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Self Report 2018

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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  • 1A
    Demonstrate timely, coherent and decisive political leadership

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to increase its presence in multilateral organisms, and to actively work at the multilateral level on humanitarian and conflict prevention and resolution issues.


    • Capacity
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts

    • Spain commits to improve the coordination with different departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Health and Social Affairs, Interior or Defence in order to measure the level of progress of World Humanitarian Summit commitments.


    • Partnership
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • Spain has just presented its candidacy to return as a non-permanent member to the United Nations (UN) Security Council in 2031-2032.
    • In 2018, Spain started its mandate as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the period 2018-2020.
    • Spain will enter the ODSG (OCHA Donor Support Group) troika in 2018 and will chair the ODSG in 2019. Spain will promote the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) commitments from this position.
    • Spain actively works at the multilateral level and proposes language in General Assembly humanitarian resolutions and EU discussions on the following humanitarian issues:
    1. Protecting health care in armed conflicts.
    2. Humanitarian access.
    3. Women, Peace and Security and Gender Equality.
    4. Visibility of forgotten crises/protracted conflicts.
    5. Children and armed conflict.
    6. Promotion of IHL.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The Humanitarian Aid Office of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation is coordinating with different departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Health and Social Affairs, Home Affairs or Defense in order to measure the level of progress of WHS commitments. Close coordination also between Geneva, New York and Madrid.

     

    3. 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
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    • Other: One of the main challenges seems to be how to translate the political rhetoric into implementation on the ground.
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • The Spanish parliament is organizing the first parliamentary World Summit against Malnutrition in Madrid on the 29th of October 2018.
    • Spain will intensely work in different fora to further develop UN Security Council Resolution 2286 (condemning attacks against medical facilities and personnel) and its accountability and attention to victims’ content.  

    The MFA is placing humanitarian diplomacy as one of the pillars of its foreign policy, which means bringing forward humanitarian issues in bilateral and multilateral dialogues, and taking a more proactive role in humanitarian agencies and bodies.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    At the initiative of Spain, the humanitarian aid working group of the Council of the European Union has set a common position on the humanitarian response to forgotten crises.

    Spain is also willing to consolidate this concept at the UN with the added difficulty that there is no internationally agreed definition.

    Keywords

    Gender, IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

  • 1B
    Act early

    Core Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to act early upon potential conflict situations based on early warning findings and shared conflict analysis, in accordance with international law.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to make successful conflict prevention visible by capturing, consolidating and sharing good practices and lessons learnt.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • Spain supports King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) as a tool for the promotion of tolerance and dialogue and is an active partner of the Group of Friends of Mediation in the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
    • The Water Strategy for 5 + 5 countries, adopted at the first ministerial conference in Algiers in March 2015, aims to prevent conflicts, promote development and contribute to the respect of the human rights related to water and sanitation within the Western Mediterranean countries. An action plan for the implementation of the strategy was endorsed in 2016.
    • Spain is a member of the High-Level Panel on Water and Peace and has contributed to its first report which has recommendations to prevent conflicts related to water and to make water and instrument for peace.
    • Spain has also promoted together with Morocco the Initiative for the promotion of mediation in the Mediterranean in which 31 countries and five international organizations take part.
    • In May 2016, Spain organised the first Preventive diplomacy meeting focused on the Mediterranean. In March 2017, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria hosted an international conference on preventive diplomacy for Sub-Saharian Africa.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. 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
    • Funding modalities (earmarking, priorities, yearly agreements, risk aversion measures)
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • A certain lack of vision by some decision makers who prefer not to invest today in prevention and spend later only once the conflict has broken out.
    • Need to improve coordination and information management.
    • Need to coordinate efforts, so that we multiply what many of us try to achieve.

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

    Early action, like any preventive action, is less visible than reactive answers. There is no stock-tacking of crises that have been prevented. Developing further ways of accounting for early action, prevention and good practices would be positive.

    We have to address commitments one by one, not necessarily as World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) commitments (not every country signed for it), but as important steps to achieve concrete results.

    Keywords

    Religious engagement

  • 1C
    Remain engaged and invest in stability

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to improve prevention and peaceful resolution capacities at the national, regional and international level improving the ability to work on multiple crises simultaneously.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to sustain political leadership and engagement through all stages of a crisis to prevent the emergence or relapse into conflict.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    • Commit to address root causes of conflict and work to reduce fragility by investing in the development of inclusive, peaceful societies.
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Due to its history and diplomatic ties, Spain has an added value in mediation, conflict prevention and peacebuilding among different regions such as Latin America, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

    In this sense, Spain launched, together with Turkey, the Alliance of Civilizations at the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations in 2005, which has proven to be an effective instrument for the prevention of conflicts and for tolerance. The Alliance became a United Nations (UN) initiative upon endorsement by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

    An International Conference on Victims of ethnic and religious violence in the Middle East was held in Madrid in May 2017.

    Also in May 2017, as Chair of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Group of Friends of Youth and Security, Spain held in Malaga an international Conference by OSCE on Youth and Security, with a total of 61 countries represented, in which the so-called "Decalogue of Malaga" was adopted as a set of measures to strengthen security and cooperation and prevent violent extremism, especially through the internet.

    Spain has supported the implementation of the recommendations of the HIPPO (High Independent Panel on Peace Operations) through a voluntary contribution in 2017 in order to promote peace and stability provided by UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).  

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. 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.
    • Buy-in
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Engagement through all the cycle of a crisis, before and after the crisis peaks, is key to sustain peace and security.

