Day 3: 25 April 2024
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Child Rights: the specific plight of children in contexts of insecurity
Ms. Mervat Shelbaya, Director, Inter-Agency Support Branch; Head Inter-Agency Standing Committee Secretariat (IASC), OCHA, reiterated that humanitarian diplomacy is a lifeline in this time with many conflicts in the world, making it a tall order in a rapidly transforming landscape, complicated with geopolitical multipolarity and new actors. The delivery of humanitarian aid and protection is also complicated by sanctions and counterterrorism measures as well as political divisions to traditional mechanisms such as the UN Security Council.
Recent examples of the necessary robust approach to diplomacy include the high-level strategic dialogue with the Syrian authorities; the coordination of the Black Sea Initiative for safe transport of food supplies for crisis countries, together with the Russian Federation, Turkiye and Ukraine, not extended beyond one year; and the humanitarian negotiations on Sudan, securing key humanitarian commitments by the warring parties to permit access and ease bureaucratic impediments.
Humanitarian diplomacy is a long-term endeavour and no blueprint for success; it requires to be agile and avoid competition, align interests and respect humanitarian principles. Humanitarian efforts must be broadened, and advocacy be bold to make a difference between life and death. (attachment)
Creating Enabling Environments for Women and Youth in Fragile Environment
Mr. Simon Van Melick, CEO Spark, focused on youth, giving credit to young entrepreneurs, some of whom received a start-up grant from Spark, and how to use start-up funding to obtain economic growth with sustainable business and market driven skills to create impactful jobs.
Every Euro spent on youth-lead peacebuilding programmes gives five-to-ten-fold return on investment with favourite impact on young people’s confidence and capacity, turning the young from recipients into partners in crisis situations where it now is hard to succeed with human development due to the conflicts. By 2030 young Africans will make up 30% of global youth. In the future 42% of global youth must be involved and become partners in development.
Spark supports youth with digital technology, green- and agri-business to play critical roles with business skills, making working with local organisations essential.
In Gaza Spark works on early and long-term recovery, health, education and food production with short courses to meet immediate needs as well as providing water purification.
Most often, people tend to look at business only through the products but not at the impact on society. New and unorthodox partnerships for long term change must be pursued. (attachments)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Food Security
H.E. Amb. Arthur Mattli, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain, referred to DIHAD as one of the rare platforms dealing in the rapidly changing world with complex situations with gaps in humanitarian aid. The ongoing humanitarian reform is carried out with heroic staff and best practices in less than 100 control trials. The humanitarian aid sector has a long way to go to ensure it is based on real evidence. The World Humanitarian Summit held in Istanbul in 2016 resulted in the Grand Bargain, and the High-Level Panel in support of the humanitarian sector to reach more people in need. In 2021, a new version of the Grand Bargain set out commitments for localisation of aid to be elaborated upon in ten thematic work streams, illustrating the complexity of the reform process and growing consensus to contribute to much needed reform of the humanitarian sector. The next step will be in 2026 when a new venue is needed to ensure more reform, but important steps have been taken in governments with the Nexus issue with new structures bringing different expertise together. Switzerland has moved to multi-year funding in a principled manner and upholding IHL principles, the basis of humanitarian work and alleviating suffering. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Geneva conventions which aim at providing protection of people in need.
While the humanitarian sector is a symbol of compassion, the humanitarian appeals are no longer met. Serious efforts are needed to uphold humanitarian principles and ensure humanitarian reforms become a reality.
There is No Diplomacy Without Education
Dr. Waleed Al-Ali, Secretary-General, The Digital School, MBRGI, Dubai, stressed there is no diplomacy without education! Quality education is essential and must be protected, also in conflict situations. In a video, the priority investment of the UAE leadership to aid education and education diplomacy in UAE was illustrated. The Smart Learning Programme launched in UAE schools in 2012 has been spread in the region and the world. In 2023, the programme involved 24.8 million students, living in 46 countries and 149,826 volunteer supervisors in the Arab Reading Challenge of the MBRGI Education initiative. It is an example how the education initiative went beyond diplomacy to promote reading among young Arab speakers.
The second undertaking is the Digital School initiative which started in Covid time to continue education with one million students worldwide and with a vision to empower underserved communities towards a brighter future. The programme is now also given in other languages and includes teacher training, and in collaboration with DIHAD also educator training.
The agency is negotiating education for girls in Afghanistan for a pilot remote education.
