Hrair Balian

Hrair Balian is a seasoned peacebuilding and conflict resolution practitioner with over three decades of international experience in negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy across the Balkans, Caucasus, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has held senior leadership roles at the United Nations, OSCE/ODIHR, International Crisis Group, Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and The Carter Center, where he served as Director of Conflict Resolution from 2008 to 2022. His achievements include contributing to Bosnia’s Brčko arbitration decision, supporting Montenegro’s peaceful independence, facilitating Serbia–Kosovo discussions, and developing UN-adopted proposals to end Syria’s war deadlock. A former practicing attorney in the U.S., he has taught conflict resolution and negotiation at Emory University Law School and Georgia Tech. His forthcoming book, Anatomy of Peacemaking: The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict and Missed Opportunities (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2026), builds on his lifelong commitment to human rights and peace. Balian holds a Juris Doctor degree and an honorary Doctor of Laws for his dedication to the dignity and the right to self-determination of all peoples.