IHL Centre Strategic Roundtable in Addis Ababa, June 2026

On 18 June 2026, the IHL Centre, in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden in Ethiopia, convened a strategic humanitarian roundtable in Addis Ababa, bringing together representatives from diplomatic missions, UN agencies, donor governments, and humanitarian organisations.  The discussions focused on the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, humanitarian diplomacy, and the practical application of international humanitarian law (IHL) in the conflicts in Sudan and Ethiopia.

Participants also explored the implications of the humanitarian reset, bureaucratic impediments affecting humanitarian operations, and opportunities to strengthen coordination between humanitarian and diplomatic actors. The IHL Centre also introduced the Stockholm Manual (A Practitioner’s Guide to Conducting IHL Assessments and Advocacy) as a practical resource to support humanitarian engagement in complex conflict settings.  

The roundtable underscored the importance of continued dialogue and collective engagement to address shared humanitarian challenges. Participants emphasised the need for stronger collaboration to improve humanitarian access, better support frontline responders, and enhance the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel in armed conflict. 

Over the coming months, the IHL Centre looks forward to working with these stakeholders to operationalise key advocacy, coordination and information sharing pathways identified during the strategic humanitarian roundtable. 

The IHL Centre thanks the Embassy of Sweden in Ethiopia for its partnership in convening this timely discussion, and all participants for their thoughtful contributions and continued commitment to advancing principled humanitarian action. 

See below a video recap of the roundtable