icrc-annual-report-2013

ICRC STRATEGY 2011–2014INTRODUCTIONThe 2011–2014 institutional strategy will guide the work of theICRC over the coming four years. It builds upon the orientationspresented in the previous institutional strategy, related toresponding to humanitarian needs in the entire scope of its mandate,enhancing its expertise in certain fields to better meet theneeds of people affected by armed conflict and other situations ofviolence, ensuring complementarity and coordination with otherhumanitarian actors, and investing in operational partnershipswith National Societies 1 .The strategy will be put into practice by ICRC staff membersaround the world, in accordance with clearly defined managementpriorities that build upon the organization’s key success factors2 . Indicators will be developed to monitor results, and progressreports will be made.MISSIONThe ICRC is a neutral, impartial and independent organizationwhose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives anddignity of victims of armed conflict and other situations of violenceand to provide them with assistance.The ICRC also endeavours to prevent suffering by promotingand strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarianprinciples.Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the GenevaConventions and the International Red Cross and Red CrescentMovement. It directs and coordinates the international activitiesconducted by the Movement in armed conflicts and other situationsof violence.VISIONIn fulfilling its mission, the ICRC puts people’s needs at the centreof its work and builds on their resilience. It is able to make asignificant difference for people affected by ongoing and emerginghumanitarian crises, working in close proximity to them andproviding high-quality services, together with National Red Crossand Red Crescent Societies and other partners. It shapes the debateon legal and policy issues related to its mission; it uses its humanitariandiplomacy as a strong lever to influence governments andother stakeholders in order to strengthen respect for the lives anddignity of people affected by armed conflict and other situationsof violence.In line with its mission, the ICRC has identified four broad strategicorientations for the 2011–2014 period:1. Reinforce the ICRC’s scope of action – The ICRC will increasethe relevance and effectiveness of the support it provides topeople suffering because of armed conflict (including in theearly recovery phase) and other situations of violence.1. ICRC strategy 2007–2010: Committed to meeting new challenges through action.2. ICRC management has defined six key success factors that describe the areas that are crucialfor the ICRC’s success and provide a common reading grid for all of the organization’sactivities: (1) relevance; (2) access; (3) reputation/acceptance; (4) organization andprocesses; (5) human resources capacity and mobility; and (6) positioning.2. Strengthen the ICRC’s contextualized, multidisciplinaryresponse – The ICRC will develop contextualized, multidisciplinaryresponses that address the vulnerabilities and build onthe resilience of people in need.3. Shape the debate on legal and policy issues related to theICRC’s mission – The ICRC will remain the reference organizationfor developing and clarifying IHL and will influence thepolicy agenda related to the human costs of armed conflict andother situations of violence, the future of humanitarian action,and other emerging issues.4. Optimize the ICRC’s performance – The ICRC will strike anappropriate balance between achieving consistency throughoutthe organization and maintaining operational flexibility inmanaging its performance.A CHANGING WORLDToday’s armed conflicts and other situations of violence presenta host of complex challenges. Most conflicts where the ICRC isactive tend to be long and drawn out, rarely coming to a clear-cutend. They often revolve around competition for access to criticalresources (such as energy, land and water) and have ethnic or religiousdimensions. The plight of many people affected by armedconflict and other situations of violence is gravely exacerbatedby the combined effect of phenomena or “mega-trends” such asclimate change, natural disasters, environmental degradation,migration, pandemics, and rampant urbanization. Moreover, IHLis repeatedly flouted in armed conflict, due, in large measure, toa lack of political will on the part of both State authorities andarmed groups.The global environment in which the ICRC operates will continueto evolve significantly in the coming years. Ongoing transformationsin the international political, economic, social, and environmentallandscapes will likely have a significant impact on people’slives. The humanitarian sector may be altered as a result of thegrowing interest and involvement of States, local and regionalorganizations, and the private sector. At the same time, beneficiarieswill play an increasingly active role in formulating their ownrequests and assessments, as easy-to-use technologies becomemore readily available. In addition, new actors of influence willemerge, prompting the ICRC to diversify its networks and morefirmly anchor its presence regionally and locally to preserve andstrengthen its access to the people it seeks to help. As the internationalcommunity struggles to address the consequences of theaforementioned “mega-trends”, attention may be deflected fromthe needs of people affected by armed conflict and other situationsof violence. These trends will lead to more and new manifestationsof organized armed violence, many of which will lie belowthe threshold at which IHL begins to apply.BUILDING ON THE ICRC’S STRENGTHSTO RESPOND TO THESE CHANGESA strong capacity to adapt to new challenges has been a hallmarkof the ICRC in the past. The organization has evolved significantlyin the last 10 years as a result of strategic choices made.It has gradually broadened its scope of action to meet the needsof people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence.Accordingly, it has widened its access to people in need andstriven to ensure that it is accepted on the ground as a neutral,ICRC STRATEGY 2011–2014 | 605