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Self Report 2017

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 Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Greece will closely cooperate both with UNESCO and civil society organizations in order to implement the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, trace all existing trends on the topic and adjust its strategic approach towards greater efficiency and accountability.
  • Partnership
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • Greece will continue to actively promote measures to prevent civilians, women and especially children and detainees, as well as humanitarian and healthcare personnel, journalists, patients and medical facilities from being targeted in conflicts. An educational program for journalists reporting from conflict areas, to be implemented by the Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with the UN, is expected to commence, most probably, by the end of 2016.
  • Operational
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • Greece will continue to promote international co-operation for safeguarding cultural heritage in times of war and humanitarian emergencies, as well as to promote synergies between monitoring committees, both currently under Greek Chairmanship, of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the fighting against illicit trafficking of cultural property and the 2nd Protocol to the 1954 Convention on the protection of cultural property in event of armed conflict. Attaching particular importance to the issue of vulnerability of cultural property in times of crises and taking into consideration the rights of the countries of origin, Greece commits to step up our efforts in supporting all actions in order to combat trafficking of cultural property and promote return of illegally removed property.


  • Advocacy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
  • In the context of the national initiative regarding the safety of journalists, crystallized in a series of respective pioneering resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly (GA Res.68/163, 69/185 and 70/162) and the Human Rights Council (HRC Res.27/5), Greece will continue to effectively promote and protect the human rights of journalists and media workers as wells as raise awareness on crimes perpetrated against them.
  • Advocacy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • 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

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    In order to continue to promote international co-operation for safeguarding cultural heritage in times of war and humanitarian emergencies and promote return of illegally removed property.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Following the development of synergies between the monitoring organs of the 1970 UNESCO Convention and the 2nd Protocol to the 1954 Hague Convention, a Joint Meeting of the said two organs was held in December 2016, in UNESCO, a Greek initiative. During this Joint Meeting, the participating states exchanged information on the destruction of cultural heritage during armed conflicts and, in particular , on the illicit trafficking of movable cultural property, resulting as a side consequence of the armed conflicts in the Middle East, as well as on the additional value of organizing awareness-raising campaigns and training seminars for the military, police forces and customs officials on the protection of cultural heritage in times of armed conflict, including occupation. An educational program for journalists reporting from conflict areas implemented by the Ministry of Defense, in cooperation with UN, has already commenced since the end of 2016.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Greece commits to conclude as soon as possible the drafting process of a National Action Plan on the Rights of the Child, which is expected to focus, inter alia, on the protection of children in the context of refugee crisis. In this framework, the protection of unaccompanied children is considered of utmost importance. Greece will continue to actively promote measures to prevent civilians, women and especially children and detainees, as well as humanitarian and healthcare personnel, journalists, patients and medical facilities from being targeted in conflicts.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Gender ☑ Refugees

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

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

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

Joint Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Greece has actively supported and will continue to support the joint Swiss-ICRC initiative for strengthening compliance with international humanitarian law and will, therefore, participate in good faith in the next phase of the process aimed at the creation of a regular forum of dialogue among States on issues of international humanitarian law.


  • Partnership
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity
Partners: Switzerland, ICRC

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Greece commits to continue promoting universal adherence to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
  • Policy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

Core Commitment

  • 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

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    Greece, pursuant to Resolution 2 on Strengthening Compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Greece, pursuant to Resolution 2 on Strengthening Compliance with International Law of the 32th International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, has welcomed and actively taken part both in the preliminary discussions, held in June and October 2016, and in the First Formal Meeting in the intergovernmental process on strengthening respect for IHL, that was held in Geneva on 28-29 November 2016.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Greece, in that context, reiterated its strong support for the continuation of the process with a view to find new ways of enhancing respect for IHL, including through the creation of a regular forum of dialogue among states on IHL issues, and to come up with a successful outcome prior to the 33rd International Conference to be held by the end of 2019.

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

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

3A
Reduce and address displacement

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Greece has adopted the necessary legal framework for the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement of 18 March 2016, while fully abiding by its obligations regarding the respect of human rights and relevant international and EU law.


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece will continue at a national level and in collaboration with international bodies such as the UNHCR, UNICEF, and UNESCO to ensure the integration of refugee children and young people in the Greek educational system and society.


