Protection Principles
Humanitarian action consists of two main pillars:
Protection
Assistance
Protection Principles
Principle 1-Avoid exposing people to further harm as a result of your actions.
Principle 2- Ensure people’s access to impartial assistance– in proportion to need and without
discrimination.
Principle 3- Protect people from physical and psychological harm due to violence or coercion.
Principle 4- Assist with rights claims, access to remedies and recovery from abuse.
Principle 1 (avoid causing harm) addresses those protection concerns that may be caused or exacerbated
by humanitarian response. As stated in the Charter, those involved in humanitarian response must do all
they reasonably can to avoid exposing people affected by disaster or armed conflict to further harm, for
example by building settlements for displaced people in unsafe areas.
Principle 2 (ensure access to impartial assistance) sets out the responsibility to ensure that humanitarian
assistance is available to all those in need, particularly those who are most vulnerable or who face
exclusion on political or other grounds. The denial of access to necessary assistance is a major protection
concern. This may include (but is not limited to) denial of secure access for humanitarian agencies to
provide assistance.
Principle 3 (protect people from violence) is concerned with protection from violence and protection
from being forced or induced to act against one’s will, e.g. to take up arms, to be forcibly removed from a
place or to be prevented from moving, or to be subjected to degrading treatment or punishment. It is
concerned with preventing or mitigating physical and psychological harm, including the spread of fear
and deliberate creation of terror or panic.
Principle 4 (assist with rights claims, access to remedies and recovery from abuse) refers to the role of
humanitarian agencies in helping affected people claim their entitlements and access remedies such as
legal redress, compensation or restitution of property. It is also concerned with helping people overcome
the effects of rape and, more generally, with helping people recover from the effects of abuse – physical
and psychological, social and economic. Together with the guidance notes, the four Protection Principles
describe what humanitarian agencies can and should do to help protect the disaster-affected population.
But it is essential to note that the roles and responsibilities of agencies in this context are generally
secondary ones. As the Charter states, such roles must be seen in relation to the primary duty of the state
or other relevant authorities, e.g. parties to a conflict who control or occupy territory. Such authorities
hold formal, legal responsibility for the welfare of people within their territory or control and, more
generally, for the safety of civilians in armed conflict.
Ultimately, it is these authorities that have the means to ensure the affected population’s security through
action or restraint. The key role of agencies may be to encourage and persuade them to do so, and to assist
people in dealing with the consequences when the authorities fail in their responsibility.
Modes of Protection Activities
The protection-related activities of all humanitarian agencies can be classified broadly according to the
following three modes of activity, which are inter-dependent and may be carried out simultaneously:
1. Preventive: Preventing physical threats or rights abuses from occurring or reducing exposure or
vulnerability to such threats and abuses. Preventing protection threats also includes efforts to
foster an environment conducive to respect for the rights of women, men, girls and boys of all
ages in accordance with international law.
2. Responsive: Stopping ongoing violations by responding to incidents of violence and other rights
abuses.
3. Remedial: Providing remedies to ongoing or past abuses, through reparation and rehabilitation,
by offering healthcare, psychosocial support, legal assistance or other services and supports, and
helping the affected population to access available remedies and claim their rights.
