The Professional Standards for Protection Work set minimum standards for humanitarian and human rights actors who engage in protection work in armed conflict and other situations of violence. These standards can be seen as an overarching umbrella for other existing sets of standards developed by humanitarian and human rights organizations and can serve as a source of inspiration to all those who seek to have a positive impact on protection.

The first edition of the Professional Standards for Protection Work, launched in 2009, reflected the broad consensus that came out of a two-year consultative process involving numerous humanitarian and human rights organizations. The updated standards allow a better understanding of the challenges inherent in protection work and capture a set of common professional ethics that aim to make this work safer and more effective. They define a baseline to guarantee a minimum of professionalism in the interest of both the affected populations and the community of protection actors. 

This event will feature a keynote address from Yves Daccord, Director-General of the ICRC, followed by a moderated panel discussion that will look at the future of humanitarian and human rights work, the changing nature of conflicts, and the challenges faced by practitioners in these fields.

Panelists

Joel Charny
Vice-President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice, InterAction

Iain Levine
Deputy Executive Director for Programs (Research & Reporting), Human Rights Watch

Anne Richard
Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration, U.S. Department of State

Ambassador George Moose, moderator
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors, U.S. Institute of Peace