  • Partnership
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece also commits to a fair and efficient asylum procedure, ensuring access to the status of refugee or to subsidiary or other forms of protection (humanitarian reasons) for those in need.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece attaches particular importance to the integration of refugees and migrants. The Greek strategy on integration of migrants and refugees has been mainstreamed in all policy sectors of the country. Greece commits to continue working towards the access for the migrants and refugees to the labor market, social security services and the health system, as well as access of migrant children to the national education system, language courses for all migrants and the promotion of intercultural/interreligious dialogue, despite the high unemployment rate, which plagues the country and hinders even more the access of these people to the labor market.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece commits that asylum seekers in Greece will continue to have their application treated on a case by case basis in line with the principles of EU and international law including the principle of non-refoulement, with individual interviews, individual assessments and guaranteed right of appeal. There is no blanket and no automatic returns of asylum seekers. In this respect, Greece attaches particular importance to its cooperation with UNHCR and EASO.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece commits to a new approach to address forced displacement that not only meets immediate humanitarian needs but reduces vulnerability and improves the resilience, self-reliance and protection of refugees and IDPs. Greece commits to implement this new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece commits to conclude as soon as possible the drafting process of a National Action Plan on the Rights of the Child, which is expected to focus, inter alia, on the protection of children in the context of refugee crisis. In this framework, the protection of unaccompanied children is considered of utmost importance.
  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece commits to continue to fulfill its duties in upholding fundamental rights and principles and addressing humanitarian obligations. All countries should contribute more actively in the resettlement of refugees.
  • Advocacy
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece commits to further support relevant diplomatic efforts with a view to achieving viable political solutions to existing or nascent conflicts. Tackling the problem at its source means effectively addressing the root causes of conflicts. This will contribute to successfully dealing with subsequent multifaceted crises like the migrant and refugee crisis, while promoting international stability, sustainable growth and development.


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

  • Greece commits to implement a new approach through coherent international, regional and national efforts that recognize both the humanitarian and development challenges of displacement, while acknowledging that enabling the return of IDPs to their homes and communities in conditions of safety and normality remains the ultimate priority.


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece is working with the EU to ensure a more fair distribution of responsibilities in the area of refugee protection among the EU countries, including through the strengthening of EASO, the reform of the Dublin Regulation and the success of the relocation programme. Greece also advocates for responsibility-sharing with other countries, in particular through robust resettlement programmes.


  • Partnership
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece supports a broad strengthening of EU and worldwide resettlement program, in close cooperation with the UNHCR, which will also deal a critical blow to human smuggling/trafficking networks.
  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece will continue to ensure refugee legal rights to a secure stay, including through adequate, safe and dignified reception conditions.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece will work both at the regional and international level in order to achieve a concrete outcome at the upcoming High Level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants (New York, 19 September 2016).


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind
  • Greece, having fulfilled its obligations regarding hotspots and reception capacity, while continuing to implement the agreement with UNHCR for rent subsidies and family programs for 20,000 people, commits that it will continue in this direction with international assistance.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • The Greek General Secretariat for Gender Equality - in order to contribute to the response to the refugee crisis - will provide refugee women (victims, or at risk, of gender based violence or/and single mothers) and their children, safe accommodation in its 21 shelters, psychosocial support and, if needed, legal counseling.


  • Operational
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity Leave No One Behind

Core Commitment

  • 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 collectively work towards a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees to safeguard the rights of refugees, while also effectively and predictably supporting States affected by such movements.
  • 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

  • Achievements at a glance

    Greece works at both international and regional levels and has achieved a concrete outcome at the High Level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants (New York , 19 September 2016).

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3A - Reduce and address displacement

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

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Greece has adopted the necessary legal framework for the implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement of 18 March 2016, while fully abiding by its obligations regarding the respect of human rights and relevant international and EU law.


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece attaches particular importance to the integration of refugees and migrants. The Greek strategy on integration of migrants and refugees has been mainstreamed in all policy sectors of the country. Greece commits to continue working towards the access for the migrants and refugees to the labor market, social security services and the health system, as well as access of migrant children to the national education system, language courses for all migrants and the promotion of intercultural/interreligious dialogue, despite the high unemployment rate, which plagues the country and hinders even more the access of these people to the labor market.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece has endeavored actively in the education of migrant children and young people since the 1990s, through the operation of intercultural schools. Greece commits to continue with further plans for addressing the particularities in offering education opportunities to children of migrant backgrounds and the implementation of selected measures and politics throughout the territory.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece will work both at the regional and international level in order to achieve a concrete outcome at the upcoming High Level meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants (New York, 19 September 2016).