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

    Maintain funding schemes which allow for stable action until the crisis is really over, avoiding the pulling-out effect once other crises emerge.  This has a direct link with un-earmarking contributions, which would allow for humanitarian actors to distribute resources according to urgent and not-so-urgent but still constant needs.

    Incorporating private/development actors in humanitarian crises like the World Bank and its Humanitarian-Development-Peace Initiative which invests in fragile contexts, allowing for medium-to-long term engagement. 

    Keywords

    Humanitarian-development nexus, Religious engagement, Youth

  • 1D
    Develop solutions with and for people

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to intensify efforts to increase the 6% of Official Development Assistance currently allocated to the Women, Peace and Security Agenda.


    • Financial
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Invest in Humanity

    • Spain commits to renew the National Action Plan (NAP) on women, peace and security by elaborating a new NAP based on recommendations by the High Level Examination of the application of Resolution 1325. Spain will also assume the obligation of elaborating monitoring reports of the new plan every two years. The monitoring reports will include specific mention of actions implemented under the Action Plan of Women and Peace-construction of Spanish Cooperation.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Spain is progressively increasing its funding to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and to gender in humanitarian action, as committed during the World Humanitarian Summit and in the National Pact against gender violence:

    • Spain contributed in 2016 with 750.000 € to the Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) and is part of its executive board. It is also looking into funding perspectives for the newly established WPS Fund.
    • Spain has also contributed in 2016 to United Nations (UN) Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict, with 200.000 € and to the Peace Operation Training Institute with 50.000 €.
    • Spain has contributed in 2017, with 500.000 € to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) special appeal addressing sexual violence.

    In coherence with the endorsement by Spain in 2017 of the Charter on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, a project was initiated in the Sahrawi refugee camps, which aims to improve the health status of people, mainly children, with special needs by improving their nutritional contribution through a voucher program. This project is expected to continue in 2018.

    In the field of education in emergencies, a project was approved for the first time in this area in northeast Nigeria in 2017 with the non-governmental organization (NGO) Plan International.

    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    As regards gender and age in humanitarian projects, the 2018-2019 context-specific humanitarian strategies adopted by the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) set the need to prioritize funding of 2a and 2b (Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Gender Marker (GM)) projects.

    3. 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
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Spain is also currently working on possible protection initiatives regarding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex (LGTBI) communities in humanitarian contexts.

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

    Incorporate the voices of population affected in the different phases of humanitarian policy and projects.

    Keywords

    Disability, Displacement, Education, Gender

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

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to adopt and implement a government strategy and/or policy on the protection of civilians, and promote similar strategies and/or policies with other States.


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain will support impartial humanitarian actors' efforts to engage in dialogue with, and operate in areas controlled by, non-state armed groups by providing training by 2018.


    • Training
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain commits to include the specific protection of children in armed conflicts as a main priority of our foreign policy. Spain will promote the defence of international humanitarian law in the domain of the protection of children, schools and education in emergencies. Spain considers that schools should not be a target in conflicts.


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • Spain endorsed in 2017 the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians. Spain has also been associated to the work of the United Nations (UN) informal Group of Friends to the Protection of Civilians in New York when implementation of Security Council Resolution (SCR) 2286 is discussed due to Spain's role in the development of that agenda.
    • Spain has started its mandate as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the period 2018-2020 and has just presented its candidacy to return as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council in 2031-2032. Moreover, Spain was accepted in 2017 along with Costa Rica, as a member of the LGBTI Core Group of countries in the UN.
    • Spain participates annually in the questionnaire on responsibility to protect and the GoF meetings convened by the United Nations in this regard in NY.
    • Spain is a member of the humanitarian task force of the International Syria Support Group dealing with access and humanitarian protection of civilians in that crisis.
    • Spain systematically includes the topic of protection of civilians, respect of Human Rights and IHL in the training given to its personnel deployed prior to and during peacekeeping operations and political missions. Protection of civilians has been included in trainings provided by Spanish Security Forces to foreign personnel, be it civilian or military or police forces.
    • Our country paid special attention to protection of civilian issues as chair of the WPS Focal Points Network promoted by Spain in 2016.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    There is an increasing awareness of the need to comply with the mentioned commitments at the national sphere, including at the Defense Ministry.

    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • The UN must redouble its efforts in order to fulfill the mission of peacekeeping that it has entrusted.
    • Activities on the ground face implementation difficulties.
    • Obtaining information on any commitment made by non-state armed groups is difficult.
    • Violations are not always easy to identify. Improved information management would help.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Assessing internally whether or not a strategy for the protection of civilians should be drafted while designing ways to effectively implement the endorsed commitments.

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

    There is a need to make all persons and institutions involved in the matter conscious and aware of the importance of protecting civilians. Evaluation systems should be put in place.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Spain has supported in 2017 the campaign #NotaTarget, a global online campaign to reaffirm that civilians caught in conflict are not a target.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

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

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to actively promote the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in humanitarian action by funding NGOs that respect these principles.


    • Financial
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain commits to use its leverage and influence, including during its mandate at the Security Council, to prevent and end any arbitrary withholding of consent to impartial humanitarian relief.


    • Advocacy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain will support the implementation of Security Council resolution 2286 aimed at strengthening the protection of health care in armed conflict.


