HEALTH DIPLOMACY IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION

Lessons for Global Health Diplomacy? GHD: Little discussion or focus on humanitarian assistance; Humanitarians: little focus on diplomacy – norms not negotiable.

Multiple forums, Multiple actors Diplomacy, negotiation, and dialogue at international, national and local levels is integral to humanitarian action, including delivery of medical assistance. Example of diplomacy in Haiti...

... Clinton at Haiti UNSC Meeting

... Clinton at Haiti Donor Meeting

... Clinton at IHRC

... Clinton and Farmer

... Haiti health cluster discussions

... Haiti community level dialogue

Key Research Question Does GHD provide insight into the factors that impede or facilitate cooperation – access to and delivery of medical assistance - during humanitarian crises?

Research Overview Examined health diplomacy within humanitarian settings: 1. Identified determinants of cooperation from GHD; 2. Exploratory case study research; 3. Assessed lessons of these case studies for GHD research.

Case Studies Haiti: Earthquake Burma/Myanmar: ongoing civil strife and Cyclone Nargis; Pakistan: Ongoing civil strife and 2010 floods; Libya: Current internationalized civil war.

Access/Delivery Restricted Haiti least problematic; Pakistan more troublesome, Burma/Myanmar extremely difficult, and Libya almost impossible. Traditional arguments of humanitarian space and advocacy for norms does not explain why and how cooperation is impeded. GHD framework provides this insight.

Determinants of Cooperation GHD ContextActorsProcess

Context Influences Cooperation Political, Social, Economic Context Unique Nature of Health International Norms ✔ ✖ ✔✔

Actors Influence Cooperation Nature of the state International Organizations Civil society/Non-state actors Epistemic Communities ✔ ✔ ✔  ✔?✔? ✔ ?✔ ?

Process Influences Cooperation Instrumentalization Diplomatic Skills Forum Shifting  ✔ ✔ ?✔ ?

Significance for GHD Not all health issues provide unique opportunities for engagement; Importance but limitations of norms; Role of international organizations as forum and actor; Civil society critical diplomatic actor; Risks of instrumentalization; Role of diplomatic skills.

Conclusions GHD framework facilitated broader analysis of determinants of cooperation in humanitarian settings.

Future Research Health diplomacy in humanitarian settings appropriate case study for GHD: Epistemic communities – what role do they play in humanitarian cooperation? Local civil society groups – positive and negative influences? Do humanitarian outcomes shift across forums – local/regional/int’l? Does this undermine norms?