5. Rights-based frameworks for advocacy
The issues CARE influences are enshrined in four interrelated and mutually reinforcing bodies of international law (International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, including the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, International Refugee Law and International Criminal Law) supplemented by Security Council resolutions (particularly on children and armed conflict, on protection of civilians and on Women, Peace and Security) and by General Assembly resolutions (The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW); The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action; The Agenda for Humanity (Annex to A/70/709) developed ahead of the 2016 WHS and precursor of the commitments under the Grand Bargain); the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and SDGs (A/RES/70/1), and specifically SDG 5, aiming for gender equality by empowering women and girls using the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) agenda). Humanitarian operations are also guided by the ICRC fundamental humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, all of which are re-affirmed in UNGA resolutions.
At a more operational and technical level, CARE influences and adheres to all relevant Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) / Core Humanitarian Standards and other relevant (e.g. specific clusters) guidelines, policies, and standards, especially when they are related to gender (e.g. IASC Policy on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls (GEEWG) in Humanitarian Action endorsed in December 2017, IASC Gender Accountability Framework, IASC GBV Accountability Framework (2018), Call to Action on Protection from GBV in Emergencies, etc.).
These frameworks establish the obligations of governments, parties to conflict, humanitarian agencies and other actors in emergencies to ensure that affected populations receive assistance and protection (refer to Annex 28.5 Summary of relevant international standards) and take GEEWG into account.
These principles must guide CARE’s programming and advocacy response in any crisis. See the Chapter on Humanitarian policy framework and the Chapter on Quality and accountability for practical advice on achieving this. The responsibilities of other actors – such as states and parties to conflict – to ensure populations receive assistance and protection strictly based on needs, provide a basis for humanitarian advocacy targeting policy and decision-makers.
For more details on the relevant legal and policy framework for CARE’s humanitarian advocacy, refer to this policy analysis document.