    • Policy
    • 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. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • Spain actively promotes the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in humanitarian action by funding NGOs and international organizations that respect these principles.
    • It also uses its leverage and influence at bilateral and multilateral levels to foster impartial humanitarian relief in crises such as Palestine, Yemen, Sahrawi refugees, Nigeria and Mali.
    • The protection of medical personnel and facilities in conflict is a priority for the Spanish external action after the adoption in 2016 of UN resolution 2286. Spain actively participates in the promotion of resolution 2286 and belongs to the informal Group of Friends in Geneva.

       

    • Spain has co-sponsored in 2017 several high-level events related to resolution 2286. As an example, Spain cosponsored a high-level event in the margins of the ministerial debates of the Security Council on the protection of civilians and attacks on medical facilities (in May 2017) and signed up the political declaration proposed by France on October 31st 2017 on protection of healthcare in conflict.
    • Spain has issued several times this year press releases when medical facilities suffer an attack.
    • Spain has tracked what it does nationally to implement Security Council Resolution (SCR) 2286. For instance, the Spanish Official College of Doctors has a mechanism of data collection on the matter at national level and carries out an important work in terms of national regulations.
    • Spain has recently joined an informal platform created in New York by the International Peace Insitute (IPI), to discuss initiatives to effectively implement SCR 2286.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • The effective implementation of UNSC resolution 2286 is hijacked by the political situation of each country in particular.
    • The lack of mapping of health facilities in conflict situations makes it difficult to protect them against attacks. For such mappings to be possible there is a need to build on trust by all parties to a conflict.  

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Spain is currently working on the development of UNSC resolution 2286 on two aspects that were not sufficiently covered: the investigation of violations and the reparation of victims.
    • Spain is organizing in New York, on the 24th and the 25th of April, the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) seminar on attacks against healthcare in conflict to discuss operative measures to implement 2286 from the multilateral and national perspectives.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • Spain made a video in 2016 that was promoted in 2017, called “four figures for humanity”.
    • Spain also supported the short film “Tabib, the last pediatrician in Aleppo”, directed by Carlos D’Ursi, to increase the attention and awareness on the reality and the difficulties of medical assistance during conflicts.

    Keywords

    Humanitarian principles, IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2C
    Speak out on violations

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Since the end of 2016, Spain has been an elected member (Francisco Rey) in the International Humanitarian Fact Finding Commission, a permanent body of the First Additional Protocol of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 on the protection of victims of international armed conflicts to conduct investigations into events that constitute a serious breach of international humanitarian law.

    The re-election of Professor Concepción Escobar to the International Law Commission for the five-year period 2017-2021, is an example of the increasing prestige of the Spanish school of international law and of Spain's firm commitment to promoting international law and the work of the commission.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • There are some political constraints, since some countries have not signed to nor ratified the Rome Statute or international agreements in the field.
    • Victims should be more outspoken about human rights violations. Need for appropriate channels for complaints.
    • Need to have data on attacks to health infrastructure in conflict situations.

     

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Activating the Spanish International Humanitarian Law (IHL) national commission, which was created in 2007, and is chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
    • Continue issuing press releases when there a breach of IHL, and participating in the promotion of IHL.

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

    Creation of an international consciousness about the need of respecting international humanitarian law. Overcoming the resistance of certain states to the compliance with IHL. Defending accountability.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 2D
    Take concrete steps to improve compliance and accountability

    Individual Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain will contribute EUR 1 million in 2016 to the new Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) and to the UN Women Fund to combat sexual violence and will increase its percentage of humanitarian aid given to women, peace and security.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to sign on to the Call to Action and its Roadmap by 2017 and make commitments commensurate with their mandates, capacities, and resources, principally under Outcome 1: humanitarian actors adopt and implement institutional policies and standards to strengthen gender equality, prevent and respond to GBV, and enhance accountability for taking action.


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain has subscribed and commits to implement the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes and calls upon the permanent members of the UN Security Council to refrain from exercising Security Council veto power in the face of mass atrocities.


    • Policy
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain will enhance cooperation with the International Criminal Court by 2020.


    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    Core Commitments (4)

    • 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
    • Commit to speak out and systematically condemn serious violations of international humanitarian law and serious violations and abuses of international human rights law and to take concrete steps to ensure accountability of perpetrators when these acts amount to crimes under international law.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Implement a coordinated global approach to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in crisis contexts, including through the Call to Action on Protection from Gender-based Violence in Emergencies.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability

    • Spain supports the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and promotes cooperation between the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the ICC. In the same line, Spain expressed its regrets to the announcement of the withdrawal of ICC by certain countries from the ICC in 2017.
    • Spain contributes to the International Criminal Court Trust Fund for Victims (TFV). This fund is the first of its kind in the global movement to end impunity for the gravest of crimes and alleviate suffering. The establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 1 July 2002 resulted in the creation of the TFV under article 79 of the Rome Statute. Since 2006, Spain has contributed with more than 550,000 €.
    • Spain has subscribed and commits to implement the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes and calls upon the permanent members of the UN Security Council to refrain from exercising Security Council veto power in the face of mass atrocities.
    • The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) integrated in 2017 protection indicators into humanitarian context strategies for 2018 and 2019 such as number of people informed and/or trained in IHL.
    • Spain supports the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic and has funded the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism to assist in the Investigation and Prosecution of Persons Responsible for the Most Serious Crimes under International Law Committed in the Syrian Arab Republic.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    • The lack of access by inquiry commissions is a serious impediment to improve accountability, there is a need for independent and objective data gathering.
    • There is also a need to further improve gathering and custody of proof so that it can be used by national jurisdictions in the future.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Spain plans to contribute to the International Criminal Court Trust Fund for Victims in 2018.

