Pledges
Pledges are voluntary (not legally binding) humanitarian commitments that show a willingness and readiness to take action
As one of the most creative and flexible outcomes of the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, pledges provide Conference members and observers with the freedom and adaptability to make concrete, measurable and action-oriented commitments on issues of priority for their local, national and regional contexts or even at the global level.
Pledges are also a powerful humanitarian advocacy and diplomacy tool for initiating or advancing dialogue and cooperation among International Conference members and observers.
Pledge submissions for the 34th International Conference are now closed (deadline: 31 July 2025). Nevertheless, Open Pledges remain available for signatories until 31 December 2025
There are two types of pledges: specific and open
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Specific pledges
They are developed by a member or a closed group of members (pledging parties) and are related to matters relevant to that specific member or group. As such, specific pledges have a focused approach to individual/national/regional commitments and plans of action. Once submitted, specific pledges are not open for additional signatures. -
Open pledges
Open pledges are characterized by the fact that after their submission by a member or a group of members, they remain open for additional signatures by any Conference member or observer. For this reason, open pledges are also referred to as petition-style pledges and are mostly used to launch or advance an initiative/project by gathering more supporters. The signatures collected can make it a powerful diplomacy tool to enhance dialogue and cooperation and raise awareness. It should be noted that the initiator(s) of the open pledge carries the responsibility for preparing the pledge, promoting its content and inviting Conference members and observers to sign it and commit to the cause.
**The Conference organizers are not responsible for the promotion of open pledges**
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Submission of pledges
Both specific pledges and open pledges can be developed and submitted either individually or jointly by any combination of members and/or observers (e.g. a National Society and its government, a group of National Societies or a group of National Societies, States and observers/humanitarian partners).
The joint submission of a pledge indicates a will to work together on a particular topic. It signifies a group commitment with a common plan of action, usually (but not always) in a national/regional context.
States and National Societies are strongly encouraged to jointly submit pledges as a means to foster dialogue and cooperation on issues of mutual concern, which in turn can lead to measurable humanitarian action. This dialogue and cooperation can start before the Conference and continue long after it has ended. States and National Societies can work together on implementing a pledge in their country and review their progress together. -
Preparation of pledges
Pledges can be prepared and submitted before the opening of the 34th International Conference. It is important to start as soon as possible to:
→ Identify and articulate the specific issue(s) you would like to address through a pledge and decide whether a specific or open pledge would be more suitable.
→ Engage in dialogue with relevant stakeholders for the preparation of jointly submitted pledges.
Pledges directly related to the themes and topics of the International Conference and pledges specifically supporting the International Conference resolutions are highly recommended. -
Criteria and content of pledges
Given the voluntary nature of pledges, Conference members and/or observers are free to draft the content according to their priorities. Nevertheless, when drafting a pledge, the following criteria should be considered:
· The content must conform to the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
· The pledge must state clear objectives, outline concrete commitments/actions to be taken and provide indicators for measuring progress made on implementation during the period 2023–2028.
· The pledging parties should be aware of any budgetary implications and may include a reference to mobilizing the resources required to support implementation of the pledge.
· The pledge should be clear, concise and short (ideally fitting on one page). -
Model texts for pledges
In addition, to facilitate the drafting process, model texts for pledges (example of pledge content) on a variety of topics will be developed and made available on the webpage and also on the online pledge submission form for the use of Conference members and observers.
These model texts provide a set of suggested elements that Conference members and observers can use when drafting their pledges. They are invited to pick the elements that best correspond to their situation and adapt the model texts to their individual priorities and contexts. -
The online pledging system – submitting pledges and signing up to open pledges
Pledges are submitted and signed online using an online submission form.
All Conference members and observers can submit specific pledges and open pledges as well as sign open pledges that have already been submitted.
