Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue

Last updated
Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue
FormationAugust 1999 (1999-08)
Type Non-governmental organization
Purpose Conflict prevention and resolution
Headquarters Geneva, Switzerland
Executive Director
David Harland
Website www.hdcentre.org

The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), otherwise known as the Henry Dunant Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, works to prevent and resolve armed conflicts around the world through mediation and discreet diplomacy. [1] [2] [3] [4] A non-profit organisation based in Switzerland, HD was founded in 1999 on the principles of humanity, impartiality and independence. HD is supervised by an independent board, regularly reports to donors and undergoes financial audits every year. [5] [6]

Contents

HD was awarded the Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize for 2022 "for its track record of finding the means, including mediation, to bring parties together and end conflicts”. [7] [8] [9]

Activities

HD runs multi-track mediation and peacemaking projects in Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, Asia and Latin America. HD engages with political actors, armed groups and other influential parties at international, inter-state, country and local levels while supporting communities and marginalised groups to play active roles in peace processes. [10]

It works with the United Nations, regional organisations, governments, civil society groups and other partners to mediate between conflict parties, support peace negotiations and strengthen the mediation efforts of others. [11]

HD also supports humanitarian efforts by helping to secure the safe passage of aid in high-risk areas [12] and has been expanding thematic mediation around the environmental, inclusion and criminal factors that intensify and complicate many conflicts. [13]

To reflect the impact of social media on conflicts and the geopolitical risks from sophisticated cyber operations, HD has a dedicated Digital Conflict team that supports peace processes and pursues multilateral engagement with policymakers, technology platforms and the mediation community. [14] [15]      

HD conducts research and analysis to support its operational work and publishes a variety of public reports and guidance materials to further international mediation and peacemaking efforts. [16]

HD seeks to promote the sharing of experience and knowledge by co-hosting The Oslo Forum with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Launched in 2003, the Forum is a series of retreats for the international mediation and peacemaking community to reflect on current practices, work on new approaches and advance their negotiations. [17] [18]

In April 2023, HD commended His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo for his mediation for peace in Ethiopia's Tigray region by presenting the Nigerian former president with a special letter and certificate from HD's Board. [19]

Selected Projects

Indonesia: In its first mediation project soon after its founding in 1999, HD laid the groundwork for the successful negotiation of a final peace agreement in 2005 between the Indonesian government and GAM separatist rebels in the province of Aceh. [20] [21] [22]

Spain: For 15 years, HD discreetly helped to resolve decades of violence, ending with the Basque armed group ETA disbanding. ETA’s final declaration was made public at HD headquarters on 3 May 2018. [23] [24]

Black Sea Grain Initiative: During talks between Russia and Ukraine to restart the flow of vital food shipments, HD provided advice and close support to the process led by the United Nations and Türkiye. [25] [26] [27]

Sahel: In a region faced with political instability, jihadist attacks and conflict over water and land, HD has brokered various agreements around the sharing of natural resources and set up a network of mediators across Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Chad. [28] [29] [30]

Nigeria: HD is convening dialogue among various groups to address conflicts over land, water and political power in Middle Belt states. In 2021, HD secured the first social media peace accord between communities in conflict and has since achieved a peace agreement based on the sharing of natural resources. [31] [32] [33] [34]

Libya: As part of its support for the peace process in Libya, HD brokered an immediate ceasefire in August 2020 and an agreement among major Libyan stakeholders to recommit to political talks. This led to a formal ceasefire and UN-brokered political deal with a new interim government, a roadmap for elections and substantial women’s representation in the future cabinet. [35] [36] [37] [38] [39] [40]

Philippines: Since 2004, HD has helped efforts to end the conflict in the southern Philippines, including support for successful peace talks in 2014 and ratification of the law establishing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, along with community dialogue sessions and training of mediators. [41] [42] [43] [44]

South China Sea: HD has convened two tracks of dialogue – on preventing violent escalation between coastguards and on avoiding a collapse in fish stocks. These resulted in operational principles to prevent incidents at sea and in scientific consensus on fisheries management between China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. [45] [46] [47] [48]

Tunisia: HD facilitated the Charter of Honour for Elections, an agreement between all major political parties in Tunisia that allowed the 2014 elections to proceed peacefully. [49] [50]

Senegal: In Africa’s oldest insurgency, HD has been working since 2014 to create an inclusive and legitimate negotiating platform between the government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC). Under the auspices of Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló and with the support of HD, the government of Senegal and the southern factions of the MFDC signed a roadmap for disarmament in 4 August 2022 . [51] [52]