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

    • Developing effective counter-narrative frameworks to rein in withdrawal from the International Criminal Court. Campaign for universality of the Rome Statute through events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute.
    • There is a need to reinforce the institutional framework to advance respect for applicable IHL and prevent the recurrence of unlawful attacks on healthcare personnel and facilities.
    • Collecting and documenting IHL violations in conflict remains key for future criminal prosecution.

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability, Protection

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

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to engage constructively in an intergovernmental process to find agreement on the functions and features of a potential forum of States on international humanitarian law and ways to enhance the implementation of international humanitarian law, in conformity with resolution 2 of the 32nd International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in 2015


    • Partnership
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

    • Spain will join a global effort/campaign to mobilize States, civil society and global leaders to enhance respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law.


    • 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. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Spain supports the two processes of negotiation led by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on strengthening the respect for International humanitarian law and protecting the persons deprived of their liberty. Spain supports the creation of a Forum of Member States as a tool to strengthen compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and accountability.

    In recent years Spain has made humanitarian issues and the respect of International Humanitarian Law one of its foreign policy priorities. In this framework, in 2017 these actions took place:

    • Spain returned to the donor group of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in October 2017, after five years of absence.
    • It was decided that Spain will enter the ODSG (group of donors in support of OCHA) troika in 2018 and will chair the ODSG in 2019.
    • As a sign of this commitment to humanitarianism, in 2017 the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Assistance, the President of the ICRC and the High Commissioner of the UN Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) visited Spain.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By applying processes/indicators developed to measure WHS commitments specifically.
    3. 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
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    Spain just received the visit of the World Food Programme (WFP) Director and the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO). Our Secretary of State for International Cooperation carried out in March 2018 a joint humanitarian mission to Colombia with EU Commissioner Stylianides. Spain will also enter the ODSG (group of donors in support of OCHA) troika in 2018 and will chair the ODSG in 2019.

    Spain is organizing the I Annual Retreat on IHL and protection of healthcare in conflict in New York.

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

    A dedicated space for regular state-to-state- dialogue on IHL based on the principles of non-politicization and non-contextualization would help strengthen respect for International Humanitarian Law and humanitarian outreach. 

    Keywords

    IHL compliance and accountability

  • 3A
    Reduce and address displacement

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new approach to addressing forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Commit to implementing this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement. Commit to take the necessary political, policy, legal and financial steps required to address these challenges for the specific context.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to promote and support safe, dignified and durable solutions for internally displaced persons and refugees. Commit to do so in a coherent and measurable manner through international, regional and national programs and by taking the necessary policy, legal and financial steps required for the specific contexts and in order to work towards a target of 50 percent reduction in internal displacement by 2030.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Acknowledge the global public good provided by countries and communities which are hosting large numbers of refugees. Commit to providing communities with large numbers of displaced population or receiving large numbers of returnees with the necessary political, policy and financial, support to address the humanitarian and socio-economic impact. To this end, commit to strengthen multilateral financing instruments. Commit to foster host communities' self-reliance and resilience, as part of the comprehensive and integrated approach outlined in core commitment 1.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Commit to actively work to uphold the institution of asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. Commit to support further accession to and strengthened implementation of national, regional and international laws and policy frameworks that ensure and improve the protection of refugees and IDPs, such as the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol or the AU Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala convention) or the Guiding Principles on internal displacement.
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    IDPs (due to conflict, violence, and disaster)

    • 2017 was a challenging year for Spain as far as mobility and displacement is concerned. The number of irregular entries to the country doubled (from 14,000 in 2016 to 28,000 in 2017; 24,000 people were rescued in the Mediterranean) and the number of asylum applications tripled (up to 33.000 in 2017).
    • Spain is sensitive to the situation of displaced persons within Europe and beyond, and thus, is promoting multilateral and bilateral measures to protect them. Spain participates in a direct (presence of delegations from capital), active and constructive way in the ongoing discussions on the “Global Compacts” on Migration and Refugees, currently under negotiation at the UN in New York and Geneva respectively. Spain also participates in a constructive way in the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR) Executive Committee, of which it is also part.

    Refugees

    • In compliance with the decision taken within the EU (i.a. Council Decision 20-7-2015, Commission Recommendation 27.9.2017), Spain is fulfilling its commitments within the EU's emergency relocation and resettlement schemes. Thus far Spain has resettled 1,424 and relocated 1,358 refugees. Spain will fulfill integrally its commitments in 2018.
    • In 2017, almost half of the total central Government humanitarian funding (more than 40 million €) was assigned to programs or projects concerning refugees or displaced persons by humanitarian crises.
    • Regarding the situation of displaced persons within Europe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation adopted in February 2017, in coordination with the autonomous communities, and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, a Common Strategy to assist refugees and migrants in Europe.

    Other-3A

    • The regional crisis of Syria and Iraq is a clear priority for Spain. Spain work with partners such as the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and others in host and transit countries, having contributed with more almost 50 million € since the conflict started in 2012.
    • In 2017, Spain increased by 6 million € its contribution to the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa). That makes the total Spanish contribution to the Trust Fund up to 9 million € all of them fully disbursed. Spain has also contributed with 3 million € to the Madad Fund for the Syrian crisis. These funds aims to foster stability and to contribute to better migration management, including by addressing the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The vast part of Spanish commitments is implemented in the framework of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - UNHCR and EU common action, thus the assessment is assured by constant monitoring and reporting in the multiple EU fora (i.a.  Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX) groups, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) and DG HOME (Migration and Home Affairs) led groups and committees, Council meetings, European summits) and by EU Delegations and Spanish Embassies abroad.

