Multilateralism and diplomacy for peace: When it’s a matter of choice

Guest blog by Joyce Msuya, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, and former UN Assistant Secretary General and UNEP Interim Deputy Executive Director. Originally published here.

The most powerful lessons I have learned about multilateralism have not only come from conference rooms at the UN Headquarters, but from the front lines of humanitarian action as well.

From witnessing aid workers from different countries in a remote location, working together to carefully put in place plans or structures to save as many lives as possible.

I’ve been moved by tireless, behind-the-scenes negotiations that kept a humanitarian corridor open for one more day – long enough for families to receive food, water or urgent medical care.

I have met displaced mothers who did not know which flag was on the truck that brought food to their displacement site.

The only thing that mattered to them was that it arrived – because someone somewhere had negotiated on their behalf.

It is because humanitarian diplomacy created just enough space for humanity to move.

On this International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, I reflect on what it looks like when it works, because it is intensely personal.

When a convoy reaches a community that has been cut off for months, it is because dozens of actors, including States, agreed – sometimes reluctantly, often under pressure – to put people first.

And when lives are saved or a family that is suffering finds some relief, it’s because we work with each other – with governments, with local responders, with civil society, and even the private sector – not because it is easy, but because it is necessary.

At a time when the world feels increasingly divided, multilateralism and diplomacy for peace are going to be even more important than ever before.

Investing in diplomacy that protects civilians, in humanitarian partnerships that respect local leadership, and in systems that put human dignity at the centre will be key.

Above all, through multilateralism and diplomacy for peace, we can manage disagreements without violence, reduce suffering, and give people caught in the multiple crises around the world a chance not just to survive, but to hope.

On this day, I salute the ever-present voices of States, colleagues and humanitarian partners around the world who make our work possible – often under extraordinary pressure.