A NGO Perspective: A Secure Space

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A NGO PerspectiveA Secure Space

• Roy A Brennen

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Outline

• Protection
• Humanitarian Space
• Human Security
• Staff Safety and Security

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NGO History

• Save the Children 1932 Appalachian famine
• IRC 1933 refugee resettlement
• Oxfam 1942 famine relief WWII
• CARE 1945 relief after WWII
• ACF 1979 against acute famine

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Relief to ProtectionBandages

• Gaining access to provide aid
• Food
• Water
• Medical care
• Shelter

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Relief to ProtectionGetting to Root Causes

• Activities aimed at shielding individuals or
  groups from hostile acts or repression
• Activities must be cautious so as not to endanger
  the beneficiaries or staff
• Victims wishes and interest have to be considered
• Ethical framework (to do or not)

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Oxfam

• The fundamental basis for dealing with emergency
  situations is the safeguarding of human life
• Involves protection and assistance which are
  mutually reinforcing

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Pillars of Humanitarian Action
Assistance
Standards Forms of delivery Presence
Protection
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Protection

• All actions aimed at obtaining full respect for
  the rights of the individual in accordance with
  the letter and spirit of human rights, refugee
  and international humanitarian law.

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Protection

• Creating an environment via structures and
  policies that is
• Conducive to respect for human beings,
• Preventing or alleviating immediate effects of
  abuse
• Restoring the dignified conditions of life

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Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict

• Structures and Policies developed by UN, States
  and Humanitarian actors
• Based on IHL, HR, and Refugee law
• Activities
• Minimizing civilian casualties
• Promoting rule of law
• Order within a state
• Ocha Glossary, Policy Development and Studies
  Branch, NY, 2003

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ICRC

• Protection, in the case of humanitarian actors,
  includes all activities designed to assist the
  competent authorities in deterring, stopping or
  avoiding the occurrence or the recurrence of
  violations of international human rights,
  humanitarian law, refugee law, and to ensure to
  persuade them to take appropriate measures

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Difference in Perspective

• Being Humane and being humanitarian
• Process of delivery.
• Assistance to be considered humanitarian, it must
  be delivered according to at least three core
  principles
• humanity, impartiality and independence.

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Objectives of Military and Humanitarian Actors
Military objectives are driven by political
objectives. Legitimate humanitarian actions are
driven by concern for the population. When the
creation of a stable political environment, with
full respect for human rights is the political
objective, potential for cooperation is high.
When the population is a military target,
cooperation is virtually impossible for
humanitarian actors.
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Range of Civil Military Relations
Cooperation
Coexistence
Competition
Conflict
At any point in any humanitarian emergency the
relationship between any pair of civilian and
military actors can be described in these
terms. The potential for positive relations
varies with objectives and conditions. They
can change dramatically due to a wide range of
events.
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Humanitarian Space?

• The independence, flexibility, and freedom of
  action necessary to gain access and provide
  assistance to beneficiaries in a humanitarian
  emergency.
• OCHA, CMCoord Course
• The environment in which civilian agencies have
  the independence, flexibility and freedom of
  action to access and provide assistance to
  beneficiaries in a humanitarian emergency.
• Roy Brennen, Today

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Types of Associations
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Civilian ProtectionvsHumanitarian Space

• Actions to obtain an environment
• Vs
• Environment to enable actions

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Humanitarian CharterFundamental Principles

• Based on belief that all possible steps should be
  taken to prevent or alleviate human suffering and
  individuals have the right to protection and
  assistance.
• Right to life with dignity
• Distinction between combatants and non-combatants
• Principle of non-refoulment

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Humanitarian CharterCode of Conduct

• The Humanitarian imperative comes first.
• Aid is given regardless of race, creed or
  nationality of the recipients and without adverse
  distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are
  calculated on the basis of need alone.

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Humanitarian CharterCode of Conduct

• Aid will not be used to further a particular
  political or religious standpoint.
• NGHA shall endeavor not to act as instruments of
  foreign policey.
• NGHA shall respect culture and custom

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Humanitarian CharterCode of Conduct

• NGHA shall attempt to build disaster response on
  local capacities.
• Ways shall be found to involve program
  beneficiaries in the management of relief aid.
• Relief aid must strive to reduce future
  vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meeting
  basic needs.

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Humanitarian CharterCode of Conduct

• NGHA are accountable to both those they seek to
  assist and those from whom they accept resources.
• In information, publicity and advertising
  activities, NGHA shall recognize disaster victims
  as dignified humans, not hopeless objects.

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Types of Military Support

• Direct Assistance is the face-to-face
  distribution of goods and services.
• Indirect Assistance is at least one step removed
  from the population and involves such activities
  as transporting relief goods or relief personnel.
  
• Infrastructure Support involves providing general
  services, such as road repair, airspace
  management and power generation that facilitate
  relief, but are not necessarily visible to or
  solely for the benefit of the affected
  population.
• Security, Security, Security
• Guidelines for the Use of Military-Civil Defense
  Assets in Complex Emergencies (2003)

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Human Security

• Promoting the protection of individuals
• Physical safety
• Economic wellbeing
• Social wellbeing
• Human dignity
• Human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Concepts of security must include people as well
  as States

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NGHA Staff Safety Security

• Traditionally focus on soft security
• Growth in key areas
• Training
• Equipment
• Resources
• Will rarely use armed force protection
• Humanitarian emergency
• Complex development

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