    3. 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
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Spain will continue to honor its international and EU commitments in 2018. There is public consensus on that among Spanish political parties and society.
    • The approval of the new Director Plan for Spanish Cooperation and of the two Global Compacts will have an impact on designing new actions.

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

    • A successful and balanced outcome of the negotiations of the Refugee and Migration Global Compacts will have paramount importance in this respect.
    • The Global Compact on Refugees will set a good direction towards more participation of refugees and host communities, in assessing their own needs and in designing appropriate responses.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Very successful Spanish scheme of circular migration with Morocco (2018 will attain 17,000 beneficiaries); innovative Spanish-led projects within the EU Trust Fund both in the field of fighting smuggling and trafficking of persons (JITs, GAR-SI) and on job-creation (Mali, Mauritania, Senegal).

    Keywords

    Displacement, Migrants

  • 3B
    Address the vulnerabilities of migrants and provide more regular and lawful opportunities for migration

    Individual Commitments (2)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to develop a full policy regarding the integration of migrants and to develop instruments to improve the conditions of legal migration within the European Union, always in accordance with economic and social needs of the European Union member states.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to find new ways and instruments to address the vulnerabilities of migrants, and to develop mechanisms to protect and integrate vulnerable groups.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Spain has developed a full policy regarding integration of migrants, which is led by the General Secretariat for Immigration and Emigration, working closely with other instruments such as the European Social Fund.

    Spain has created the Fund for asylum, migration and integration (FAMI) that seeks to support legal migration to Member States in accordance with their economic and social needs. It also seeks to promote effective integration, to increase solidarity, and burden sharing between Member States.

    There is a continuous dialogue with migration route countries (Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Gambia and Côte d´Ivoire).

    Outside its borders, Spain has also sought to address vulnerabilities of migrants. Some examples of its efforts include:

    • Spain endorsed in 2017 the Charter for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action.
    • Spain initiated in 2017 two collaborations with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) as concrete contributions to the Global Compact on Refugees in Central America and the Horn of Africa.  
    • Spain is working with UNHCR and Deusto University on a study to enhance the protection of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual and Intersex (LGTBI) community in Central America that will be presented publicly in 2018.
    • The first public-private partnership of the Spanish humanitarian aid was created in Ethiopia, called Alianza SHIRE, achieving that at the beginning of 2017, more than 8,000 Eritreans from the Ari Harus refugee camp in the Tigray region had access to energy and public services by connecting them to the electricity grid, with an exponential impact in terms of environment, protection, livelihoods and field management. In 2017, Spain has successfully applied to receive funds from the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root causes of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa (EUTF for Africa) to extend the project to other three camps.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The vast part of Spanish commitments is implemented in the framework of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Agencies and EU common action.

    3. 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
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Improve coordination between main stakeholders within the Spanish administration.
    • Active participation in current negotiations of the Refugee and Migration Global Compacts, and in the EU debate on new pathways for regular migration and in implementation of the future new Rabat Process Action Plan.
    • Circular Migration scheme with Morocco will increase up to 17,000 beneficiaries. The second Spanish Morocco Forum on Migration and Integration will be held in Rabat.

    Keywords

    Disability, Displacement, Migrants

  • 3C
    End statelessness in the next decade

    Individual Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to include ending statelessness as a main objective of its foreign policy.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to advance the protection of stateless persons, especially by promoting the ratification of existing conventions currently in force.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to participate in international campaigns to fight statelessness.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Spain has highly advanced legislation regarding statelessness. Article 17. A) of its Civil Code states that those born in Spain of foreign parents are native Spaniards, if none of the parents have a nationality or if none of their legislation confers to the children a nationality. Spain is also a party to the New York Convention relating to the status of stateless persons (28th September 1954). Statelessness persons have the right to reside in Spain and to develop labour, professional and commercial activities. They also have the right to regroup family members.

    Spain is in the process of ratifying the 1961 United Nations (UN) Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. The Council of ministers has recently referred the text of the Convention to the Spanish Parliament that has to approve the request.

    Spain firmly supports the #IBelong campaign launched by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2014. The campaign, supported by States, civil society and UN Agencies, aims to end statelessness by 2024 by resolving existing statelessness, preventing new cases from emerging and better identifying and protecting stateless populations.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    3. 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.
    • Human resources/capacity
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Spain will ratify the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

  • 3D
    Empower and protect women and girls

    Individual Commitments (9)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain will contribute EUR 1 million in 2016 to the new Global Acceleration Instrument (GAI) and to the UN Women Fund to combat sexual violence and will increase its percentage of humanitarian aid given to women, peace and security.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

    • Spain will contribute EUR 50,000 to the gender unit of the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat.


    • Financial Contribution ()
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to continue and tailor to crisis settings their support to the implementation of the targets for the 2030 Agenda on maternal, newborn and adolescent health to ensure safe delivery, emergency obstetric, ante-natal and post-natal services in crisis settings, improved access to information, voluntary family planning, and basic items for safe delivery and sanitary supplies, necessary medical and psychological services for SGBV survivors as well as improved capacity of health systems and workers with immediate effect, particularly through the Spanish medical emergency teams ready to be deployed at the onset of a crisis.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to adapt the IASC, ECHO or other gender and age markers, and create and apply a Spanish gender marker to 100% of humanitarian funding allocations by 2018. By applying the gender marker Spain assures that funding is allocated only to funding actions that explicitly include a gender analysis by 2018. Spain also commit to monitor and evaluate the impact of their interventions in gender equality and include information in its annual report regarding improvements on this matter.


