ukraine. The challenge is, therefore, how to focus better to counter the upcoming events.
No global consensus is reachable on indicators for critical isssues such as pandemic response or climate change, or health as a security issue.
The global humanitarian system and to what extent humanitarians are not being firm to get more access or more funds.
Many positive examples exist and silent diplomacy continuing. Governments and diplomats have a role to play in this to make the world better.
“Bring the boots and the suits together”. (attachment)
Ms. Amina Mohamed, Community Conservation, Safari Doctors, Lamu, Kenya, reprepresenting Ms Umra Omar, the Founder, talked about decentralising and decolonising healthcare for humanitarian advancement. WHO research concluded that still half of the world population lacks access to health care. Therefore, decentralising health care is the only way to increase access to services by marginalised populations.
Health care facilities are mostly overburdened, with an imbalance in access between urban and rural areas, disparities and diversity of situations and needs. The system is not ready to handle any extra charge due to pandemic response. As a result, access at lower cost for private persons or local communities must be improved with better adjustments to culturally effective and culturally appropriate care. Proper training and supervision of community health workers as well as capacity building at grassroots level will lead to the badly needed savings. (attachment)
Comments from the Floor:
-Health workers need a basic capacity to have access to negotiation skills.
-The recruitment process of health workers is just as slow as that of the UN system.
-People on the move is a challenge in providing health care.
-In view of the lack of evidence-based and due to culturally biased interventions, the question is whether there are ways to do research on Psychological First Aid (PFA).
-How and what can be done for mental health affected patients in marginalised groups to receive help?
-Volunteer tourism must be reconciled with local capacity.
-How can the often exorbitant tax on health care be countered?
-Humanitarian diplomacy should start at the community level with an internal culture of sharing messages and building trust at all levels.
In summary, pandemic treaty consultations are ongoing and require to give and take a willingness to work out. People on the move need far more attention. Psychologists must be included in response missions, but what most of all is needed is to be able to give a listening ear. The evidence of the direct and indirect cost of mental health was described by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as 3% of health care expenses. Advocacy and promotion of the need for protection of health workers and facilities against attacks are urgently needed. Awareness that health affects all areas of security, peace and development up to the highest levels in government must be increased. It is not evident that health is sacred and a bridge, but rather has increasingly become a tool of war. In the link between response to health and other crises, e.g. political crises, the value of basic health is evidenced.