Protection Working Group

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Working Group Initiatives

InterAction's Protection Assessment Tool
The purpose of this assessment is to gather information about InterAction members' policies, procedures and trainings on protection.

BSO Workshop
During the week of June 19, 2006, InterAction hosted a workshop led by the Building Safer Organizations Project, which is housed within ICVA. The workshop, which has been conducted in a number of countries, trains NGO staff to conduct investigations into allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation of program beneficiaries by staff members. A variety of NGOs from around the world were in attendance.

DDR Workshop
On May 19, 2006, InterAction hosted a workshop entitled Protection Concerns in Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) Programs. The goal of the day-long session was to increase participants’ understanding of the overall approach to DDR taken by major donors and implementing agencies, to highlight specific protection challenges existing in DDR settings and to determine an appropriate role for InterAction and its member agencies in supporting and facilitating DDR reform. Presentations were given on the topics of UN reform of DDR, child soldiers and reintegration, and practical approaches and challenges to DDR programming.

Dennis McNamara
On June 28, Dennis McNamara, Director of the Internal Displacement Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, briefed InterAction members on IDP related matters. Topics included his recent trip to Somalia, as well as humanitarian reform, funding and administrative issues.

Contingency Planning for Iraq
In the months leading up to the war in Iraq, the Protection Working Group engaged members of the U.S. Government and other actors on protecting women and children during a humanitarian crisis resulting from war. As a part of this initiative, the working group drafted "Contingency Planning for Iraq: Ensuring Protection and Assistance for Women and Children," a set of recommendations for those engaged in contingency planning for Iraq calling for the incorporation of protection mechanisms in all humanitarian response activities in Iraq.

View "Contingency Planning for Iraq: Ensuring Protection and Assistance for Women and Children"

OFDA/DART Briefings
In addition, the Protection Working Group briefed the Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DART) of USAID's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance prior to their deployment to Iraq. During DART training sessions, working group representatives highlighted potential protection issues and presented examples of ways through which humanitarian programs could address the protection needs of vulnerable groups in Iraq. Based on "Contingency Planning for Iraq: Ensuring Protection and Assistance for Women and Children," the sessions emphasized specific recommendations for the incorporation of protection mechanisms in relief programs.

Incorporation of Core Principles for Humanitarian Action into InterAction PVO Standards
The Protection Working Group was central to the adoption of a new PVO Standard for the Protection From Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises. Based on the six core principles for humanitarian action identified by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Task Force, the new standard requires InterAction member agencies to adopt a code of conduct incorporating six core principles, and encourages further action to ensure that program beneficiaries are protected from exploitation and abuse.

View the PVO Standard for the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in Humanitarian Crises