International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

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International Humanitarian Relief Organizations

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• United Nations High Commission for Refugees
  (UNHCR)
• United Nations High Commission for Human Rights
  (UNHCHR)
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Societies (IFRC)
• Amnesty International
• United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS-USCC)
• Defense of Children International (DCI)

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International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
http//www.icrc.org/

• Creation Created in 1863
• an impartial, neutral and independent
  organization
• exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect
  the lives and dignity of victims of war and
  internal violenceto prevent suffering by
  promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and
  universal humanitarian principles.
• - Henry Dunant the key figure in its founding
  he was appalled by suffering following Italian
  Battle of Solferino in 1859

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ICRC

• Development Instrumental in WWI and WWII tending
  to POWs, crafting humanitarian laws such as the
  Geneva Conventions
• Operations The ICRC has a legal mandate from two
  sources
• the Geneva Conventions, task the ICRC with
  visiting prisoners, organizing relief operations,
  re-uniting separated families during armed
  conflicts
• the ICRC's Statutes, undertake similar work in
  situations of internal violence, where the Geneva
  Conventions do not apply.

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ICRC - Operations

• Operations
• The Geneva Conventions
• Binding instruments of international law,
  applicable worldwide.
• ICRC Statutes adopted at the International
  Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
• Takes place every four years,
• States party to the Geneva Conventions take part
• Has a quasi-legal or soft law status on the
  Statutes

5
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

• Creation UNHCR - Established on December 14,
  1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.
• Operations lead and co-ordinate international
  action to protect refugees and resolve refugee
  problems worldwide.
• Primary purpose safeguard the rights and
  well-being of refugees.

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UNHCR

• In five decades, the agency has helped an
  estimated 50 million people
• Staff of around 6,689 people in 116 countries
  continues to help 20.8 million persons.
• - Mr. António Guterres, who joined UNHCR on June
  15, 2005, is the UN refugee agency's 10th High
  Commissioner.

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United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

• Mission
• work for the protection of all human rights for
  all people
• empower people to realize their rights
• assist those responsible for upholding such
  rights in ensuring that they are implemented.
• Guided by the mandate provided by the General
  Assembly in resolution 48/141, the Charter of the
  United Nations, the Universal Declaration of
  Human Rights and subsequent human rights
  instruments, the 1993 Vienna Declaration and
  Programme of Action, and the 2005 World Summit
  Outcome Document.

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OHCHR

• Operations
• OHCHR works with a variety of governmental and
  non-governmental agencies and the United Nations
  system to develop and strengthen capacity,
  particularly at the national level, for the
  protection of human rights
• Headquarters in the historic Palais Wilson
  building in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Ms. Louise Arbour was appointed High Commissioner
  in July 2004

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International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies

• Creation Founded in 1919
• History the world's largest humanitarian
  organization.
• founded in 1919 in Paris in the aftermath of
  World War
• Red Cross idea born in 1859, when Henry Dunant, a
  young Swiss man, came upon the scene of a bloody
  battle in Solferino, Italy, between the armies of
  imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian
  alliance. Some 40,000 men lay dead or dying on
  the battlefield and the wounded were lacking
  medical attention. (see slide 1)
• Mission to improve the lives of vulnerable
  people by mobilizing the power of humanity.

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IFRC

• Development five founding member Societies
  Britain, France, Italy, Japan and the United
  States.
• Number has grown over the years now 181
  recognized National Societies - one in almost
  every country in the world.
• Operations Promote humanitarian values and the
  seven Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and
  Red Crescent Movement which are humanity,
  impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary
  service, and universality

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Amnesty International

• Creation Began in 1961 following the writing of
  an article by a British lawyer regarding unlawful
  imprisonment of Portuguese students.
• The first AI groups soon founded in the UK and
  Europe
• seek a permanent international movement in
  defense of freedom of religion and opinion.
• Mission undertake research and action focused on
  preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights
  to physical and mental integrity, freedom of
  conscience and expression, and freedom from
  discrimination, within the context of its work to
  promote all human rights.

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Amnesty International

• Development AI now has a varied network of
  members and supporters around the world.
• more than 1.8 million members, supporters and
  subscribers in over 150 countries and territories
  in every region of the world.
• Come from many different backgrounds and have
  widely different political and religious beliefs
  united by a determination to work for a world
  where everyone enjoys human rights.
• Operations AI is a democratic, self-governing
  movement. Major policy decisions taken by
  International Council of representatives from all
  national sections.Funds are raised independent
  of governments

13
United Nations Childrens Fund

• Creation Created in 1946 (2006 its 50 year
  anniversary) through mandate by the United
  Nations General Assembly
• Mission Advocate for the protection of
  children's rights, to help meet their basic needs
  and to expand their opportunities to reach their
  full potential.
• Operations mobilizes political will and material
  resources to help countries, particularly
  developing countries, deliver services for
  children.

14
UNICEF

• Governance Ann M. Veneman, former U.S. Secretary
  of Agriculture, assumed the leadership of UNICEF
  on 1 May 2005, becoming the fifth Executive
  Director to lead the UN childrens agency in its
  60-year history.
• Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the
  Child, a universally agreed upon set of standards
  and obligations

15
Catholic Relief Services

• Creation founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops
  of the United States to aid in rebuilding after
  WW II
• Mission to assist the poor and disadvantaged,
  leveraging the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus
  Christ to alleviate human suffering, promote
  development of all people, and to foster charity
  and justice throughout the world.
• Operations Work through local offices and an
  extensive network of partners
• Operates on five continents and in 99 countries.
  
• Aid the poor by first providing direct assistance
  where needed, then encouraging people to help
  with their own development.

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Defense for Children International (DCI)

• Creation July 1979 - founded by Nigel Cantwell
  and Canon Moerman, during International Year of
  the Child
• Mission advocate for children's rights within
  the framework of the UN Convention on the Rights
  of the Child
• to foster awareness about, and solidarity around,
  children's rights situations
• to seek, promote and implement the most effective
  means of securing the protection of the rights in
  concrete situations

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DCI

• Governance
• Led by an Executive Director Rebecca Morton
• Based in Switzerland

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DCI

• Operations DCI has consultative status with the
  United Nations Economic and Social Council, with
  UNICEF, UNESCO, and the Council of Europe
• publish information on children's rights
• undertake action-oriented investigations, e. g.
  the sexual exploitation of children, children in
  prison
• take direct action in response to situations
  involving the violation of rights of specific
  group of children
• monitor and evaluate the implementation of
  children's rights
• work for improved international standards in
  children's rights
• stimulate co-operation and action, nationally,
  regionally and internationally