|
The ICRC Code of Conduct
Principles of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
and NGOs in Disaster Response Programmes. IAS has signed the Code.
1: The Humanitarian imperative comes first.
The right to receive humanitarian assistance, and to offer it, is a fundamental humanitarian
principle which should be enjoyed by all citizens of all countries. As members of the international
community, we recognise our obligation to provide humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed.
Hence the need for unimpeded access to affected populations, is of fundamental importance in
exercising that responsibility. The prime motivation of our response to disaster is to alleviate
human suffering amongst those least able to withstand the stress caused by disaster.
When we give humanitarian aid it is not a partisan or political act and should not be viewed as such.
2: Aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients
and without adverse distinction of any kind.
Aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone. Wherever possible, we will base the provision
of relief aid upon a thorough assessment of the needs of the disaster victims and the local capacities
already in place to meet those needs. Within the entirety of our programmes, we will reflect
consideratio ns of proportionality. Human suffering must be alleviated whenever it is found;
life is as precious in one part of a country as another. Thus, our provision of aid will
reflect the degree of suffering it seeks to alleviate. In implementing this approach,
we recognise the crucial role played by women in disaster prone communities and will
ensure that this role is supported, not diminished, by our aid programmes.
The implementation of such a universal, impartial and independent policy, can
only be effective if we and our partners have access to the necessary resources to
provide for such equitable relief, and have equal access to all disaster victims.
3: Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.
Humanitarian aid will be given according to the need of individuals, families and communities.
Not withstanding the right of NGHAs to espouse particular political or religious opinions,
we affirm that assistance will not be dependent on the adherence of t he recipients to those opinions.
We will not tie the promise, delivery or distribution of assistance to the embracing or acceptance
of a particular political or religious creed.
4: We shall endeavour not to act as instruments of government foreign policy.
NGHAs are agencies which act independently from governments. We therefore formulate our own policies
and implementation strategies and do not seek to implement the policy of any government, except in
so far as it coincides with our own independent policy. We will never knowingly -
or through negligence - allow ourselves, or our employees, to be used to gather
information of a political, military or economically sensitive nature for governments
or other bodies that may serve purposes other than those whic h are strictly humanitarian,
nor will we act as instruments of foreign policy of donor governments.
We will use the assistance we receive to respond to needs and this assistance
should not be driven by the need to dispose of donor commodity surpluses,
nor by the political interest of any particular donor. We value and promote the
voluntary giving of labour and finances by concerned individuals to support our
work and recognise the independence of action promoted by such voluntary motivation.
In order to p rotect our independence we will seek to avoid dependence upon a single funding source.
5: We shall respect culture and custom.
We will endeavour to respect the culture, structures and customs of the
communities and countries we are working in.
6: We shall attempt to build disaster response on local capacities.
All people and communities - even in disaster - possess capacities as well as vulnerabilities.
Where possible, we will strengthen these capacities by employing local staff, purchasing local
materials and trading with local companies. Where possible, we wi ll work through local
NGHAs as partners in planning and implementation, and co-operate with local government
structures where appropriate. We will place a high priority on the proper co-ordination
of our emergency responses. This is best done within the countries concerned by those
most directly involved in the relief operations, and should include representatives
of the relevant UN bodies.
7: Ways shall be found to involve programme
beneficiaries in the management of relief aid.
Disaster response assistance should never be imposed upon the beneficiaries.
Effective relief and lasting rehabilitation can best be achieved where the
intended beneficiaries are involved in the design, management and implementation
of the assistance prog ramme. We will strive to achieve full community participation
in our relief and rehabilitation programmes.
8: Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities
to disaster as well as meeting basic needs.
All relief actions affect the prospects for long term development, either in a positive or a
negative fashion. Recognising this, we will strive to implement relief programmes which
actively reduce the beneficiaries' vulnerability to future disasters and h elp create
sustainable lifestyles. We will pay particular attention to environmental concerns in
the design and management of relief programmes. We will also endeavour to minimise the
negative impact of humanitarian assistance, seeking to avoid long term beneficiary
dependence upon external aid.
9: We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to assist
and those from whom we accept resources.
We often act as an institutional link in the partnership between those who wish to assist and
those who need assistance during disasters. We therefore hold ourselves accountable to both
constituencies. All our dealings with donors and beneficiaries shall reflect an attitude of
openness and transparency. We recognise the need to report on our activities, both from a
financial perspective and the perspective of effectiveness. We recognise the obligation to
ensure appropriate monitoring of aid distributio ns and to carry out regular assessments
of the impact of disaster assistance. We will also seek to report, in an open fashion,
upon the impact of our work, and the factors limiting or enhancing that impact.
Our programmes will be based upon high standards of professionalism and expertise
in order to minimise the wasting of valuable resources.
10: In our information, publicity and advertising activities, we shall
recognise disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects.
Respect for the disaster victim as an equal partner in action should never be lost.
In our public information we shall portray an objective image of the disaster situation
where the capacities and aspirations of disaster victims are highlighted, and not just
their vulnerabilities and fears. While we will co-operate with the media in order to
enhance public response, we will not allow external or internal demands for publicity
to take precedence over the principle of maximising overall relief assistance.
We will avoid competing with other disaster response agencies for media coverage
in situations where such coverage may be to the detriment of the service provided
to the beneficiaries or to the security of our staff or the beneficiaries.
For more information
|
www.ias-intl.org
Andreas Zetterlund
ias-intl.org
ias-intl.org
Fundraising campaign
