Safe and productive spaces for exchange, mutual understanding and debate.

The Dialogue Unit is a programme of the Centre on Armed Groups, dedicated to convening, supporting and facilitating dialogue.

What we do

The Dialogue Unit creates safe spaces for learning and discussion. On request, we facilitate practical dialogue to generate new insights, build common ground and chart a way forward.

We provide the logistical and technical support that enables a diverse range of stakeholders to navigate engagement in conflict-affected and otherwise constrained environments.

As a programme of the Centre on Armed Groups, we draw on the Centre's team and network of experts.

How we work

The Dialogue Unit works in support of our partners, supplementing their capacities and providing accompaniment support. We bring the facilitation, expertise and management needed to design and convene productive dialogue. Trust-building and confidentiality are central to our approach, allowing us to help create safe spaces for frank discussion.

Content and strategy
Substantive expertise across the political, humanitarian, legal and security dimensions of engagement.
- Advice on engagement frameworks and strategies
- Political, humanitarian, thematic, legal and security considerations
- Contextual analysis of political and conflict dynamics
Logistics
End-to-end support for dialogue processes, so the details are managed and the conversation can happen.
- Venues, in person or virtual
- Coordinating participation across stakeholders
- Confidentiality protocols
- Travel, security and documentation
Technical expertise
A network of specialists who bring depth to the substance of each dialogue.
- Technical experts across humanitarian, legal, security and other sectors
- Senior officials and practitioners with direct experience of engagement
- Expertise matched to the substance and context of each dialogue
Facilitation
Experienced facilitators skilled at managing complex, sensitive dialogues.
- Encouraging constructive engagement
- Ensuring all voices are heard, including marginalised actors
- Steering discussions towards actionable outcomes

The Geneva Forum

We support the Geneva Forum on Humanitarian Engagement with Armed Groups, a joint inter-agency platform launched in December 2025 and co-chaired by the Centre on Armed Groups and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Forum brings together major international humanitarian organisations and agencies to share knowledge, address field challenges and coordinate policy on engagement with armed non-state actors and de facto authorities. It develops joint initiatives, research, analysis and capacities to strengthen collective humanitarian responses and negotiations.

Ready to explore how the Dialogue Unit can support your work?