Colombia: HD is working to strengthen the benefits of peace accords signed in 2016, including support for the Manigua de Paz (Jungle of Peace) sustainable bean-to-bar chocolate business run by former FARC guerrillas in the Meta and Tumaco areas. [53]

Among its various public and confidential peacemaking activities, HD has also been involved in Sudan, [54] Syria, [55] Kenya, the Central African Republic, Liberia, [56] Somalia, [57] Timor Leste, [58] Burundi [59] and Nepal. [60]

History and Leadership

HD was founded to pursue the humanitarian vision of Henry Dunant, co-founder of the Red Cross and co-recipient of the first Nobel Peace Prize, by using mediation and dialogue to reduce the suffering caused by armed conflict. The initial intention of HD was to serve as a discreet venue for dialogue on humanitarian issues. [3]

The organisation evolved to include negotiations in support of humanitarian objectives and quickly broadened, at the behest of conflict parties in Aceh, to include the resolution of the conflict through mediation and conflict prevention. [61]

In July 2015, HD was granted a special status by the Federal Council of Switzerland that confers certain privileges and immunities intended to enable its peacemaking efforts worldwide. [62]

Martin Griffiths was the founding executive director of HD and led the organisation from 1999 to July 2010. [21] He was replaced for a brief period (July 2010 to March 2011) by Angelo Gnaedinger, then HD’s regional director for the Middle East and a former director general of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

David Harland, a former New Zealand diplomat and UN official, was appointed as HD’s executive director in April 2011. [63]

Funding

HD receives a combination of strategic support and targeted project funding from various governments and private foundations. [64]

In 2021, HD’s annual income was 46 million Swiss francs. [2]

Related Research Articles

A peace process is the set of sociopolitical negotiations, agreements and actions that aim to solve a specific armed conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camp David Accords</span> 1978 political agreement between Egypt and Israel

The Camp David Accords were a pair of political agreements signed by Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin on 17 September 1978, following twelve days of secret negotiations at Camp David, the country retreat of the President of the United States in Maryland. The two framework agreements were signed at the White House and were witnessed by President Jimmy Carter. The second of these frameworks led directly to the 1979 Egypt–Israel peace treaty. Due to the agreement, Sadat and Begin received the shared 1978 Nobel Peace Prize. The first framework, which dealt with the Palestinian territories, was written without participation of the Palestinians and was condemned by the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Aceh Movement</span> 1976–2005 Acehnese separatist group in northwest Sumatra, Indonesia

The Free Aceh Movement was a separatist group seeking independence for the Aceh region of Sumatra, Indonesia. GAM fought against Indonesian government forces in the Aceh insurgency from 1976 to 2005. Estimates of the death toll total over 15,000 people killed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casamance conflict</span> Ongoing low-level conflict in Senegal

The Casamance conflict is an ongoing low-level conflict that has been waged between the Government of Senegal and the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) since 1982. On May 1, 2014, the leader of the MFDC sued for peace and declared a unilateral ceasefire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crisis Management Initiative</span> Finnish conflict resolution organization

CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation sr is an independent Finnish non-governmental organisation that works to prevent and resolve conflict through informal dialogue and mediation. Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Finland Martti Ahtisaari founded CMI in 2000. CMI has offices in Helsinki and Brussels as well as a presence in selected countries. CMI transformed from an association to a foundation on 1 May 2021.

Peacemakers are individuals and organizations involved in peacemaking, often in countries affected by war, violent conflict, and political instability. They engage in processes such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation, and arbitration—drawing on international law and norms.

Conciliation Resources is an independent, global organisation working with people in conflict to prevent violence and build peace, providing advice, support, and practical resources. It also takes the lessons learned to government decision-makers and others working to end the conflict to improve peacebuilding policies and practice worldwide.

Shadia Marhaban is an international mediator, capacity builder and activist from Aceh, Indonesia.

Hannes Siebert is an international peace process and negotiations adviser and facilitator, who is known for his work on national peace structures, the role of media in conflict resolution, authentic negotiations processes and local/regional conflict interventions in several countries.

Formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the various armed groups involved in the Moro conflict began in 1976 when the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front first met to negotiate towards the 1976 Tripoli Agreement, and most recently reached a major milestone in the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) through a plebiscite in 2018, leading to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. However, conflicts with other smaller armed groups continue to exist.

