Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response: Sphere Project
The Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response are a remarkable international initiative aimed at improving the effectiveness and accountability of humanitarian assistance.
The cornerstone of this book is the Humanitarian Charter, which is based on the principles and provisions of international humanitarian, human rights and refugee law, and on the principles of the Red Cross and NCO Code of Conduct. It describes the core principles that govern humanitarian action and asserts the right of populations to protection and assistance. The Minimum Standards are organised into an initial chapter that details process standards for the planning and implementation of programmes, together with four technical chapters covering water, sanitation and hygiene promotion; food security, nutrition and food aid; shelter, settlement and non-food items; and health services.
As a practical tool, the Humanitarian Charter can be used to define overarching projec.1 goals while the Minimum Standards, together with their supporting indicators and guidance notes, enable an analytical assessment of programme requirements and a framework for monitoring progress and evaluating outcomes. Taken as a whole, Sphere also provides a powerful tool for coordination and advocacy, particularly in its multi sectoral scope and its linkage of principle to practice.
To obtain a copy contact;
Chammika Mallawaarachchi
Information Analyst
e-mail infoanalyst@cha.lk or
call 0114610943/4 ext 116
