Setting the bar higher for children in humanitarian action
Congratulations to the team at the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action for the December 2019 launch of the revised Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS). The original CPMS, released in 2012, was a groundbreaking document that brought evidence and coherence to the sector, and formed the basis for many design decisions in the early days of the Primero initiative. This new version is a major accomplishment and the culmination of a process that took more than two-years. The revision process drew on the experience and expertise of 1,900 individuals from 85 agencies. Intuitively structured around interconnected principles and standards, it brings additional rigor, evidence and sector learning to the CPMS. The revised version includes a broadened scope which includes targeted guidance for refugee settings , infectious disease outbreaks and concrete models for integrated multi-sectoral approaches . The team at the Alliance have announced that French, Arabic and Spanish versions of the CPMS handbook will be available in early 2020.
The individual child at the center of our work
The standards on Information Management (Standard 5) and Case Management (Standard 18) are highly relevant for the Primero team and stakeholders. They define our obligations to provide targeted services in a coordinated way, and reinforce the key actions for preparedness and response. They also call out the necessary investments in building capacity, data protection, and building national systems. Helpful tools for planning and measurement are included, and the new version also draws more explicitly on role of case management within the socio-ecological model. This new version strengthens our sector by raising the bar for our work in humanitarian responses.
Interconnected nature of risks and vulnerability
No two children are the same. Each child's situation is unique. The risks that they face are many, and to understand a child's risk, we need to understand the nature of the risk and the individual child’s vulnerability to that risk. Many factors, such as armed conflict, forced displacement, disasters, environmental degradation, economic insecurity, infectious disease outbreaks and discriminatory actions in a society are examples of risks that can impact a child’s protection. The new CPMS explores and explains how a child’s vulnerability may reduce his or her resilience and ability to withstand the risk.
The risks cannot be addressed in isolation. And they cannot be addressed by a single organization or service provider. It is always necessary to look at the situation of the child holistically, identifying the vulnerabilities and strengths within each child and their environment. And our collective results will always be better when we work together in a coordinated response, guided by the best practices, principles and activities laid out in this excellent new resource.
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