    • Operational
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to increase support to collective financing mechanisms that enable women's empowerment in humanitarian action by 2018.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to increasing current levels of funding to women's groups. Spain also commit to ensuring that women access equally cash assistance programmes, sustainable and dignified livelihoods, vocational and skills training opportunities throughout humanitarian programme cycle by 2020.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    • Spain commits to joining the Secretary General's Every Woman Every Child Everywhere (EWECE) initiative and corresponding roadmap, by 2017, to work to end all preventable deaths of women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to renew the National Action Plan (NAP) on women, peace and security by elaborating a new NAP based on recommendations by the High Level Examination of the application of Resolution 1325. Spain will also assume the obligation of elaborating monitoring reports of the new plan every two years. The monitoring reports will include specific mention of actions implemented under the Action Plan of Women and Peace-construction of Spanish Cooperation.


    • Operational
    • Political Leadership to Prevent and End Conflicts Leave No One Behind

    • Spain commits to request the Secretary-General to mandate that all Secretary-General Reports and any briefings to the Council from a UN or non-governmental agency include sex and age disaggregated data and take into account findings and recommendations on women's rights and gender equality by human rights bodies and mechanisms.


    • Advocacy
    • Leave No One Behind

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Empower Women and Girls as change agents and leaders, including by increasing support for local women's groups to participate meaningfully in humanitarian action.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the Outcome documents of their review conferences for all women and adolescent girls in crisis settings.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Ensure that humanitarian programming is gender responsive.
    • Leave No One Behind
    • Fully comply with humanitarian policies, frameworks and legally binding documents related to gender equality, women's empowerment, and women's rights.
    • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    • In September 2017, Spain adhered to the Call to Action Initiative, and committed to the implementation of its Road Map and to report annually on progress and support activities to this initiative. The period for achievement of commitments was set for 2018 – 2020.
    • Spain has also contributed to UN Women, for example in the implementation in 2015-2016 of the project ‘Engendering Humanitarian Action in Palestine- introducing the gender approach in the Humanitarian Action in Palestine’.
    • Specifically, on gender-based violence, in 2017 Spain supported protection, health and cash transfers projects with prevention and response gender-based violence (GBV) components in Colombia, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. In this country, a GBV comprehensive intervention will incorporate multi-sectoral response services (care medical, legal and psychosocial).
    • Spain has advocated for the inclusion of gender equality, prevention and response to GBV and Call to Action considerations in different fora, documents and international debates such as Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) Revised Commitments to Women and Girls (2017-2021), UNICEF Gender Action Plan 2018-2021, humanitarian aspects of the EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) or the World Food Programme (WFP) revised policy on gender.
    • Spain has proactively led at the UN Security Council the Women, Peace and Security agenda.
    • Spain hosted the first meeting of the National Focal Points Network on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and chaired the Network throughout 2017.
    • At national level the II National Action Plan – Women, Peace and Security 2017-2023 was approved in 2017, including specific prevention and protection GBV actions aimed at women and girls in emergency contexts.
    • Recently, a National Pact against gender violence was also approved by the national parliament with specific GBV protection measures in humanitarian context.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • By applying processes/indicators developed to measure WHS commitments specifically.
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    In its programming cycle, Spain prioritizes humanitarian projects that include a 2A/2 B or 2 gender markers (either European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) or Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) methodology). In 2017, 25% of our budget has earmarked projects with these markers, representing a 16% increase with respect to 2016.

    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • Funding amounts
    • Human resources/capacity
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Spain will soon appoint an Ambassador at Large for Gender Equality.
    • The working Group of the National Action Plan on women, Peace and Security will hold its first follow-up meetings in 2018, together with Civil Society Organizations.

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

    There is a need for an improvement in gender mainstreaming in the OCHA Humanitarian Needs Overviews, Strategic Response Plans and Country Pool & Emergency Funds, in order to get more gendered projects for donors to be funded. Spain is looking forward to the implementation of the new IASC gender marker methodology, especially the new monitoring and evaluation aspects.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    As part of Spain’s commitment to prevent and eradicate Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA), in September 2018, the Spanish Head of Government accepted the invitation of Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG)  Guterres and joined the Circle of Leadership on the prevention of and response to sexual exploitation and abuse. Spain also signed the “Voluntary Compact” with the UN on this issue.

    Keywords

    Gender

  • 3E
    Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to develop a higher interest in the field of education in conflicts.


    • Policy
    • Leave No One Behind
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The specific protection of children in armed conflicts is a priority for Spanish foreign policy. These are some examples of Spain's commitment only in 2017:

    • Spain attended the Paris conference of February 2017 (Principles of Paris) and the Buenos Aires meeting of March 2017 on the Safe Schools Declaration;
    • Spain endorsed the Vancouver Principles of November 2017;
    • Spain is currently joining the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) group of children and armed conflicts;
    • Spain's humanitarian action began to work in 2017 on education in emergencies, an area which is now reflected in the new Master Plan for the Spanish Cooperation 2018-2021.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    3. 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.
    • Data and analysis
    • Field conditions, including insecurity and access
    • IHL and IHRL compliance and accountability
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • Spain has participated in the Core Group of the countries that support the Safe Schools Declaration and has worked to increase the number of states having signed up to it.
    • Spain has also promoted the Guidelines for protecting schools and universities from military use during armed conflicts (Lucens Guidelines), especially in Latin American countries.
    • Spain is considering the possibility of organising the third Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration in Madrid in 2019.