David Harland is a New Zealand diplomat who has been the executive director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a Geneva-based foundation that specialises in the mediation of armed conflict, since 2011. Harland served as a witness for the prosecution in a number of cases at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Reconciliation and Peace Centre</span> Organization in Myanmar

The National Reconciliation and Peace Centre, formerly known as the Myanmar Peace Centre, was an organization to provide technical support to the peacemaking process in Myanmar (Burma), including implementing and managing ceasefire agreements and facilitating dialogue on political issues. The centre was renamed the NRPC in July 2016, with the promulgation of Order 50/2016 by President Htin Kyaw. The centre was dissolved in February 2021 by authorities, in the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'etat.

The Nakuru County Peace Accord refers to the peace agreement signed on 19 August 2012 between elders of the Agikuyu and Kalenjin communities as well as other ethnic groups of Kenya.

The Oslo Forum convenes senior conflict mediators, high level decision makers, key peace process actors, analysts and experts in an informal and discreet retreat to share their experiences, identify challenges and reflect on mediation practice." The retreat is held annually in June in Oslo, Norway, and is co-hosted by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), a private diplomacy organisation based in Switzerland. Participation is by invitation-only. All discussions take place under the Chatham House Rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of National Accord</span> Government of Libya

The Government of National Accord was an interim government for Libya that was formed under the terms of the Libyan Political Agreement, a United Nations–led initiative, signed on 17 December 2015. The agreement was unanimously endorsed by the United Nations Security Council, which welcomed the formation of a Presidency Council for Libya and recognized the Government of National Accord as the sole legitimate executive authority in Libya. On 31 December 2015, Chairman of the Libyan House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh Issa declared his support for the Libyan Political Agreement. The General National Congress has criticized the GNA on multiple fronts as biased in favor of its rival parliament the House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kafanchan Peace Declaration</span>

The Kafanchan Peace Declaration is a peace accord signed by five local government areas in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. The local government areas involved in the process were the Sanga, Kachia, Kaura, Zangon Kataf and Jema'a. The five areas include 29 ethnic communities headed by 32 chairs. The declaration has been signed on 23 March 2016 in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The peace accord has been facilitated by the Swiss-based organization Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Libyan peace process</span> Attempts to resolve the crisis in Libya

The Libyan peace process was a series of meetings, agreements and actions that aimed to resolve the Second Libyan Civil War. Among these were the Skhirat agreement of December 2015 and the plans for the Libyan National Conference in April 2019 that were delayed because of the 2019–20 Western Libya campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigrayan peace process</span> Process of ending the Tigray War

The Tigrayan peace process encompasses the series of proposals, meetings, agreements and actions that aimed to resolve the Tigray War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement</span> Peace treaty signed in 2022

The Ethiopia–Tigray peace agreement, also called the Pretoria Agreement or the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA), is a peace treaty between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) that was signed 2 November 2022, wherein both parties agreed to a "permanent cessation of hostilities" to end the Tigray war. The agreement was made effective the next day on 3 November, marking the two-year anniversary of the war.

Qatar has been acting as a third-party mediator in various conflict since the 1990s. Qatar has mediated negotiations between the US and the Taliban, the signing of several peace deals for Lebanon, Yemen, Darfur, and Gaza, and hosted political offices for groups like Hamas in Doha. In addition, Qatar operated as a key mediator in various international hostage crises, leveraging its unique geopolitical standing and relationships with a wide array of actors, including both state and non-state entities.

