Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response
Basic information
- Type: Code of Conduct/Ethics
- Year established: 1997
- Status: Active
- Thematic area: Humanitarian / emergency relief
- Summary: The Humanitarian Charter addresses common principles - the right to life with dignity; the right to receive humanitarian assistance and the right to protection and security. The Minimum Standards aim to quantify these principles with regards to the needs of people affected by disaster or conflict with respect to water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion; food security and nutrition; shelter, settlement and non-food items and health action. Protection principles and core (process) standards are applicable throughout. Taken together, the Humanitarian Charter and the Minimum Standards constitute an operational framework for accountability in humanitarian response.
Contact details
- Host organisation: The Sphere Project
- Website: www.sphereproject.org
- Email: info@sphereproject.org
- Phone: + 41 22 730 45 23
- Address: c/o International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), chemin des Crêts 17, Petit Saconnex, Case postale 372, 1211 Genève 19
Switzerland
Areas addressed
- Principles or standards: Standards-based
- Communications / advocacy / fundraising:
- General commitment to transparency
- Governance and Management:
- Anti-Corruption
- Beneficiary / client / supporter participation:
- General commitment to beneficiary participation
- In all project cycle stages
- In evaluation (ex post)
- In strategic planning
- Monitoring and Evaluation:
- General commitment to evaluation
- Commitment to integrate learning in future
- Impact evaluation
- Cross-cutting thematic areas:
- Gender equality
- CSO collaboration and partnership
Further info: The Minimum Standards are qualitative in nature and specify the minimum levels to be attained in humanitarian response; they are universal.
Each Standard is accompanied by Key Actions, Key Indicators and Guidance Notes.
Practical Key Actions are suggested, to attain the minimum standard. Some actions are not applicable in all contexts.
Key Indicators serve as 'signals' that show whether a standard has been attained, providing a means of measuring and communicating the processes and results of key actions. The key indicators relate to the minimum standard, not to the key action.
Guidance notes include context-specific points to consider when aiming at reaching the key actions and key indicators.
Participation
- Reasons for participation
- Enhancing credibility, quality or reputation
Compliance
- Monitoring mechanism: Commitment only
- Has sanctioning mechanism: No
Assessment
Sphere is a widely used set of technical standards developed through a lengthy process of consultation within the humanitarian and emergency sector. Its target audiences are humanitarian professionals managing and implementing work in the main technical sectors such as health, water and hygiene, nutrition and shelter. Improved accountability to those affected by disasters is also explicitly part of Sphere’s overall goal. In this way there is complimentarity with other initiatives in the humanitatian sector such as HAP-I. While Sphere has no complaince mechanisms the extensive consultation that informed the standards has helped instilled ownership among agencies and helped build recognition of the initiatives added value.
