Draft principles of operation for agencies providing humanitarian assistance in Sri Lanka (abridged)

1. Humanitarian imperative

Agencies recognize that the right to receive humanitarian assistance, and to offer it, is a fundamental humanitarian principle that should be enjoyed by all citizens of all countries. Our primary motivation for working is to improve the human condition and alleviate human suffering, facilitating the returnee process with different communities taking into consideration their security and their rights.

2. Non-discrimination

Agencies follow a policy of non-discrimination regarding ethnic origin, sex, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, political orientation, marital status or age in regard to the target populations with whom we work.

3. Respect for culture and custom

Agencies respect the local culture, religions and traditions of the people of Sri Lanka.

4. Independence

• Agencies function independently from all governments, government controlled / organized bodies, political parties.
• Agencies set independent policies, design their own programmes and use implementation strategies which they believe are in the best interests of the humanitarian needs of individuals, families, and communities of the target population and ultimately in the best long-term interests of the people.
• Select where they work, select beneficiaries, select the most appropriate form of intervention based on their organizational mandate, their independent assessment of need and organizational capacity.
• Do not knowingly gather information of a political, military or economically sensitive nature for governments or other bodies that may serve purposes other than those purposes that are strictly humanitarian.
• Provide funds and project materials directly to project beneficiaries. Agencies do not provide funds or materials directly or indirectly to government departments or parastatal organizations for project implementation.
• Humanitarian Agencies should have unimpeded access to the population of potential beneficiaries.
• International humanitarian organizations must have unimpeded access to local partners who have the capacity to implement projects efficiently and with accountability.

5. Monitoring and accountability

• Agencies are accountable to donors and beneficiaries and adopt and implement necessary monitoring mechanisms to ensure all assistance reaches the intended targeted beneficiaries.
• Humanitarian agencies must be able to freely monitor the implementation of projects implemented with designated funds sourced for the said purpose.

5.1 Financial accountability

• Agencies consider themselves stewards of donors' funds and accept that responsibility with the utmost seriousness and have control systems in place to ensure that financial resources and assets are used solely by and for their intended project beneficiaries and are not diverted by the government or any other party.

5.2. Accessibility

Agencies work directly with and have direct access to project beneficiaries and their communities to assess, evaluate and monitor projects.

6. Transportation / Taxation

• Persons engaged in humanitarian assistance, their transport and supplies shall be respected and protected. They shall not be the object of attack or other acts of violence.
• Based on the principle that donated funds designated by the donors for specific purposes should be used fully for the said purposes, such funds or materials, or labour secured by such funds, should not be subject to taxation in any form.

7. Rights-based programming and advocacy

Agencies respect fundamental human rights as defined by the United Nations and our programmes take a constructive proactive approach to advocate for rights of individuals as consistent with programme objectives in the communities where we work.

• The fundamental right of all IDPs to return voluntarily to their homes in condition of safety and dignity must be fully respected. The establishment of their conditions is primarily the responsibility of those who are governing the said areas. This must be recognized as an essential prerequisite to material intervention by humanitarian agencies.
• The rights of beneficiaries, in particular women, to fully participate in the design of projects planned for implementation in their communities must be respected.

8. Capacity building

Agencies seek to operate in a way that supports civil society and builds the capacity of human resources in the country.

9. Sustainability

Agencies employ a diverse set of strategies with a long-term goal of achieving a suitable impact in their programming. Sustainability can be defined in a number of different ways, including the long-term impact of specific intervention following the closure of a project, continued financial viability of an institution, or capacity built within the community, within local community-based organizations or among staff members. Different agencies may employ different definitions and different methods, but all consider sustainability of paramount importance and strive to achieve it.

10. INGO co-operation

• Agencies exercise mutual respect for each agency's mandate methodology, independence and self-determination.
• Agencies practice transparency and confidentiality in engaging in a regular dialogue with one another regarding these principles and encourage one another to maintain the highest possible level of ethical programming.
• Agencies encourage and support additional agencies entering the country to develop and undertake responsible ethical programming to provide needed humanitarian assistance.

11. Local NGO Participation

The situation is now conducive for local NGOs to be made knowledgeable of humanitarian principles and to implement activities more effectively and efficiently. Therefore we consider it as an opportunity for humanitarian agencies to invite them to participate in training and capacity building programmes, in planning, monitoring and evaluating activities targeting the population in need, and linking them with both government and NGOs.