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Professional standards for better protection work

27-11-2009 Photo gallery

The recently published guide "Professional standards for protection work" aims to provide a common basis for protection work conducted by the numerous organizations active in this field. These photos illustrate some of those standards.

  • Photo, Sukhumi, Georgia / Abkhazia. A beneficiary of the home assistance programme. 2002
    • Sukhumi, Georgia / Abkhazia. A beneficiary of the home assistance programme. 2002
      © ICRC / F. Clarke / cd-e-00414

    Standard 2 - Non-discrimination and impartiality must guide protection work.

    "The application of these principles does not preclude taking account of particular elements (such as gender or age) as factors of specific vulnerability."

  • Photo, Panzi Hospital, Bukavu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A victim of sexual violence. 2006
    • Panzi Hospital, Bukavu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A victim of sexual violence. 2006
      © ICRC / W. Lembryke / cd-e-00414

    Standard 4 - Protection actors must avoid harmful effects that could arise from their work.

    "Poorly conceived or carelessly implemented protection activities can aggravate or even generate additional protection risks for vulnerable populations."

  • Photo, Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Covedec centre for unaccompanied children and some of its charges. 2009
    • Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Covedec centre for unaccompanied children and some of its charges. 2009
      © ICRC / P. Yazdi / cd-e-01030

    Standard 7 - Protection actors must monitor and evaluate their protection activities and adjust their approach accordingly.

    "The expectations associated with a given activity are inevitably linked to the prevailing operational realities and constraints."

    "The difficulties in establishing and in meeting the demand for measurable results should in no way deter protection actors from endeavouring to innovate in this challenging area, and/or to tackle complex protection issues."

  • Photo, Tulkarem, West Bank, Israel. 2003
    • Tulkarem, West Bank, Israel. 2003
      © ICRC / C. Appel / il-e-00149

    Standard 13 - Protection actors must at all times avoid action that undermines the capacity and will of primary duty bearers to fulfil their obligations

    "Rather than attempting to replace a weak national protection apparatus, the primary aim of humanitarian and human rights actors doing protection work in armed conflict and other situations of violence is – to the extent feasible – to encourage and persuade the formal authorities to assume their obligations more fully."

  • Photo, Sadr City, Iraq. 2008
    • Sadr City, Iraq. 2008
      © Reuters / M. Ameen

    Standard 18 - Protection actors must be familiar with the various legal frameworks that are applicable.

    "While it is understandable that many protection actors may not know, or need to know the details of all sets of laws, they must nevertheless know which legal framework applies to the context in which they are working."

    "Staff working on protection issues must therefore have the necessary skills and knowledge, or receive appropriate training on the essence, logic and basic principles of each body of international law."

  • Photo, Chad. United Nations and NGO staff meet internally displaced people.

    Standard 23 - Protection actors must take account of the roles, activities and capacities of others, avoiding unnecessary duplication and other potentially negative consequences, while endeavouring to build synergies.

    "At an operational level, protection actors should share information regarding their general protection strategy and their target areas and populations, so that these elements can be incorporated into the analysis and planning of other actors."

    "Staff working on protection issues must therefore have the necessary skills and knowledge, or receive appropriate training on the essence, logic and basic principles of each body of international law."

  • Photo, A psychosocial worker talks to a rape victim at a counselling centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 2009

    Standard 30 - Systematic information collection, particularly from individuals affected by abuses and violations, must only be carried out by organizations with the capacity and skills, information management systems and necessary protocols in place.

    "Not all organizations need to collect information on abuses and violations. As there is a very high risk of causing harm if sensitive information is mismanaged, such information should not be collected unless its use is clear, and the depth and specificity required is defined."

  • Photo, The central prison in Monrovia, Liberia. 2006

    Standard 37 - Security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information must be in place prior to any collection of information, to ensure protection from loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification, in any format in which it is kept

    "An organization working with sensitive protection information should put in place monitoring mechanisms and take corrective measures in the case of any breach of these procedures."

  • Photo, A regional ICRC seminar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2005

    Standard 47 - Protection actors must ensure that their staff are adequately trained to deliver protection activities that are of high professional quality.

    "Hence the vital need for protection activities to be carried out by staff with appropriate competencies, and for protection actors to maintain adequate in-house capacities."

  • Photo, Kabul, Afghanistan. Posters put up following the abduction of an NGO worker. 2005

    Standard 49 - Protection actors must take measures to minimize the risks to which their staff are exposed.

    "The actual risks and vulnerabilities that protection staff might confront obviously vary according to the context, and a careful analysis of specific threats that their activities might generate is a constant necessity." "Each protection actor should also develop clear security management guidelines, and ensure that these are made available to and discussed with all staff – national and international – while ensuring that adequate training on security management is provided."


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