Dubai Humanitarian Partners With CCHN to Strengthen Global Humanitarian Leadership and Negotiation Capacity
Dubai Humanitarian (DXBH) has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) to strengthen leadership, diplomacy, and humanitarian negotiation capabilities across the global aid sector.
The agreement was formalized ahead of a specialised masterclass for senior humanitarian leaders hosted at Dubai Humanitarian’s Knowledge & Development Centre in collaboration with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA).
The partnership aims to develop and deliver high-impact training programmes, practical workshops, and simulation-based learning initiatives designed to equip humanitarian professionals, policymakers, and emerging leaders with advanced negotiation and leadership skills. The initiative will also encourage stronger collaboration among humanitarian organizations, governments, and academic institutions.
Speaking during the signing ceremony and masterclass launch, Giuseppe Saba, CEO and Board Member of Dubai Humanitarian, emphasized the growing importance of diplomacy in humanitarian operations.
He stated that humanitarian action increasingly depends on effective negotiation, particularly as nearly half of global humanitarian assistance is directed toward conflict-affected regions where access remains a major challenge.
Saba noted that the partnership builds on discussions initiated two years ago around the role of humanitarian negotiation and diplomacy, adding that the agreement and accompanying masterclass transform expertise into practical and actionable knowledge.
He also highlighted Dubai Humanitarian’s broader mission, stating that the organization continues to evolve beyond its role as a logistics hub into a global platform for learning, collaboration, and excellence, supporting initiatives such as the Global Safety Net and helping raise international humanitarian standards.
Commenting on the partnership, Rehan Zahid, Deputy Director of CCHN, said the collaboration marks an important step in expanding leadership development across humanitarian networks.
He explained that successful humanitarian response requires more than delivering aid—it also depends on dialogue, diplomacy, and sustained access to affected communities. Zahid added that the workshops conducted during the programme enabled experienced professionals to exchange insights and practical knowledge, laying the foundation for future cooperation.
The agreement comes at a time when the humanitarian sector is facing increasingly complex challenges driven by prolonged conflicts, climate-related emergencies, and restricted access to vulnerable populations. In such environments, negotiation capabilities and effective leadership are becoming critical tools to ensure timely and equitable delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Founded as an interagency initiative involving globally recognized organizations including the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), UNHCR, and the World Food Programme (WFP), CCHN brings extensive field experience and practical expertise in humanitarian negotiation.
Combined with Dubai Humanitarian’s position as the world’s largest humanitarian hub, the collaboration is expected to create a stronger international platform for advancing leadership development and practical humanitarian negotiation skills across the sector.
