Some Human Rights and Ethical issues to be considered in Data Collection during Emergencies

By

LAMLENN SamsonUNFPA/HRB

SUVA, September 2011

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Some Human Rights issues to considered

The Humanitarian Charter affirms the fundamental importance of the following principles:◦The right to life with dignity including the

right to provision of humanitarian and impartial assistance;

◦The distinction between combatants and non-combatants;

◦The principle of non-refoulement: displaced persons whose lives or freedom would be threatened on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion must not be forcefully returned to their places of origin.

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Some Ethical issues in Data Collection and Use

It is unacceptable to conduct studies during an acute crisis phase, in the midst of disaster, that would not be of immediate benefit to the affected population

The legal rights of the respondents not to provide certain information must be recognized, and data so collected should be rapidly processed and the results used to provide life-saving assistance

During assessments and other surveys, it should be mandatory to seek the consent of persons selected for interviews and to provide possibility for them to end the interview at any stage.

The issue of confidentiality should apply from the data collection stage, to data handling and analyses and to avenues and formats of dissemination of results

The sharing of information, though recommendable, should not result in some unfavorable backlash on the persons or communities covered

The universal principle of “Do No Harm” should permeate all data collection interventions – avoid sensitive/controversial questions

Avoid raising aspirations or expectations and making engagements which are not likely to be fulfilled by current programmes.

Discussions

Sharing of Experiences