Protection Concepts and Mandates

Protection has a different meaning to different people/institutions. Protection in humanitarian action requires a strategic, comprehensive and collective approach. The Global Protection Cluster refers to the Centrality of Protection, a concept that responds to the increased vulnerability of people affected by crises. 

The State is primarily responsible for protecting its civilians, which it does through structures like the police, military, local administration, justice systems, etc. These obligations extend to non-state armed actors and de-facto authorities.

When the State is unable or unwilling to fulfil these obligations, principled humanitarian action has a role to play in protecting people. Different organizations have a different mandate to focus on particularly vulnerable groups, such as children or refugees, and offer specific protection services, such as land registry or services for the survivors of sexual abuse.

Still, it is not just these organizations with a protection mandate which have responsibility.  Per the IASC Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action, protection must be central to humanitarian action and is the shared responsibility of all humanitarian actors.  Several projects, such as SPHERE, reinforce the above. 

IASC Protection Egg

                                                                                                 Protection Pyramid

                                                                                            Protection in peacekeeping

  UN-CMCoord Tasks and Protection 

  Who needs Protection ?

Protection 

Protection of Civilians - Juliana Case (Group Work)