Other Websites of Interest

The Advocacy Project

The Advocacy Project, created in the summer of 1998 by a group of individuals with a commitment to human rights and an interest in information technology, works as a "virtual organisation". It makes technology more accessible to advocates who are campaigning for social justice, particularly those at the community level. In 1998, ICVA worked with the Advocacy Project on a series of "On the Record" newsletters around UNHCR's Executive Committee. The Advocacy Project also helped ICVA develop its website and e-mail newsletter, Talk Back, in 1999.
www.advocacynet.org

Aid Workers Network

Aid Workers Network is a learning community of development and relief practitioners for mutual support and to share practical advice based on experience. Aid Workers Exchange is their weekly email bulletin. It includes questions/responses and short articles on a wide variety of practical topics for busy field workers. There is an archive at www.aidworkers.net/exchange and you can subscribe online or e-mail exchange@aidworkers.net with the subject "subscribe".
www.aidworkers.net

ALNAP

ALNAP is an interagency forum working to improve learning and accountability in the international humanitarian system. Its 43 Full Members represent bilateral and multilateral donor organisations; UN agencies and Departments; NGOs and NGO umbrella organisations; the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; and selected consultants, academics and research institutes.
www.odi.org.uk/alnap

Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief

The 26th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 1995 took note of, and welcomed, the Code of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief (see Resolution 4) and many humanitarian NGOs around the world have registered their support of the Code.

You can access the Code at this website, which lays out 10 key principles for humanitarian organisations. The Code also has three important annexes:

• Annex 1: Recommendations to the governments of disaster affected countries
• Annex 2: Recommendations to donor governments
• Annex 3: Recommendations to intergovernmental organisations

You can also voluntarily sign your organisation up to the Code using the registration form.
Code of Conduct

ECRE

ECRE is a European umbrella organisation of more than 60 refugee-assisting member agencies in 25 countries working towards fair and humane policies for the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
www.ecre.org/europe&refugees

Forced Migration Review

Forced Migration Review provides a forum for the exchange of experience, information and ideas between researchers, refugees and internally displaced people and those who work with them. It is published three times a year in English, Spanish and Arabic by the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford in association with the Global IDP Project/Norwegian Refugee Council.
www.fmreview.org

Global Humanitarian Platform

The Global Humanitarian Platform (GHP) is an initiative that brings together NGOs, the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and the UN on an equal footing to discuss issues of strategic and policy interest to ensure better humanitarian outcomes. It was created as an outcome of the 12-13 July 2006 Dialogue Between UN and Non-UN Humanitarian Organisations. The work of the Platform is meant to be "flexible, ad hoc, time-bound and action-oriented."

The initiative seeks to improve humanitarian response by strengthening partnerships at the global and field levels. The GHP met in July 2007 and July 2008, as well as having regional workshops in 2008.

This website hosts documents related to the work of the GHP, including conference documents, as well as the Principles of Partnership (PoP), translations of the Pop, and tools related to the Pop, reports on the use of the PoP in the field, etc.
www.globalhumanitarianplatform.org

Humanitarian Accountability Partnership-International (formerly the Humanitarian Ombudsman Project and the Humanitarian Accountability Project: Voice for People Affected by Disaster and Conflict)

The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership-International is a partnership of members agencies that aim "to make humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries: those people whose lives are at risk due to armed conflict or other calamitous events."

In 2007, the Building Safer Organisations project (BSO) was moved from ICVA to HAP International.
www.hapinternational.org

Humanitarian Practice Network

The Humanitarian Practice Network (HPN) - formerly the Relief and Rehabilitation Network (RRN) - publishes analysis of, and guidance, for humanitarian practice, as well as summary information on key policy and institutional developments in the humanitarian sector.
www.odihpn.org.uk

Humanitarian Reform in Action

The Humanitarian Reform website provides information on the UN humanitarian reform process, including the cluster approach, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and strengthening of the Humanitarian Coordinator system.
http://www.humanitarianreform.org

Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC)

An independent website on internally displaced persons (IDPs) worldwide with comprehensive information by country.
www.internal-displacement.org

Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC)

The IASC was established in June 1992 in response to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 46/182 on the strengthening of humanitarian assistance. It is the main forum for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance, involving the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners. ICVA is a standing invitee.
http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/

Reach Out Refugee Protection Project

Reach Out is a joint initiative of several international humanitarian agencies on refugee protection training to disseminate basic refugee protection knowledge through workshops. It aims to enhance refugee protection awareness, knowledge, and skills of those delivering humanitarian assistance within NGOs, the Red Cross/Crescent Movement, and to improve operational cooperation between UNHCR and the NGO community.
www.reachout.ch

The SPHERE Project

In July 1997, the Sphere Project was launched by a group of humanitarian agencies. This project sought to develop a set of universal minimum standards in core areas (water supply & sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter & site planning, and health services) of humanitarian assistance. The aim of the Project is to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster response.
www.sphereproject.org

UNHCR's Refworld

Refworld is a unique compilation of reliable information related to refugees and human rights, which is sometimes referred to as a "refugee encyclopedia". It is highly recommended as a first port of call, especially to those who work on refugee status determination and advocates. Refworld is a user-friendly information tool containing nearly 90,000 full-text searchable documents, including hundreds of country maps, the UNHCR library catalogue and Reflink - a portal to reliable web resources. The latest Refworld has an expanded section on UNHCR guidelines, MOUs, refugee law and jurisprudence. The information has been collected not only from UNHCR's global network of field offices, but also from governments, international and non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, and judicial bodies.
www.unhcr.org/refworld

VOICE

Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE) is the largest European network of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are active in the field of humanitarian aid. VOICE's aim is to foster links between these NGOs and to facilitate their contact with the European Union.
www.ngovoice.org

Voluntary Work Information Service

VWIS is an international networking service for volunteers, workers and travellers. VWIS provides information on voluntary work opportunities in the humanitarian and environmental domains in over 150 countires world-wide. For more information: e-mail info@workingabroad.com or visit:
www.workingabroad.com