  • Policy
  • Leave No One Behind
  • In line with an already adopted policy, Greece will continue providing support to local communities within the country who are dealing with the migration crisis, especially in the field of infrastructure and coordination with civil society's actions.
  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Greek Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, in cooperation with the Council of Europe and with the participation of the School of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, organized a pilot summer school for young refugees , under the title “Beyond the refugee crisis –Studying in Europe”(August 2016, Ancient Olympia). The aim of the summer school, which was a pilot educational initiative, was to facilitate access to universities for young refugees who wish to study in Greece or elsewhere in Europe. The educational programme included a series of seminars in European culture, workshops on language (Greek and English), workshops on human rights and citizenship, as well as presentations /discussions concerning European universities and studies provided. Free time activities (physical and cultural) and one full day excursion were also included in the programme. Courses and activities were held in English.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Conclusions will be reached as to how we proceed with regard to access to higher education for refugee students. It has also been extremely evident throughout the summer school of the importance and the immediate necessity to address this issue, as part of the general subject of access to education for migrant and refugee children and young people.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Refugees

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3A - Reduce and address displacement ☑ 3B - Address the vulnerabilities of migrants and provide more regular and lawful opportunities for migration ☑ 3E - Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

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

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Greece will continue at a national level and in collaboration with international bodies such as the UNHCR, UNICEF, and UNESCO to ensure the integration of refugee children and young people in the Greek educational system and society.


  • Partnership
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece has endeavored actively in the education of migrant children and young people since the 1990s, through the operation of intercultural schools. Greece commits to continue with further plans for addressing the particularities in offering education opportunities to children of migrant backgrounds and the implementation of selected measures and politics throughout the territory.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Greece will continue to work towards providing access to quality education, at all levels, to all refugee children and youth following their registration. It has to be noted that, in Greece all minors, third-country nationals have the right of access to education, irrespective of their legal residence status or the status of their parent.


  • Operational
  • Leave No One Behind

  • Achievements at a glance

    The Ministry of Education, Science and Religious Affairs has established a Commission for the Support of Children of Refugees (SEIS) and Scientific Assistance Committee to assist the Commission (Min. Decision NG1/47070 of 03/18/2016).The scope of the work of the Commission was:
    - To register the educational activities carried out in hosting centers, to identify actions that have already been tested in the field and decide what can be applied during the period of summer initially on a pilot basis in some centers and then, gradually, in their entirety,
    - To be responsible for organizing and supervising the operations,
    -To formulate recommendations for the education of refugee children and their integration into the educational system structures during the school year 2016-2017.

    Based on the recommendations of the Committee, the Ministry of Education formulated an education action plan for refugee children.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    The implementation of this action plan started in September 2016 and includes:
    (a) the psychosocial support of children and their families,
    (b) the development of the necessary infrastructure, both in accommodation centers for refugees and the local schools,
    (c) the curriculum of reception classes, and
    (d) the recruitment and training of personnel.

    Furthermore, for the education of refugee’s children there is a cooperation with international organizations IOM, UNHCR and European Commission.
    Regarding the cooperation with NGO’s, the I.E.P (Institute for Educational Policy) has created a platform available to them, in order to coordinate education programs submitted by the NGO’s.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    The project is aimed at refugees because they are fleeing persecution, terror and war. As such, they need support. This concept is enshrined in international law including the Council of Europe/UNESCO Lisbon Recognition Convention, which ”foresees procedures designed to assess fairly and expeditiously whether refugees, displaced persons and persons in a refugee-like situation fulfill the relevant requirements for access to higher education". In this first phase of the pilot project, a select number of refugee candidates will go through the process in Athens. The idea is to establish a system which can be used by other countries in the future.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    The Greek Ministry of Education is taking part in a pilot project for the recognition of qualifications held by refugee students. The project will be carried out during 2017 by the Council of Europe, The Ministry of Education, Science and Religious Affairs of Greece and the National Academic Recognition Information Centers of Greece, Italy, Norway and the United Kingdom. It aims at refugees who claim to have completed or partially completed studies at the level of upper secondary school and above, including qualifications for which there is insufficient or missing documentation.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Refugees

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑3A - Reduce and address displacement ☑ 3E - Eliminate gaps in education for children, adolescents and young people

4B
Anticipate, do not wait, for crises

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • Greece commits to take a more systematic and integrated approach to risk management through measures that better integrate planning in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, response and recovery and through closer collaboration between different sectors and partners, so that investments in each area are complementary and based on a common analysis of risks and costs.


  • Operational
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

Core Commitment

  • 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

  • Achievements at a glance

    Regarding natural disasters and climate change and managing risks and crises differently,
    1. Greece has been actively involved in the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and also participated in the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which took place in Sendai, Japan, in March 2015.
    2. Greece was also represented through the General Secretariat for Civil Protection (GSCP) of the Ministry of Interior in the UN Open-ended Intergovernmental Expert Working Group on Indicators and Terminology Relating to Disaster Risk Reduction, which during 2015-2016 developed the indicators for the measurement of progress in the implementation of the Sendai Framework.
    3. The Hellenic National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, under the GSCP’ s coordination has been already engaged in the implementation of the Sendai Framework.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Disaster Risk Reduction

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑4B - Anticipate, do not wait, for crises