A new project “Red Lines and Grey Zones: Exploring the Ethics of Humanitarian Negotiation” has received funding from the Research Council of Norway. The project is hosted by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in association with the NCHS.

Humanitarian action relies on negotiations with counterparts at local, national and international levels. These negotiations are filled with ethical dilemmas like cooperating with war criminals and repressive regimes, striking deals that favour certain social groups and accepting agreements that put the lives of local staff at risk.

Led by Kristoffer Lidén, Senior Researcher at PRIO, the project will include consultations with humanitarian practitioners to map problems related to the ethics of negotiation. The project team will also include NCHS Co-Director, Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert (PRIO), as well as a range of other research partners.

The Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation – a collaboration between the ICRC, UNHCR, WFP, MSF and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue – will be actively involved in consultation and training activities. The project team will also develop online university courses at MA and PhD levels and professional trainings.

Read more about this project and the project team involved at the original PRIO News article here.