Paper details
| Paper authors | Talita Cetinoglu |
| In panel on | Revisiting the Nexus Between Human Rights and Humanitarianism |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting | In-Person & Online |
Abstract
This exploratory paper formulates a research agenda to examine the effects of dominant policy discourses and programming imaginaries on human rights and humanitarian protections. It argues for renewed attention to the deeply intertwined nature of human rights & needs and humanitarian action at a time when both are under increasing threat. The current juncture in the sector is marked by the progressive dismantling of key institutions, the erosion of international norms, and the normalisation of weakened protections—developments that demand critical scrutiny. In particular, the paper explores how dominant humanitarian policies may enable or contribute to this erosion.
As rights-based debates are increasingly sidelined, three influential policy trends—resilience, the triple nexus, and localisation—have gained prominence in shaping humanitarian agendas and programming frameworks. These trends are often presented as transformative, yet their assumptions and implications remain under-examined. Through the analysis of selected policy documents from major actors (such as USAID, WHO, IASC, UNRWA, ECHO, the World Bank …), this paper investigates how these discourses construct humanitarian 'crises' and shape the response framework, often lacking a contextualised analysis of power, conflict, and structural inequalities, and shifting attention away from duty bearers in ways that de-responsibilise them from addressing these root causes, while placing the burden of response on humanitarian practitioners and affected populations operating within resource constrained, authoritarian and depoliticised frameworks. The aim is to open space for critical engagement with these policy paradigms and to contribute to a more grounded and rights-conscious humanitarian practice and research agenda.
