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
Actors
Context
Process
GHD
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?