Humanitarian Principles

Strengthening of the Coordination of Emergency Humanitarian Assistance of the United Nations

Humanitarian Negotiation: A Handbook for Securing Access, Assistance, and Protection for Civilians in Armed Conflict

This project would not have been possible without the many humanitarian workers who shared their negotiation experience with us. Interviewees are too many in number to be listed separately, but we would like to thank in particular the staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, Switzerland, and Macedonia, the staff of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva and Côte d’Ivoire, the members of Save the Children, representatives and inhabitants of La Maison Carrée and the refugee women of Treichville in Côte d’Ivoire, as well a...

The Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross: Commentary

The Fundamental Principles are the result of a century of experience. Proclaimed in Vienna in 1965, they bond together the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and guarantee the continuity of the Movement and its humanitarian work. In this succinct commentary intended for the general public, Jean Pictet explains the meaning of each of the seven Fundamental Principles; he analyses them on the basis of different criteria and presents all their various aspects, thus mak...

Humanitarian Diplomacy Policy

Humanitarian diplomacy is persuading decision makers and opinion leaders to act, at all times, in the interests of vulnerable people, and with full respect for fundamental humanitarian principles.

Customary International Humanitarian Law

Customary international humanitarian law is a set of unwritten rules derived from a general, or common, practice which is acknowledged as law. It's the basic standard of conduct in armed conflict accepted by the world community. Customary international humanitarian law is applicable universally – independently of the application of treaty law – and is based on extensive and virtually uniform State practice regarded as law.

Humanitarian Practice Network Paper

The humanitarian community uses many approaches to evidence. Representative initiatives are presented in Table 1. The many different data gatherers, managers, users and donors have prompted recent efforts to inventory and critique these varied approaches. In October 2007, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) began a two-year multisectoral study into the Assessment and Classification of Emergencies (ACE). The terms of reference for the study identified 17 global initiatives relevant to emergency assessment and analysis.1 In the terms of reference of the ...

Humanitarian public diplomacy: International calls to action in the digital era

This dissertation examines IOs (IOs) as emerging stars in the constellation of diplomatic actors, as extra-state and supra-state entities that do not replace, but rather complement, align with and encourage states. Specifically focusing on humanitarian - those attentive to the needs of people - international organisations, the paper explores their use of calls to action as a public diplomacy tool that both activates the public and reflects the needs and desires of individuals and their communities, translated to policy context. Calls to action should be strategic, well-researched, authoritive,...

The State of the Humanitarian System

Managing Global Chaos

Resolution on Safeguarding Humanitarian Data

The resolution Safeguarding Humanitarian Data addresses the centrality of data for humanitarian actions. It reiterates previous initiatives and resolutions of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

International Humanitarian Norms and Principles

Humanitarian Negotiations with Armed Groups: A Manual and Guidelines for Practitioners

IFRC and Humanitarian Diplomacy

Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa

Humanitarian intervention and international society

Humanitarian diplomacy

Digital Diplomacy and the ICRC (Briefing Paper #7)

In this briefing paper, Ms Alice Maillot discusses the potential of digital diplomacy for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). She looks at the changing nature of diplomacy, new developments in digital diplomacy, and how the ICRC can implement and adopt some of the current trends.

Intervening in Africa: Superpower Peacemaking in a Troubled Continent

The Humanitarian Diplomacy of the International Committee of the Red Cross

Citizen Diplomats: Exploring the Links Between Community Organising and Humanitarian Diplomacy

In this briefing paper, Hannah Bird explores the links between community organising and humanitarian diplomacy by drawing on the concepts and methods of community organising.

The Responsibility to Protect

Message on Switzerland’s International Cooperation in 2013-2016

Weapons Overview

Humanitarian Principles