    Keywords

    Education, Protection

  • 4A
    Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

    Individual Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Commitment Type
    • Core Responsibility

    • Spain commits to increasing current levels of funding to women's groups. Spain also commit to ensuring that women access equally cash assistance programmes, sustainable and dignified livelihoods, vocational and skills training opportunities throughout humanitarian programme cycle by 2020.


    • Financial
    • Leave No One Behind Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

    Core Commitments (4)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to reinforce national and local leadership and capacities in managing disaster and climate-related risks through strengthened preparedness and predictable response and recovery arrangements.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to increase investment in building community resilience as a critical first line of response, with the full and effective participation of women.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to ensure regional and global humanitarian assistance for natural disasters complements national and local efforts.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Strengthening national/local leadership and systems

    Following a restrictive interpretation of what is considered as local actors as agreed within the Grand Bargain workstream on localization, Spain considers as local actors only direct financing to local organizations (with no intermediaries) and funding to local actors through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' (OCHA) pooled funds. Thus, in 2017 the Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) allocated at least 4,134,675 € to local actors (10.3 % of its total humanitarian funding, up from 4.5% in 2016).

    In 2017, the humanitarian agreement that AECID has with Spanish regional governments was revised and, among other things, the possibility of financing local actors was included for the first time.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    B. How are you assessing whether progress on commitments is leading toward change in the direction of the transformation?

    The work done by the Grand Bargain workstream on localization and the drafting of the Grand Bargain annual report are extremely useful for analyzing level of progress in this area.

    3. 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.
    • Other: Difficulties in understanding the Spanish legislation and praxis. Indirect ways of funding local actors not taken into account.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The actual amount of funding to local actors cannot be accurately estimated since there are other indirect ways of funding local actors by means of AECID’s grants to international or Spanish non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or organizations.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • AECID considers that the target of 25% funding to local actors in 2020 is very ambitious, but is committed to increasing this percentage, if the context and legislation allow it.
    • Supporting local actors, mainly governments from Latin America, on Disaster Risk Reduction.
    • In Spanish formulation documents of 2018 proposals, Spain will collect data on the level of execution through local actors to systematize the information and make a diagnosis for future exercises.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • AECID has initiated a project with the Directorate General for Water and Sanitation of Haiti to strengthen its response capacities in WASH.
    • AECID's INTERCOONECTA project promotes training programs with local authorities (on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health) and several workshops were recently held with Central and South American authorities in these fields.

    Keywords

    Local action

  • 4B
    Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

    Core Commitments (3)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    • Commit to improve the understanding, anticipation and preparedness for disaster and climate-related risks by investing in data, analysis and early warning, and developing evidence-based decision-making processes that result in early action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    The new Spanish Cooperation Master Plan 2018 -2021 attached a paramount importance to the 2030 Agenda, which has become a real priority for Government action. A dialogue among stakeholders has taken place during 2017 in order to reflect common priorities at the new Master Plan aligned with the Agenda´s targets. 

    In addition, in 2017, a high-level inter-ministerial commission of the 2030 Agenda has been constituted and an ambassador at large for Agenda 2030 has been appointed to implement the Agenda at national level.

    Spain supports actively the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks. Spain participated in the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Mexico to monitor progress and identify measures to advance the implementation of the Sendaï Framework. Spain is also a donor to the Adaption Fund to help developing countries build resilience and adapt to climate change.

    The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) currently has different emergency deposits or capabilities in Panamá, Madrid and Las Palmas de Gran Canarias as a way of facilitating an earlier response to humanitarian crises. In this same vein, Spain supports and advocates for wider support towards the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots Network.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    • Through multi-stakeholder processes or initiatives (e.g. IASC, Grand Bargain, Charter for Change, etc).
    • By applying processes/indicators developed to measure WHS commitments specifically.
    3. 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.
    • Buy-in
    • Funding amounts
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    Funding for data collection and establishment of information systems to make possible anticipation of crises is needed in many developing countries.

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    In July 2018, Spain will officially present a report on the state of progress of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda at the national level, participating in the voluntary national reviews of the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) 2018.

    It is envisaged that Spain will assume in June 2018 the chairmanship of the Group of Friends of the United Nations Humanitarian Response Depots network (UNHRD) of the World Food Programme (WFP).

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

    More efforts might be needed in order to promote policy coherence for sustainable development between external and internal policies.

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    In the framework of AECID's INTERCOONECTA plan, our Training Centre of La Antigua Guatemala is working in the development of a knowledge gathering project to develop a system to manage risks associated with climate change in coastal areas.

