Actions taken:
In 2017-18 DRC conducted a study on ’urban volunteering, protection and care in Africa’ in collaboration with Kenya RC, Madagascar RC and Guinea RC, to map challenges, potentials and methods to increase the protection of volunteers. The study suggests that a number of underlying factors relating to volunteer wellbeing and protection relate to deep-rooted organisational structures, cultures and attitudes towards volunteering, and demonstrates the importance of strong National Society practices. The study has been disseminated to the IFRC membership through the “Volunteer Alliance” and other channels. It also feeds into DRC’s collaboration with partners, as volunteer management and NS development more generally is an integrated component in the majority of DRC’s partnerships.
DRC has collaborated with the ICRC, as part of a broader strategic partnership, in supporting a number of National Societies to develop a system that supports effective, coherent and sustainable development of branches and in identified branches create volunteer-based humanitarian services. The Safer Access Framework (SAF), which centers around acceptance, security and access, has informed this initiative.
DRC has chaired the Core Group which led the development of new guidance for National Society statutes (adopted by the IFRC Governing Board in 2018, and expected to get Movement endorsement at the 2019 Council of Delegates). The guidance sets clear norms and standards in relation to a National Society’s obligations on volunteer protection, safety and security.
MFA actively supports the negotiation of the EU-facilitated UNGA Resolution on the safety of humanitarian personnel and co-sponsors the resolution every year. Moreover, in 2018, the MFA supported the creation of a Humanitarian Access Working Group among all of the large Danish humanitarian CSOs. The initiative aims to establish a common platform for Danish humanitarian organizations to share learning and identify opportunities for collective engagement around issues related to humanitarian access. The working group will also be able to feed current issues and challenges to humanitarian access and the safety of humanitarian personnel into the government of Denmark’s policy dialogues.
