Martin Griffiths has fifty years of professional experience with the United Nations and other global institutions. He served most recently as the leader of the global humanitarian system as well as the UN’s principal troubleshooter in the conflicts and crises of today.

 

Martin is recognized as one of the most accomplished international mediators of conflicts around the world. He founded the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva in 1999, which has since become the world’s leading and largest private diplomacy institution. To date he has led mediations in every continent, from Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Afghanistan, to Spain, Sudan and Venezuela. He reached the top of the profession as the UN mediator in Yemen from 2018 to 2021.

 

Martin’s humanitarian experience started as a frontline aid worker in the UNICEF Thai/Cambodia Border Operation in 1979. He went on to regional and then global responsibility for humanitarian action in both the non-governmental sector and within the United Nations.

 

In his most recent position as United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths led humanitarian negotiations, both for principles and for access to those in need. He also led the global advocacy for humanitarian funding and for the rights of people and communities affected by crises. In mid 2024, 300 million people required humanitarian assistance at an estimated minimum cost of 56 billion US dollars a year.