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Self Report 2019

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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  • 2A
    Respect and protect civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of hostilities

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Geneva Call commits to report on its commitments and the outcomes achieved during the next follow up Summit meeting.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Geneva Call commits to encourage non-State armed groups to refrain from using explosive weapons in densely populated areas.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Geneva Call commits to initiate dialogue with non-State armed groups on the protection of displaced persons and to explore engagement with them on the protection and respect of the medical mission.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Geneva Call commits to promote the implementation of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict to 35 non-State armed groups.
    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance the protection of civilians and civilian objects, especially in the conduct of hostilities, for instance by working to prevent civilian harm resulting from the use of wide-area explosive weapons in populated areas, and by sparing civilian infrastructure from military use in the conduct of military operations.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Engaged in humanitarian dialogue with 95 non-State groups on issues related to the respect of international humanitarian norms, in particular anti-personnel mine ban, explosive weapons in populated areas, the protection of children and education, the prohibition of sexual violence, elimination of gender discrimination, the protection of health care, the protection of cultural heritage, and the protection of displaced persons.
    • Co-organized with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) an expert meeting on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) by non-State armed groups (NSAGs).
    • Released a study Culture under fire: armed non-State actors and cultural heritage in wartime (https://genevacall.org/culture-under-fire-geneva-call-launches-pioneering-new-study-on-armed-non-state-actors-and-the-protection-of-cultural-heritage).
    • Completed and tested training modules on international legal norms related to cultural heritage and displacement.
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Other: IHL/IHRL compliance: a number of NSAGs, particularly Jihadi groups, still reject norms or do not respect them in practice.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    External and internal constraints impacted the transformation. Some “forgotten” contexts do not receive enough donor interest preventing programme development. Institutional change with decentralisation of operations and a re-organisation of headquarters has caused a stress on the consolidation of data and transfer of knowledge to newcomers.

    3. What steps or actions are needed to make collective progress to achieve this transformation?

    • Humanitarian actors should allow for and increase their capacities to engage non-State armed groups (NSAGs) on the protection of civilians in order to prevent violations.
    • There needs to be increased support to engagement efforts, including NSAG implementation efforts, from stakeholders, specifically specialized agencies and donors.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2B
    Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Geneva Call commits to report on its commitments and the outcomes achieved during the next follow up Summit meeting.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to ensure all populations in need receive rapid and unimpeded humanitarian assistance.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Commit to promote and enhance efforts to respect and protect medical personnel, transports and facilities, as well as humanitarian relief personnel and assets against attacks, threats or other violent acts.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.
    • Developed and launched a new Deed of Commitment on the protection of health care in armed conflict.
    • Initiated engagement with 10 new non-State armed groups (NSAGs) on the protection of health care in Colombia, Mali, Myanmar and Syria.

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Geneva Call commits to report on its commitments and the outcomes achieved during the next follow up Summit meeting.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Geneva Call monitored compliance of signatories with the Deed of Commitment. It also discussed violations as they arose. In one case, reported cases of child recruitment were discussed, the armed non-State actor (ANSA) investigated the matter, and returned some of the children found within their ranks to their families.

    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Information management/tools
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    These challenges affected Geneva Call’s ability to cross-check and ascertain the credibility of allegations. They also negatively affected the ability of Geneva Call to meet with signatories to discuss violations and seek remedial action.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Geneva Call commits to report on its commitments and the outcomes achieved during the next follow up Summit meeting.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Geneva Call commits to collect public individual commitments from non-State armed groups to respect norms of international humanitarian and human rights law and to monitor their implementation.
    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Geneva Call commits to further develop training sessions to 60 non-state armed groups on international humanitarian and human rights law, with a focus on humanitarian mine action, child protection and the prohibition of sexual violence.
    • Training
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    • Geneva Call conducted over 90 trainings on international humanitarian norms for over 2,500 non-State Armed group (NSAG) members.
    • Two non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) from Iraq, the Ezidkhan Protection Forces and Ninevah Guards, made unilateral declarations committing to respect international humanitarian law (IHL).
    • The Ministry of Peshmerga in Iraq adopted an internal Code of Conduct that incorporates IHL.
    • Both the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Islam Army (Syria) adopted 18 as the minimum age for recruitment.
    • Geneva Call facilitated dialogue with respect to Action Plans between the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the SDF.
    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2E
    Uphold the rules: a global campaign to affirm the norms that safeguard humanity

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Geneva Call commits to report on its commitments and the outcomes achieved during the next follow up Summit meeting.


    • Operational
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to promote and enhance respect for international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and refugee law, where applicable.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. A. Highlight concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2018 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures as well as any good practices and examples of innovation.

    Geneva Call launched “Fighter not Killer” campaigns in Iraq, Libya, the Philippines,Syria, Ukraine and Yemen.

    2. A. Please select no more than 3 key challenges faced in implementing the commitments related to this transformation. Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Funding amounts
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Geneva Call did not have the funds available to launch the “Fighter not Killer” campaigns in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar and as planned.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

Attachments

  • Deed of Commitment for the protection of health care in armed conflict
    IHL compliance and accountability