Sarah Kilani is a humanitarian mediator and negotiations expert with well over a decade of experience in conflict and crisis environments. She serves as an advisor to several international organizations and institutions, including the United Nations, International Financial Institutions, and non-governmental organisations, guiding them on effective strategies, negotiations, and operational frameworks. Sarah has led frontline humanitarian negotiations and mediated directly with armed actors and stakeholders in challenging contexts, including Iraq, Syria, Libya, Myanmar, and the Central Sahel.

Through her extensive collaboration with Harvard Kennedy School’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory, Sarah has pioneered innovative negotiation approaches, blending lessons from political negotiation processes and behavioural science to adapt humanitarian responses to complex political realities. She designs and facilitates specialized training in conflict analysis, humanitarian mediation, and negotiation, preparing professionals worldwide to navigate and resolve critical humanitarian crises. She lectures on Conflict Analysis at Science Po and is a Fellow of the Centre for Armed Groups.

Passionate about enhancing women’s meaningful participation in peace and security, Sarah actively contributes to advancing the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. She joined the Mediterranean Women Mediators Network to promote-counter stereotypes, strengthen women mediators’ visibility and roles in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, leveraging her unique and extensive experience to foster successful, inclusive mediation practices across the region.