Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation
The Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) was founded in 2016 as a joint initiative of five humanitarian agencies: the International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières Switzerland, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations World Food Programme and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
The CCHN aims to facilitate the capture, analysis, and sharing of experiences and practices around humanitarian negotiation and to provide a space for dialogue across different organisations. At the core of our activities is the CCHN Community of Practice, a global community of humanitarian practitioners working at the frontlines of humanitarian action.
The CCHN is hosted by the International Committee of the Red Cross and based in Geneva, Switzerland.
At our stand
Humanitarian professionals working in crisis situations are often required to reach agreements with different actors in order to gain access to a certain territory and deliver assistance. In some situations, humanitarian operations rely entirely on the field teams’ capacity to negotiate the terms of their work with authorities, governments, armed groups, communities, or local leaders.
As negotiation skills become increasingly crucial to maintain stable and durable access to crisis areas, the CCHN aims to share information on the opportunities available for humanitarian professionals to develop their negotiation capacity, share expertise, and connect with colleagues facing the same challenges.
Our stand features a range of negotiation resources, thematic materials, copies of the Field Manual on Humanitarian Negotiation, and interactive elements - including the possibility to test one’s negotiation skills through a short online simulation or to listen to the real-life negotiation stories of humanitarian professionals in audio format.