OCHA on Message:

Humanitarian Principles What are Humanitarian Principles?

All OCHA activities are foundations for humanitarian Promoting and ensuring
guided by the four action. They are central to compliance with the
humanitarian principles: establishing and maintaining principles are essential
humanity, neutrality, access to affected people, elements of effective
impartiality and whether in a natural disaster humanitarian coordination.
independence. These or a complex emergency,
principles provide the such as armed conflict.

Origins and implementation

The humanitarian principles established the role of the for the International Red
are derived from the core Emergency Relief Cross and Red Crescent
principles, which have long Coordinator (ERC). General Movement, and non-
guided the work of the Assembly resolution 58/114 governmental organizations
International Committee of (2004) added independence in disaster relief. The code
the Red Cross and the as a fourth key principle provides a set of common
national Red Cross/Red underlying humanitarian standards for organizations
1
Crescent Societies. action. The General involved in humanitarian
The principles’ centrality to Assembly has repeatedly activities, including a
the work of OCHA and other reaffirmed the importance of commitment to adhere to the
humanitarian organizations promoting and respecting humanitarian principles.
is formally enshrined in two these principles within the More than 492 organizations
General Assembly framework of humanitarian have signed the Code of
2
assistance. Conduct. Also of note is the
resolutions. The first three
principles (humanity, Commitment to the Humanitarian Charter and
neutrality and impartiality) principles has also been Minimum Standards in
are endorsed in General expressed at an institutional Humanitarian Response
Assembly resolution 46/182, level by many humanitarian elaborated by the Sphere
3
Project.
which was adopted in 1991. organizations. Of particular
This resolution also note is the Code of Conduct

Humanity Neutrality Impartiality Independence

Human suffering must Humanitarian actors Humanitarian action Humanitarian action

be addressed wherever must not take sides in must be carried out on must be autonomous
it is found. The purpose hostilities or engage in the basis of need from the political,
of humanitarian action controversies of a alone, giving priority to economic, military or
is to protect life and political, racial, the most urgent cases other objectives that
health and ensure religious or ideological of distress and making any actor may hold
respect for human nature. no distinctions on the with regard to areas
beings. basis of nationality, where humanitarian
race, gender, religious action is being
belief, class or political implemented.
opinions.

1
These are humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. See the
Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, proclaimed in Vienna in 1965
by the 20th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

2
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct includes principles beyond the core four
principles endorsed by the General Assembly. In addition, humanitarian organizations may find that some of these
additional principles have particular meaning in certain contexts (for example, “participation” is often cited as an
important humanitarian principle). Conceptually, many other principles can be linked back to the four endorsed by
the General Assembly.

3
See: www.sphereproject.org/handbook/
 The humanitarian principles humanitarian principles and, Sustained access is, in turn,
have practical operational importantly, ensuring that crucial for strengthening the
“The moral relevance. Humanitarian humanitarian organizations implementation of the
action almost always takes act in accordance with them humanitarian principles. For
authority of the
place in complex political are key to gaining example, it allows
United Nations and militarized acceptance by all relevant humanitarian actors to
depends on its environments. Adherence to actors on the ground for directly undertake and
ability to help the principles is therefore humanitarian action to be monitor the distribution of
critical in order to distinguish carried out. This acceptance assistance to people, thus
people most in
humanitarian action from the is critical to ensuring ensuring that aid is
need, and it must activities and objectives of humanitarian personnel distributed impartially and
do so with the political, military and other have safe and sustained reaches those most in need.
highest ethical actors. Promoting access to affected people.
standards and
professionalism.”
What is OCHA’s role?
- Secretary-General
OCHA’s mission is to every humanitarian non-state actors at all levels,
Ban Ki-moon,
mobilize and coordinate response. It does this by and by undertaking and
Council on Foreign
principled humanitarian promoting practical contributing to policy
Relations,
action. OCHA promotes the compliance measures within development within the
New York,
humanitarian community’s a Humanitarian Country United Nations.
May 2006
compliance with Team through its
humanitarian principles in engagement with State and

What does OCHA say?

1. Humanitarian 3. Our compliance with 4. There are multiple
principles govern humanitarian principles pressures on humanitarian
humanitarian actors’ affects our credibility, and actors to compromise
conduct. therefore our ability to enter humanitarian principles,
into negotiations with such as providing

2. Humanitarian actors
relevant actors and establish
safe access to affected
humanitarian aid as part of
efforts to achieve political
must engage in dialogue people. However, it is not ends. Maintaining principled
with all parties to conflict for enough to repeatedly recite humanitarian action in the
strictly humanitarian humanitarian principles. face of these pressures is
purposes. This includes Rhetoric must be matched an essential task, but not an
ongoing liaison and by leadership and practice. easy one.
negotiation with non-state In other words, humanitarian
armed groups. actors must “walk the talk”.

Contact:
To find out more
Simon Bagshaw, United Nations resolution 46/182: www.un.org/documents/ga/res/46/a46r182.htm

Protection and The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Code of Conduct: www.ifrc.org
Displacement
Section
[email protected]

June 2012

OCHA on Message is a reference product that enables staff to communicate OCHA’s position on key issues.
For more information contact the Reporting Unit at [email protected].