Acciones tomadas:
Objective
This pledge supports the regional implementation of the International Tracing Service Strategy (entitled “Restoring Family Links Strategy 2020-2025”) in German-speaking countries.
Actions taken
• To implement the International Restoring Family Links (RFL) Strategy in German-speaking countries, the participating National Societies, among them the German Red Cross (GRC), hold regular meetings and online discussions. The National Societies have developed a joint regional action plan for the strategy’s implementation, featuring specific indicators for implementation.
• The Tracing Services of the Austrian Red Cross (ARC), the Swiss Red Cross (SRC) and the GRC are actively working on the implementation of their regional action plan and have divided areas of priority between themselves. Related to these, the GRC Tracing Service aims to make greater use of social media and other adequate communication channels to raise awareness of the offers the Tracing Service can provide for affected persons and stakeholders among their communities. For the ARC Tracing Service, a specific focus on community engagement and accountability (CEA) and support to separated families in their family reunification procedure has been set. For the SRC Tracing Service, the focus was to enhance mental health and psychosocial support to beneficiaries and staff members.
• Supported by a social media and community manager, the GRC Tracing Service has started to develop a social media and community management strategy mid-2023 to improve reaching out to the target group. The results and experiences will be shared with the ARC and SRC Tracing Services.
• The three National Societies also play an important role in the Movement Family Reunification Working Group (Core Group, Advocacy and Operational Cooperation Subgroup). It contributes to common positions as well as to exchange on obstacles and good practices in casework. They feed into advocacy- and casework on national levels.
• The German-speaking network (D-A-CH) is also represented in RFL related working groups, such as the global Application Group on Data Protection, the global RFL Strategy Implementation Group and the global Working Group on Deceased Migrants and support to their families, as well as the Trace the Face Coordination Group. The Tracing Services of the ARC, the GRC and the SRC regularly exchange about a common strategic approach in order to have the best impact with joint efforts in the mentioned working groups.
• Additionally to the regular meetings and online discussions, capacity building activities in form of “staff-exchange” between the German-speaking National Societies took place. By co-organizing the Restoring Family Links European Annual Meeting in June 2024, which takes place for the first time after 5 years, the D-A-CH network strengthens the European Family Links Network.
The implementation of the pledge is completed. The regular cooperation, inspiration and exchange became a well recognised and useful standard tool within our work. Nevertheless, the Tracing Services of the ARC, the GRC and the SRC will continue their close cooperation and the joint efforts in successfully implementing the International RFL Strategy and actively contribute to the global Family Links Network in order to strengthen the global response to provide answers as well as support to our beneficiaries and accompany the families of the missing and separated family members.
