"This training was very important: now I have a framework to work with when negotiating in the field."

These words were spoken by a participant of the Humanitarian Negotiation Training organised by Clingendael Academy in the week of 25 September. A group of 12 participants from nine different humanitarian organisations – ranging from MSF-Holland to Med-Air Switzerland, and from War Child to UNHCR – spent four days to enhance their negotiation skills.

The training culminated into a half-day simulation exercise where participants were put into a challenging real-life situation in which they needed to navigate through all the complexities that characterise humanitarian negotiations. It was an opportunity for the participants to apply the tools they had learned in a realistic environment.