5. Rights-based frameworks for advocacy
CARE’s humanitarian advocacy draws on international legal frameworks and guiding principles-which establish human rights and humanitarian law-as well as common standards and codes of conduct subscribed to by the humanitarian community. The key frameworks are:
- International Humanitarian Law/Geneva Conventions
- 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees
- international human rights conventions
- Statute of the International Criminal Court
- Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief
- NGO codes of conduct (refer to Chapter 2 Humanitarian policy framework, and Chapter 9 Cross-cutting issues)
- The Core Humanitarian Standard, Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
- Numerous UN Security Council country-specific mandates and protection resolutions.
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).
These principles must guide CARE’s programming and advocacy response in any crisis. See Chapter 2 Humanitarian policy framework, and Chapter 32 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 provides a basis for humanitarian advocacy targeting policy and decision-makers.