In closing, Speaker reiterated that education must not be an afterthought in humanitarian and development aid but must be a central part of it. (attachments)
The Future and the Importance of Partnerships
Mr. Giuseppe Saba, CEO, International Humanitarian City (IHC), Dubai – now called Dubai Humanitarian- attended DIHAD from its first edition in 2004. IHC has grown since then with now 80 partner organisations and has become the world’s largest humanitarian hub. Its growth took place in stages with threefold increase from 2003 and in 2011, establishment in 2015 of the Global Humanitarian Impact Fund, the Humanitarian Logistics Data Bank and the response to Covid in 2022, and in 2023 celebrated Humanitarian Action. In 2024, the next phase is the Knowledge and Development Centre, and with coverage moved from Dubai to the world “Dubai Humanitarian” to empower the future of humanitarian action, creating a global safety net and a more predictable humanitarian aid supply. In 2023 gathering message implementing and sharing best practices, operating in global humanitarian assistance hubs, predictable supply aid to reduce carbon footprint in several partnerships with academia and with the humanitarian community to respond beyond relief and diversify activities and prepare a new generation of humanitarian workers and leaders. Our future needs diversified forces to provide hum assistance, our call for action. (attachments)
Humanitarian Diplomacy and Food Security
Mr. Maxwell Sibhensana, Deputy Director, Operations and Resourcing, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), referred to the recent global report on the food insecurity crisis of which conflict is the key driver. The population in need has increased from 14.5 to 36 million, with access as a major issue for the affected population as well as aid providers. Humanitarian, political and technical diplomacy are ways to advocate for access. Several monitoring reports have been issued, e.g. on Sudan where over 5.1 million people were assisted with seed; Tigray in 2021, despite blockade, seed and fertiliser; Karamoja cluster for livestock sharing to prevent cross-border contamination; or Yemen with support to women to ensure water access.
Agriculture can ensure the livelihood of 80% of people affected by conflict and restore their dignity. But there is a need for the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus to work with local actors and adding the climate actors. Humanitarian diplomacy is not a single event but must be an ongoing way of working across the cycle.
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Increasing Needs and the Urgency to Build Better Bridges between Development and Humanitarian Aid
H.E. Mr. Steven Collet, Vice-Minister for International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands, wondered how a sudden onset emergency would have stopped him to provide in his livelihood. We are in dire straits with food insecurity at the level of starvation with 118 countries suffering over 25% decline in food access, and more than 210 million people displaced in 2023. The current system is insufficient and requires all to step up in funding, promoting access, giving attention to and support for forgotten crises, address distortion for local markets due to provision of food aid, burdened societies with refugees, and silos in response. The Netherlands tries to commit Euro 535 million in humanitarian aid, out of the Euro 7 billion development budget. It aims to protect development as prevention is cheaper than response as is humanitarian relief. The nexus humanitarian and development with early warning of disasters is essential for governments and development communities. So is also support to host communities and not only refugees with entrepreneurships, agricultural value chains, and through the prospect’s partnerships.
The ways in which humanitarian aid is provided must be with governments supporting local communities in a context of developing to be sustainable. Unearmarked and pooled funding is way more effective and predictable, working with the UN but also with (Dutch) NGOs in the Dutch Relief Alliance.
Humanitarian diplomacy entails being very active in bilateral contacts to maintain respect for humanitarian principles and protection of humanitarian workers. This involves the following steps:
1 – step up funding and interventions in solidarity;
2 – deliver better with new partners and energies e.g. private sector, philanthropy.
3 – coordinate to deliver on humanitarian principles; and
4 – not to forget target groups we work for but also work with them, even putting them in the lead.
CLOSING ADDRESS
H.E. Amb. Sergio Piazzi, Secretary-General, Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), called DIHAD’s event as inspiring as the last 20 years. The focus on Humanitarian Diplomacy was to be seen as part of a large range of initiatives of diplomacy, such as sports, climate, or parliamentary, and how these spelled out humanitarian diplomacy. This includes access, opportunities, commitments, risks and courage needed to deliver humanitarian assistance. DIHAD provides an excellent platform to exchange experiences and new initiatives, and to interact with partners to grasp a young generation with vision and energy to strengthen the link with those in the field or at headquarters.
He thanked the Chairman of DIHAD and his team, the CEO of DIHAD and Director of DISAB for organising such a debate, and the UAE authorities for their hospitality, and he looked forward to meeting once again in Dubai.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
H.E. Amb. Gerhard Putman-Cramer, CEO, DIHAD Sustainable Humanitarian Foundation, thanked all speakers and all present, the organisers who made it happen despite the floods and last-minute changes, the interpreters and all colleagues. He announced that next year’s theme and details would be communicated in due course, and declared the Conference closed.