Protection of civilians does not happen by chance; it is negotiated every day in complex and often volatile environments. Co-led by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) and the Global Protection Cluster (GPC), this session builds on recent CCHN research as well as the field support activities undertaken by both organisations in humanitarian contexts. Together, these experiences provide a rich basis for understanding how protective outcomes can be shaped through dialogue with a wide range of counterparts, including armed actors and local authorities.
Drawing on complementary expertise and real cases from the field, the discussion will explore the dilemmas humanitarians face when principles and pragmatism collide: maintaining neutrality while advocating for protection, influencing behaviour without formal leverage, and adapting to shifting political and military dynamics. Practitioners will examine strategies for identifying counterparts’ incentives, mitigating risks, and negotiating behavioural commitments that reduce harm to civilians.
Moving beyond access-focused approaches, the session highlights protection as a deliberate negotiation objective, and invites participants to reflect on how organisations can strengthen their negotiation capacity, both individually and collectively, to safeguard civilians more effectively in high-risk settings.
