Actions taken:
In 2023, the Canadian Red Cross (CRC) developed a Policy on Safeguarding for Quality Operations and revised its Child Safeguarding Policy. All personnel, including volunteers, who deploy to an emergency will receive training on their roles/responsibilities under the policies. These policies complement the Canadian Red Cross policies around anti-harassment, workplace violence, Integrity, and the Code of Conduct. CRC works with other National Societies to assist in their development of similar policies. Since 2019, CRC has worked with National Societies in Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Syria, and Lebanon.
Emphasizing that the principle of “do no harm” has been central to all programming. This has included respecting the confidentiality and consent of all survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through a survivor-centred approach in all CRC programming on SGBV and as part of safeguarding monitoring. CRC is presently examining an approach to develop a protocol for support to survivors/victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
CRC has a Safeguarding Advisor (focal point) within its Quality Management – Protection, Gender, Inclusion, and Engagement team responsible for technical support to mainstream PSEA and child safeguarding issues. In addition, CRC has several personnel assigned to various aspects of Safeguarding/PSEA.
CRC helped lead the deployment of the first ever Safeguarding in Emergencies Surge Delegates, as part of the 2022 Ukraine Regional Criss Response. Presently, CRC is supporting IFRC to develop its first Standard Operating Procedures and support for safeguarding in emergencies.
CRC has mapped and made widely available to staff and personnel, information on provincial reporting authorities and local Indigenous Authorities. The CRC Cross Code of Conduct and Child
Safeguarding Policy provides direction on who to contact for further information or support if protection concerns arise. CRC is advancing its community engagement and accountability systems to ensure safe and confidential reporting pathways.
CRC international programs currently require annual PSEA monitoring based on the IASC MOS-PSEA. In 2024, CRC began applying this requirement to all domestic programming as well.
In partnership with the IFRC and British Red Cross, CRC supported the creation of the IFRC online Safeguarding Support Hub with a collection of resources and guidance. CRC is currently supporting an initiative to translate the Hub materials into Arabic, French, and Spanish. CRC also partnered with IFRC and the British Red Cross to develop: the first IFRC Safeguarding Action Plan 2022-2025; multi-language manual on PSEA implementation in the field; five support videos; and a series of community-based tools.
CRC is providing support to IFRC to develop child specific tools and processes, including the IFRC Child Safeguarding Policy (2021); model tools for National Societies; Child Safeguarding Risk Analysis; Child Participation Toolkit; and adolescent friendly communication tools to help young people know their rights and know where to access protection supports. It is also supporting the development of guidance for National Societies to protect and assist unaccompanied children.
CRC is a member of an IFRC led Movement working group on Safeguarding Coordination among donor National Societies to enhance coordination of PSEA and child safeguarding efforts.
CRC worked with the ICRC to provide a technical review of its new Protocol on Survivors of Sexual Violence.
CRC and the Government of Canada partnered on the Strategic Partnership’s Readiness for Emergency Response Program (RGER) program, which resulted in training CRC delegates to integrate the Minimum Standards for PGI in Emergencies and mainstream safeguarding into their work.
During the reporting period, CRC continued its role on Cooperation Canada’s “Digna” PSEA advisory committee and was a member of the sub-committee for legal aspects.
In 2021, the Government of Canada invited CRC to participate on the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.
All CRC personnel sign off on the Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy annually. Emergency personnel are briefed on PSEA before deployments and international cooperation programming personnel are briefed multiple times a year. CRC also developed a training series on Gender and Diversity that includes a module on PSEA. Between 2022-2023 a series of consultations and briefings on safeguarding were conducted with over 400 personnel across CRC.
