Protection Mainstreaming

Presentation by GPC/Protection Mainstreaming Task Team

Julien Marneffe, Philippines, December 2013

Objectives of workshop

• Introduce Protection Mainstreaming • Present the 4 key Protection

Mainstreaming principles• Protection Mainstreaming Checklist• Outputs:– Action Plan/Key priorities on Protection

Mainstreaming & coordination– Evaluation of 2-hour training module

Definitions

• Protection“All activities aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter and the spirit of the relevant bodies of law (i.e., Human Rights Law, IHL, Refugee Law).”

Definitions

• Protection Mainstreaming“[It] is the process of incorporating protection principles, and promoting safety, dignity and meaningful access […] in all humanitarian activities.”

Humanitarian Imperative

• Humanitarian action consists of two main pillars: protection and assistance.

• Protection is a core part of humanitarian action • Not all humanitarian agencies are expected to

implement Protection programmes• Responsibility of all humanitarian agencies• Ethical responsibility to incorporate protection

principles into their humanitarian response programmes.

ProtectionMainstreaming v. Programming

HOW WHAT

Mainstreaming Non-protection Protection

Protection YES NO YES

Non-protection YES YES NO

Protection Mainstreaming enhances the quality and maximizes the impact of humanitarian programming.

Protection Mainstreaming does NOT replace protection programming.

Protection Mainstreaming is about HOW we provide assistance;Protection is about WHAT we do/provide.

Mainstreaming v. ProgrammeActivities Type/Sector

Food distribution Food security

Adapting food distribution implementation to ensure access by most vulnerable population – in particular elderly and persons with disabilities

Protection mainstreaming

Monitoring of Protection Needs and case management of persons with disabilitiesorDistributing dignity kits to vulnerable women in affected areas

Protection

ProtectionMainstreaming v. Programming

Mainstreaming Programming

Risk analysis (Do No Harm) – eg. Time/location of distribution

YES

Protection analysis (eg. Is situation ripe for return?)

YES

Identify all groups of vulnerable beneficiaries YES

Protection monitoring YES

Community information/consultation meeting YES

Information on services & Self-Referral YES

Referral/Case management YES

Human Rights Sensitization YES

Advocacy on equal access, safety & dignity, accountability and participation issues

YES

Advocacy on Protection/Human Rights issues YES

What Protection Mainstreaming needs

• Genuine commitment to humanitarian ethics• Flexibility from humanitarian actors & donors• Training, key tools & best practices

(inspiration)• Thinking critically about humanitarian

work through a “protection lens”

Protection Mainstreaming Principles

• Safety & Dignity (Do No Harm)• Equality

(Meaningful access to impartial assistance)• Participation and Empowerment• Accountability to affected populations

THESE PRINCIPLES INFORM THE IMPLEMENTATION OF HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES

THEY ARE INTERTWINED, COMPLEMENTARY AND INTERDEPENDENT

Principle 1: Safety & Dignity

• Humanitarians have a duty to promote the safety and dignity of affected populations

• Avoid causing harm by creating additional threats, increasing discrimination or people’s vulnerability

• Prevent and minimize as much as possible any unintended negative effects of our intervention

Key activities for Safety & Dignity

• Safety: – Risk Analysis of humanitarian actions

RISK = THREAT x VULNERABILITY x TIME/CAPACITY– Report protection threats or Human Rights violations

• Dignity:– (re-)Build self-esteem and self-confidence;

Avoid stigmatization and victimization (see principle 3&4)

– Provide choice/opportunities for choice

How to ensure safety and dignity?

• Assessment, analysis and monitoring• Understand the context, cultural norms and

values, social dynamics and conflicts• Critical thinking• Ensure participation and accountability to

affected population (see principles 3 & 4)• Sometimes, not providing assistance at all may

be the right decision• It is never too late to change plans

Principle 2: Equality

• Ensure meaningful access to impartial assistance and services based on needs and without barriers/discrimination

• Meaningful access requires assistance and services that are:– Available in sufficient quantity and quality– Provided on the basis of need and without discrimination*– Know by the affected population– Physically accessible and within safe reach– Financially accessible– Culturally appropriate– Sensitive to age and gender

Key activities for equality

• Identify vulnerable groups and their specific needs– Men, Women, Children (girls & boys) and Elderly– Persons with disabilities– Minorities (ethnic, religious,…)

• Identify actual and potential barriers to access and necessary remedies (for each group)– Physical (distance, time,…)– Security– Cultural– Administrative– Economic– Information

How to ensure meaningful access?

• Assessment through (at least) consultation• Plan activities on appropriate days and times• Inform the population on planned assistance

and existing services• Sensitize population on services & access

(address attitudes/reluctance)• Monitor access to services• Advocate to end discrimination or lift barriers

Principle 3: Participation

• The meaningful and active involvement of key stakeholders in each phase of a humanitarian programme cycle

• From mere information and consultation to full participation and empowerment

• Participation is essential for/to:– Helping rebuild dignity of affected populations– Ensuring that interventions are (more) relevant, appropriate

and effective– Engaging the community– Enabling us to draw on local knowledge and capacity– Build local capacity

How to ensure effective participation?

• Adapt type and intensity of participation to context

• Gradually increase participation• Working with local structures and leaders• Supporting the development of self-protection

capacities • Assist people to access/realize their rights

Principle 4: Accountability

• The means through which power is used responsibly• It is a process of taking account of, and being held

accountable by, different stakeholders, and primarily those who are affected by the exercise of power

• Accountability to affected populations as the main stakeholders of humanitarian action

• Standards:– Codes of conduct– Humanitarian Accountability & Partnership Standards

Standards of Accountability

• Code of conduct• Humanitarian Accountability & Partnership

Standards– Duty of care– Participation and informed consent– Offer redress– Transparency– Complementarity

How to be effectively accountable

• Informing the population on activities &informed consent of affected populations

• Provide feedback on achievements, constraints, delays,… of humanitarian activities

• Setting up a feedback & complaints mechanism – in particular on (but not limited to) PSEA

• Do not commit to more than you can provide• Manage expectations

PM and the Protection Cluster

Four key responsibilities of the PC regarding PM:1. Ensure that PM is regularly placed on the agendas

of the Inter-Cluster Coordination and HCT meetings2. Ensure that PM is included in trainings of other

clusters3. Provide briefings on the outcomes of protection

assessments at ICC & HCT meetings4. Work bilaterally with clusters that are considered to

be of priority from a protection perspective to strengthen PM in their response

Additional resources

• WWW.GLOBALPROTECTIONCLUSTER.ORG– Protection Mainstreaming• Annotated reference list• External resources• Examples from Field Protection Clusters (tools)

You can find examples of protection mainstreaming checklists from other clusters, in particular the Pacific Cluster and Palestine.

– Protection in natural disaster

Additional resources

• Safety & Dignity– Do No Harm Handbook (CDA)

• Participation– Participation Handbook (ALNAP, URD 2009)

• Accountability– Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP)• Standards 2010• Responding to Emergency

– Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Additional resources

• Minimum Inter-Agency Standards on Protection Mainstreaming (2012)

• Child Protection– Minimum Standards for Child Protection (2013)• See last section on mainstreaming of child protection

in other humanitarian sectors

• Gender & SGBV– Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Intervention

s in Humanitarian Settings (IASC, 2005)