    Keywords

    Disaster Risk Reduction

  • 4C
    Deliver collective outcomes: transcend humanitarian-development divides

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to a new way of working that meets people's immediate humanitarian needs, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years through the achievement of collective outcomes. To achieve this, commit to the following: a) Anticipate, Do Not Wait: to invest in risk analysis and to incentivize early action in order to minimize the impact and frequency of known risks and hazards on people. b) Reinforce, Do Not Replace: to support and invest in local, national and regional leadership, capacity strengthening and response systems, avoiding duplicative international mechanisms wherever possible. c) Preserve and retain emergency capacity: to deliver predictable and flexible urgent and life-saving assistance and protection in accordance with humanitarian principles. d) Transcend Humanitarian-Development Divides: work together, toward collective outcomes that ensure humanitarian needs are met, while at the same time reducing risk and vulnerability over multiple years and based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors. The primacy of humanitarian principles will continue to underpin humanitarian action.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Joined-up humanitarian-development analysis and planning towards collective outcomes

    The new Master Plan for the Spanish Cooperation 2018-21 includes resilience as an overall and crosscutting objective. Spain also finalized in 2017 the Resilience Strategy of the Spanish Cooperation, which should be published in 2018.

    The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) appointed in 2017 a nexus focal point to coordinate humanitarian-development engagement, determine the main nexus areas, and provide policy and operational guidance for this objective.

    In 2017, Spain actively joined the discussions in Brussels on the European Union (EU) Council Conclusions on Resilience and the EU Council Conclusions on the humanitarian-development nexus. During this year, Spain has also followed discussions regarding the reform of the United Nations development system, which includes the need to operationalize the Humanitarian-Development nexus at the country level. Spain supports the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UNSG) in this process and the proposals made.

    The Spanish “Humanitarian call for proposals for humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 2017” emphasized the need to link humanitarian aid and development, as a way of improving action coherence and establishing synergies between different instruments and modalities.

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • By reporting to, or using reports prepared for, UN principal organs, UN governing boards, or other international bodies
    3. 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.
    • Institutional/Internal constraints
    • Multi-stakeholder coordination
    • Other: Spain lacks of an overall articulated approach on how to advance in the implementation of the nexus.
    B. How are these challenges impacting achievement of this transformation?

    The evaluation of Spain’s Humanitarian Aid Strategy (2007) published in early 2018 includes evidence about some efforts to create a humanitarian-development nexus, but it also indicates that Spain lacks an overall articulated approach on how to advance. An internal position paper by AECID on the issue is expected over the coming months.

     

    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • AECID expects to increase its support on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Latin America, in coordination with the development agenda.
    • In its formulation documents of the 2018 proposals, Spain will collect the resilience impact of our interventions to systematize the information and make a diagnosis for future exercises.

     

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    • Spain made a financial contribution in 2017 to the Colombia Post-Conflict UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund.

    • In the Sahel region (food security):  the “national mechanism for crisis prevention and management in Niger” and  the “Malnutrition control cell in Senegal”.

    • Centre for mental support for women in Gaza, Palestine.

    Keywords

    Community resilience, Humanitarian-development nexus

  • 5B
    Invest according to risk

    Core Commitments (1)

    • Commitment
    • Core Responsibility
    • Commit to accelerate the reduction of disaster and climate-related risks through the coherent implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, as well as other relevant strategies and programs of action, including the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway.
    • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
    1. Highlight the concrete actions taken between 1 January – 31 December 2017 to implement the commitments which contribute to achieving this transformation. Be as specific as possible and include any relevant data/figures.

    Spain is a strong supporter of global humanitarian assistance through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as far as it is the way to attend emergency situations in countries and contexts where its cooperation is not present, and has been pushing towards a more coordinated and efficient United Nations (UN) system.

    In case of sudden onset emergencies, the Spanish humanitarian aid monitors OCHA or UN agencies sit-reps when assessing its possible response or interventions. The Spanish Cooperation Agency for International Development (AECID) also supports the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team with financial and human resources and encourages the use of this international emergency response system and their need assessments. Several members of the Humanitarian Office have received the UNDAC training and could thus be deployed in emergencies.

    In order to deliver predictable, flexible, urgent and life-saving assistance, AECID has launched the START (Spanish Technical Aid Response Team) project, which allows Spain to have health professionals ready to deploy in less than 72 hours in any part of the world where there is an emergency.

    The AECID START Project is part of the Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the voluntary pool of the European Civil protection mechanism. Spain is one of the first and permanent partners of the initiative since the very beginning at WHO level but is also supporting the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) regional office for the Americas.

    The START Project team has also participated in several exercises and training in the Americas Region, especially in the two Regional Training for EMT coordinators and EMTCC (Emergency Medical Teams Coordination Cells).

     

    2. A. How are you measuring progress toward achieving your commitments? Only the categories selected by the organisation will be seen below.
    • Through existing, internal systems or frameworks for monitoring, reporting and/or evaluation.
    3. 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.
    • Preparedness
    • Strengthening national/local systems
    4. Highlight actions planned for 2018 to advance implementation of your commitments in order to achieve this transformation.

    • AECID will complete the process of verification of the START Project by the WHO, and develop a plan of sustainability for the project. All this shall be done before the 31st of May 2018.
    • Spain will also publish Emergency Response Protocols (the START Manual /an Emergency Response Operational Protocol).
    • Spain has approved the new Spanish Cooperation Master Plan 2018-2021. One of the Action Lines included is “Strengthening health systems for preparedness and response to health emergencies”.

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

    Building resilience means to be able to think about what will be going on after the emergency services have left, and how affected populations will recover their livelihood. Engagement on a long term period is necessary to make sure that people do not fall back into extreme poverty.

     

    6. List any good practice or examples of innovation undertaken individually or in cooperation with others to advance this transformation.

    Spain supports the region of Latin America to build emergency preparedness capacities, particularly on the organizations and deployment of emergency medical teams (Pan American Health Organization). Spain traditionally funds the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in order to support and reform the disaster management system in America.