References

  1. "Private diplomacy, mediation and peacemaking". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  2. 1 2 "The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in 2021". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  3. 1 2 Allen Nan, Susan; Cherian Mampilly, Zachariah; Bartoli, Andrea (November 10, 2011). Peacemaking: From Practice to Theory. Praeger. pp. 114–116. ISBN   978-0313375767.
  4. Giovanni, Janine di. "How Wars End". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  5. "Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue - HD Centre | Genève internationale". www.geneve-int.ch. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  6. "About HD". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-11.
  7. "David Harland speech: HD receives Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize – Full text and video". HD. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  8. "HD receives Carnegie Wateler Peace Prize at ceremony marking track record of conflict mediation". HD. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  9. "Peace Prize Awarded | Peace Palace" . Retrieved 2022-11-07.
  10. "Private diplomacy, mediation and peacemaking". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  11. "Our Approach". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  12. "Humanitarian Mediation". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  13. "Mediation Support". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  14. "Digital Conflict". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  15. "A Social Media Analysis Toolkit for Mediators and Peacebuilders". howtobuildup.org. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  16. "Insights". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  17. "Oslo Forum 2022 report". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  18. "Privatising peace". The Economist. ISSN   0013-0613 . Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  19. "HD commends former Nigerian President Obasanjo for mediation for peace to end Tigray conflict".
  20. "HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WELCOMES SIGNING OF PEACE AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA AND FREE ACEH MOVEMENT". OHCHR. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  21. 1 2 "Orchestrating peace". The World from PRX. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  22. Leary, Kimberlyn (2004). "Critical Moments as Relational Moments: The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and the Conflict in Aceh, Indonesia". Negotiation Journal. 20 (2): 311–338. doi:10.1111/j.1571-9979.2004.00025.x.
  23. "HD announces ETA's official final declaration that it has disbanded forever". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  24. Aizpeolea, Luis R. (2021-10-20). "The end of Basque terror group ETA: 'It was unilateral, clean and without trade-offs'". EL PAÍS English Edition. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  25. "Inside the UN's high-stakes deal to open Ukraine's grain corridor". Devex.
  26. "Who are the Winners in the Black Sea Grain Deal?". www.crisisgroup.org. 2022-08-03. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  27. "Eurasia". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  28. "Francophone Africa". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  29. "Signing of a peace agreement between Fulani and Mahamid Arab communities in the Diffa region of Niger". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  30. "Signing of a peace agreement between Idourfane and Ibogolitane communities in the border region of Mali and Niger". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  31. "HD brokers landmark social media peace agreement in central Nigeria". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  32. "HD brokers peace accord over water, other resources in North Central Nigeria". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  33. "Anglophone and Lusophone Africa". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  34. "Southern Kaduna Communities Sign Peace Accord". www.thedreamdaily.com. Retrieved 2016-10-12.
  35. "Libyans from all sides unite in Benghazi humanitarian appeal". Reuters. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  36. "Consultations begin in Libya in advance of peace talks". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  37. "Libya | Peace Mediation Platform" . Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  38. "Statement on the HD-Organised Libyan Consultative Meeting of 7-9 September 2020 in Montreux, Switzerland". UNSMIL. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  39. "Libyan meeting calls for December elections to be held as planned". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  40. "Middle East and North Africa". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  41. Glang, Hader (22 September 2011). "Swiss-based NGO suggests solution for Mindanao conflicts". Zamboanga Today. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  42. "Innovation in mediation support: The International Contact Group in Mindanao" (PDF). Conciliation Resources. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  43. "Supporting the conclusion of an historic peace agreement in the Philippines". International Geneva. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  44. "Boost Bangsamoro: Deliberative democracy in the southern Philippines – HD video". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  45. "HD-MIMA maritime confidence-building programme in the South China Sea". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  46. "South China Sea fish stocks at risk without regional cooperation, five-country scientific report warns". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  47. Auto, Hermes (2022-09-18). "Hopes that joint scientific effort to stop overfishing in South China Sea could chart course to peace | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  48. Valencia, Mark J. (2019-04-19). "Standing on the shoulders of science above the South China Sea fray". East Asia Forum. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  49. "Tunisie: 23 partis politiques signent une charte d'honneur pour les élections... Entretien avec Omeyya Seddik". 2016-08-27. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 2022-10-12.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  50. Dialogue, Centre for Humanitarian (2016-08-10), Signing of the Tunisian Charter, July 2014 , retrieved 2022-10-12
  51. "Senegal government and MFDC separatists advance peace process with roadmap for disarmament". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  52. "Inside Macky Sall's secret talks with Casamance rebels". Africa Intelligence. 17 February 2023.
  53. "Jungle of Peace: How a chocolate business run by ex-FARC fighters is delivering economic dividends to communities in Colombia".
  54. Ramsbotham, Oliver; Woodhouse, Tom; Miall, Tom (April 19, 2011). Contemporary Conflict Resolution (3rd ed.). Polity. p. 56. ISBN   978-0745649740.
  55. Rosen, Armin. "A Reporter From Hell". Tablet. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  56. "Adaptation of aid in situations of conflict and fragility" (PDF). Swedish Agency for Development Evaluation. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  57. "Mediation efforts in Somalia" (PDF). Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  58. "Smiling rebel and President". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  59. Barltrop, Richard (March 2008), "The Negotiation of Security Issues in the Burundi Peace Talks" (PDF), Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (1), retrieved 6 September 2016
  60. Farasat, Warisha; Hayner, Priscilla (June 2009), "Negotiating Peace in Nepal" (PDF), International Center for Transnational Justice, retrieved 6 September 2016
  61. "The discreet charms of the international go-betweens". The Economist. 3 July 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  62. "Le Conseil fédéral conclut un accord sur les privilèges et immunités avec le Centre pour le dialogue humanitaire". www.admin.ch. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  63. "David Harland". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-12.
  64. "Our Donors". HD. Retrieved 2022-10-11.