icrc-annual-report-2013

followed by a second high-level meeting in Geneva. The ICRC alsoparticipated in the OIC summit in Cairo, Egypt, and the annualsession of its Council of Foreign Ministers in Conakry, Guinea.In Africa, in addition to its strong cooperation with the AfricanUnion, the ICRC also strengthened its relationship with the mainregional economic communities and parliamentary organizations.Dialogue between the UN Human Rights Council and its relatedbodies and the ICRC on various humanitarian issues was furtherdeveloped in the light of both organizations’ expertise.On the occasion of the presentation and adoption of a reporton the issue of missing people, the ICRC president addressedthe Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regardinghumanitarian concerns linked to this theme.Together with Wilton Park, a renowned forum for global changebased in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and NorthernIreland, the ICRC launched a high-level dialogue in Istanbul,Turkey, with emerging players and stakeholders in order toenhance understanding among them of how to forge a commonreading of the humanitarian endeavour.Dialogue with actors from the private sector – including thosefrom emerging markets – on the roles they play in armed conflictsand other situations of violence focused on IHL promotion and onthe ICRC’s humanitarian mandate. Progress was made with theGeneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces on aset of guidance tools for companies from the extractive sector onimplementing the Voluntary Principles on Security and HumanRights. The International Review of the Red Cross published aspecial issue on business, violence and conflict.ENHANCING COOPERATION AND COORDINATIONAMONG HUMANITARIAN PLAYERSCoordinating its humanitarian response with other players remainedan essential task for the ICRC (see also New York). Given the highdiversity of humanitarian actors – including authorities, UN agencies,international/regional/national organizations, religious groupsengaged in humanitarian work and National Societies – coordinationcontinued to require adaptation of existing mechanisms.Taking a pragmatic approach towards both institutional andoperational coordination, the ICRC regularly participated inmeetings and bilateral discussions at regional and field levels,sharing its analyses of the context or of the security environment,needs assessments, experience and technical expertise with otherhumanitarian actors, to the extent compatible with its independentstatus and confidential approach. It continued to focus onpurely humanitarian aims, preserving the neutral, impartial andindependent quality of its action.As part of its regular high-level dialogue with the UN Secretariat,humanitarian agencies and other external actors, the ICRC soughtto ensure that these bodies’ cooperation with National Societiesdid not undermine the operational capacity of the Movement’scomponents or jeopardize their ability to work in accordance withthe Fundamental Principles.In December, the ICRC hosted the Principals meeting of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. It also maintained relations withmany other international stakeholders, engaging them on topicsrelated to humanitarian action, coordination and policy-making.POLICYThe ICRC’s policy on its role in situations of violence below thethreshold of armed conflict was adopted at the end of 2013 and isslated for publication in early 2014.The project on the principles guiding humanitarian action, aimedat promoting a coordinated and principled Movement approachand at shaping the debate on humanitarian action, was pursuedthroughout 2013 in cooperation with the International Federationand the British Red Cross. The ICRC led several consultations andfield studies and organized meetings on the subject with NGOs(including faith-based organizations) and NGO consortia. It alsoorganized a workshop on the implementation of the FundamentalPrinciples, in the framework of the 2013 Council of Delegates.MOVEMENT COORDINATION AND COOPERATIONPARTNERSHIP AND CAPACITY BUILDINGWITH NATIONAL SOCIETIESAn external evaluation, based on 231 interviews conducted in6 contexts and responses from 339 individuals in 63 countrieswho participated in an online survey, found that the ICRC hadincreased the effectiveness of the humanitarian operations it carriedout through operational partnerships with National Societiesin their own countries. The large majority of National Society andICRC staff who answered the survey clearly saw the benefits ofsuch operational partnerships: greater geographical reach, betteraccess to and acceptance by beneficiary communities, and morerelevant assistance reaching beneficiaries. The recommendationsfrom this evaluation will be implemented starting in 2014.The framework for financial support to operational NationalSocieties, which aims to facilitate financial management in operationalpartnerships and introduce accountability mechanisms inline with international standards, was fully implemented in allICRC delegations by year-end.Based on institutional humanitarian partnership frameworkagreements, work also continued with 11 National Societies onglobal issues and in support of operations.The core guide on the Safer Access Framework for all NationalSocieties was completed, and promoted at the Council of Delegates.This practical reference tool provides guidance to NationalSociety leaders on increasing their and their staff and volunteers’acceptance, security and access to people and communities withhumanitarian needs. Other tools, such as three case studies (fromAfghanistan, Lebanon and South Africa) and accounts of selectedexperiences from several National Societies, have also been madeavailable online at www.icrc.org/saferaccess.The ICRC provided technical input for and trained staff who actedas facilitators in the International Federation’s OrganizationalCapacity Assessment and Certification Self-Assessment processfor National Societies.OPERATIONAL AND MOVEMENT COORDINATION SUPPORTICRC delegations received support to establish or strengthenMovement coordination mechanisms. Four new Movement coordinationagreements were signed, bringing the total number ofsuch agreements in force worldwide to 23 at year-end.INTERNATIONAL LAW AND COOPERATION | 69