Collaborative Advocacy between Humanitarian and Human Rights Actors - Opportunities and Challenges

There is general acknowledgement among humanitarians that addressing the complex protection threats against civilians affected by armed conflict requires a holistic, multidisciplinary response from a range of international actors. Current policy discussions on the humanitarian–development–peace nexus and the United Nations Secretary-General’s ‘Call to Action for Human Rights’ have pushed the concept of more integrated or collaborative approaches back up the aid agenda. But questions are also being raised regarding how to manage the long-standing risks of and challenges to this more collaborative approach.

Advocacy – whether private diplomacy, public denunciation, direct or indirect communication – is a key tool to try to influence conflict actors’ treatment of civilians. But as these conflict actors have multiplied and evolved, influencing their behaviour has become ever more challenging. There is now a stronger humanitarian imperative and a renewed global policy push for more collaboration to try to maximise all available opportunities to secure better protection of civilians affected by armed conflict.