During the fourth Riyadh International Humanitarian Forum, a high-level session titled “Humanitarian Diplomacy in Conflicts: The Future of Humanitarian Response” was held. The session was attended by dignitaries such as Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, the Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center; IOM Director General, António Vitorino; WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; ICRC Director-General, Robert Mardini; Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Director-General, Patricia Danzi; and the Director-General of the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, Monika Buhl.
The session focused on the impact of humanitarian diplomacy on decision-makers and ways to develop relationships with key stakeholders, including national and international entities to influence decisions hindering humanitarian outcomes. The importance of negotiating access to populations affected by crises and ensuring the protection of civilians and humanitarian workers was also discussed.
