NGOs: The Principles and Politics
of Humanitarian Action

An ICVA Conference

1 February 2006
Geneva, Switzerland

The role of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in humanitarian action today is essential. The NGO humanitarian community and the means by which NGOs carry out their humanitarian action, however, are by no means homogenous. One of the greatest strengths of the NGO community is its diversity, but at the same time this diversity can often lead to confusion and, in turn, questions about the effectiveness of humanitarian action. In order to address these concerns and confusion, there is a need to understand better the way in which NGOs work, and why they work in that manner by engaging in more dialogue between NGOs and between NGOs and other actors.

On 1 February 2006, ICVA will host a one-day Conference, entitled NGOs: The Principles and Politics of Humanitarian Action, which aims to provide a forum to better appreciate the differences between NGOs. The Conference is an opportunity for a critical reflection with ICVA members and with others, including UN and non-UN agencies and governments, about the state of play in humanitarian action, with particular emphasis of the role of NGOs. The Conference will help ICVA move into its 13th General Assembly (2-3 February) by providing suggestions on the way forward for the network over the next three years.

The Conference will open with a keynote address and be followed by three sessions looking at the state of NGO humanitarian action and the principles and politics of this action. The first session will focus on the current state of non-governmental humanitarian action ('as it is'). The identity and intentions of NGOs carrying out humanitarian work is not clear to all. ICVA's work on the Commentary on the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief has revealed that the Code may leave too much room for different interpretations of the Code's10 principles. Bearing in mind the diversity of NGOs, the need for more clarity about humanitarian action is generally recognised.

While it may be perfectly legitimate that different NGOs take their operational decisions differently in order to save lives, more effort should be made in terms of understanding these decisions and the processes by which they are taken. NGOs from various backgrounds and regions will be asked to explain their views on the principles, including where they see the limits of the principles in terms of what should and should not be considered to be humanitarian action. How these principles are put into action and what kind of decision-making processes are in place to ensure those principles are respected will also be the focus of the first session of the Conference.

The second session will consider managing our diversity ('how it should be') and will also highlight mechanisms to better manage these differences. Is it realistic and feasible to expect that different operational decisions can be managed in a way that ensures that NGOs' actions are compatible and complementary, instead of contradictory?

ICVA is often referred to as a unique mechanism for NGO dialogue and collaboration, bringing together NGOs from different regions and backgrounds. How can ICVA members better collaborate and coordinate on humanitarian principles in operational response on the ground? Given our inter-dependence as an NGO community, how can we ensure that our approaches and actions are complementary and mutually reinforcing?

The final session will look at the future and whether or not we are ready to deal with upcoming challenges ('how it could be in the future'). Given that no single agency alone will be able to meet new global challenges, such as the implications of climate change or new diseases and epidemics, the Conference will discuss how NGOs should prepare to meet these challenges collectively. While NGOs may strategise individually, there is a real need for the NGO community to share their strategies and to become more forward-looking.