To submit a pledge or sign an open pledge, a user account is required. There is only one user account per organization. If you do not have your organization’s log-in details, please contact conferences@rcrcconference.org for more information on your organization’s user account. -
Timeframe
The online pledging system will open for pledge submission and signature in January 2024.
The deadline for submitting pledges is 30 June 2025.
Open pledges will remain open for signature until 31 December 2025. -
Pledging guideline
Please click here to download the guideline in pdf format -
User guide – for the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent pledge and reporting database
Please click here to download the User guide in pdf format
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How to report on a pledge
- Go to the “Search pledges and reports” and “Filters” page https://rcrcconference.org/about/pledges/search/.
- Log in to your user account, following the steps explained in the “User guide” section below on how to log in.
- To view the list of pledges that your National Society/State/organization has submitted and signed up to: 1. select “Submitted pledges and reports” and “Signed pledges” at the bottom of the filter column; 2. click on “Submit”; 3. a list of the pledges submitted and the open pledges signed by your National Society/State/organization will appear; 4. you can refine the search by selecting the Conference edition.
- Select the pledge you would like to report on. Click on the pledge title to open the pledge.
- Click on the “Report on this pledge” button at the bottom of the right-hand column. A pledge report page will open.
- Complete the required fields “Title”, “Submitter”, “Name and email of focal person”, etc.
- Describe what actions have been taken (including challenges encountered) and provide concrete examples.
- You can add supporting documents, including images, PowerPoint presentations, leaflets and videos, as attachments.
- Once you have completed the form, please read the liability clause paragraph carefully and click on the “Submit” button.
- Please note that the pledges administrator will receive a notification to validate the submitted pledge before publishing it online.
***It is highly recommended to report on the pledges submitted and signed up.***Who submits reports
The responsibility for reporting on pledges depends on the type of pledge:- Individual specific pledges are reported upon by the sole pledging party, as they describe a specific commitment with an individual plan of action.
- Joint specific pledges require a joint report by all the pledging parties on their common efforts, as they describe a collaboration on a specific topic.
- Open pledges, which are similar to petitions, are can be reported on by each pledging party individually as regards their respective implementation progress or jointly with several pledging parties.
Is it possible to submit a joint pledge report?
Yes, Conference members and observers can submit a joint report on jointly submitted specific pledges and open pledges. Please assign a Conference member or observer to complete the online pledge report form and do not forget to fill in the names of the other Conference members/observers who jointly report on the pledge.When to report on pledges from the 33rd International Conference
To enable dynamic reporting, the system will be open from July 2021 to 30 June 2024. Conference members can provide their implementation update anytime at their own convenience within this period.
For this long period, Conference members can submit more than one report on the same pledge to demonstrate the advancement of their commitments. The reports will be differentiated by date. For example, Conference members can submit an update in 2022/2023 to show progress on implementation and then submit a final report on the final accomplishments in 2024.
The information received will be compiled and posted on the website to show the progress made and, most importantly, the impact of the Conference outcomes on our daily humanitarian work. In addition, based on this information, a final consolidated report on the outcomes of the 33rd International Conference will be prepared for the 34th International Conference in 2024.How can my National Society/State/institution showcase and share widely the success/challenging stories on the implementation of pledges ?
To encourage knowledge sharing and peer to peer support, in addition to completing the online reporting forms, Conference members and observers are invited to transform their reports into articles posted on the Statutory Meetings blog. A hyperlink of this post can be made to the online reporting form. If you are interested on this option, please contact conferences@rcrcconference.org.How to view/search reports online
- Go to the “Search pledges and reports” and “Filters” page https://rcrcconference.org/about/pledges/search/.
- Select “Report” in the right-hand column. You can refine the search by selecting the “Conference edition”, “Keywords”, “Type of entity”, etc.
Reporting guide on resolutions and pledges of the 33rd International Conference (pdf version)
Who to contact if I require assistance in reporting on a pledge ?
Please send a message to conferences@rcrcconference.org. We will assist you accordingly.