PROTECTION 
 
  Search
 CLUSTER APPROACH   »   Protection
QUICK LINKS
CONTACT US!

For technical advice and operational support, contact the PCWG Support Cell at:

E-mail: HQPROCLU@unhcr.org
Tel: +41 22 739 7686
USEFUL LINKS
LINKS to UN Webpages by Country
 

Welcome to the Website
of the global Protection Cluster Working Group! 

Protection covers a wide range of activities that are aimed at ensuring respect for the rights of all individuals, regardless of their age, gender or social, ethnic, national, religious or other background. This requires a collaborative and coordinated response by various national and international actors with diverse mandates, expertise and experience. This websites aims to provide information about protection coordination in humanitarian operations at the global and country levels in order to assist protection actors on the ground to ensure a more effective and predictable response to protection.
Protection coordination at the global level

The global Protection Cluster Working Group (PCWG) is the main forum at the global level for the overall coordination of protection activities in humanitarian action. Established in 2005 as part of the humanitarian reform process, the PCWG includes UN human rights, humanitarian and development agencies as well as non-governmental and other international organizations active in protection.

The work of the PCWG is chaired by UNHCR, which is the lead agency for protection at the global level. In light of their specific expertise, certain agencies have agreed to serve as focal point agencies for certain areas of responsibility within the PCWG. These include:

The role of the PCWG is to lead standard- and policy setting relating to protection, support the development of strengthened protection capacity, provide operational advice and support when requested by protection working groups at the country level, and ensure that protection is mainstreamed and integrated in other clusters and sectors.

The PCWG has developed its Strategic Framework for the period 2009-2011, describing priorities, roles and responsibilities and an annual Workplan for 2009.

To read more about the PCWG please click here.
Protection coordination at the country level

The Country Team, under the leadership of the HC/RC, and in consultation with relevant partners, decides what coordination structures are put in place at the country level, including whether the cluster approach is adopted in order to strengthen the collaborative response.

Experience has shown that an effective protection response, regardless of the whether the cluster approach is formally applied or not, can best be ensured by identifying a lead agency for protection and by establishing a protection working group for coordinating the response. Protection working groups should be lead by agencies or organizations that have knowledge, expertise and experience of protection and protection coordination. For further information about protection coordination at the country level please click here.
PUBLICATIONS

IDP Handbook IDP Framework
WHAT'S NEW!

IDLO is pleased to announce the release of the Manual on International Law and Standards Applicable in Natural Disaster Situations. It aims to assist relief workers, particularly non-lawyers, in developing humanitarian responses to natural disaster situations, and also serves as a tool for state authorities and relief organizations to reform domestic legal, regulatory and policy frameworks. Click here to read the report.

A new report, 'Land, Property and Housing in Somalia' examines Somali legal frameworks and institutional systems, as well as a wide range of social, cultural, political, economic and environmental factors, related to land, property and housing. The report highlights issues that are common to many countries affected by conflict and displacement.

Read the Statement of Mr. John Holmes, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, to the Security Council on 14 January.

The Security Council on 14 January issued a new Presidential Statement condemning violations of international law and reaffirming its commitment to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, including by adopting a revised Aide Memoire for the consideration of issues pertaining to the protection of civilians in armed conflict.  

More news ... 

 
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
movie reviews
download full movies watch animation movies
      
HRSU Copyright 2008; Photos credited to IRIN