Lecture

Martin Griffiths', former Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator of the United Nations, presentation will introduce humanitarian diplomacy, its role in today’s world, and its challenges. Having recently served as the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator, Griffiths brings extensive experience as a global mediator. His work has made him a key figure in humanitarian diplomacy, and he will present his own definition of the concept.

This includes three key elements:

• independent and principled mediation to end conflicts;
• humanitarian negotiation for access and protection;
• and advocacy against impunity and violations of international humanitarian law.

Humanitarian diplomacy is a broad landscape and possibly one with internal contradictions. For example, traditionally humanitarian agencies have sought to distance themselves from mediation and human rights activism. The concept of humanitarian diplomacy requires at least an end to these silos. But how is the distance to be managed?

Griffiths will examine the humanitarian consensus that mediation is absent and that humanitarian agencies are left alone on the terrain of conflict. What does this do to undermine the particularities of both?

What does each community owe to the other? And where are the commonalities?

Key areas of overlap include listening to local communities – where IDS has long been a leader – and the often overlooked inclusion of civil society, not just war leaders, in negotiations to reduce suffering.

About the speaker

Martin Griffiths is the Founder and Director of the Global Humanitarian Diplomacy Group, an organisation which aims to address the increasing complexity of modern conflicts and humanitarian crises.

With fifty years of professional experience in the United Nations and other global institutions, Martin served most recently as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.  In this capacity, Martin led humanitarian negotiations for principles and access to those in need. He was also the UN’s principal troubleshooter in conflicts and crises, and led the mediation resulting in the Black Sea Grain Initiative.

Martin is recognised as one of the most accomplished international mediators of conflicts around the world. He was founding Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, which has since become the world’s largest private diplomacy institution. To date, Martin has led mediations in every continent – from Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Afghanistan, to Spain, Sudan, Syria and Venezuela.  He reached the top of the profession as the UN mediator in Yemen from 2018 to 2021.

Martin’s humanitarian experience started as a frontline aid worker in the UNICEF Thai/Cambodia Border Operation in 1979. He went on to regional and then global responsibility for humanitarian action in both the non-governmental sector and within the United Nations.

The Global Humanitarian Diplomacy Group leverages Martin’s extensive experience in conflict mediation and humanitarian operations to provide strategic advice and operational support to governments, international organisations and conflict parties.

Chair

Lewis Sida, Honorary Associate and Co-Director of the Humanitarian Learning Centre

To register to attend, please continue onto the Institute of Development Studies website

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Posted on behalf of: Development and Alumni Relations
Last updated: Friday, 21 February 2025