Protection Starter Kit

This compilation of basic protection and protection-related documents has been developed on the request of, and to benefit newly recruited UNHCR staff (including JPOs) as well as deployees and UNVs working with UNHCR. The compilation brings together key documents that all staff who are undertaking protection activities on behalf of UNHCR should be familiar with. Given the nature of the compilation, it may also be of value to members of civil society (e.g.: NGOs, lawyers, academics, students) who wish to enhance their understanding of UNHCR and its protection mandate.

While this compilation provides a helpful starting point and will be updated periodically, colleagues are encouraged to use the extensive electronic Refworld collection when addressing country and/or thematic issues in their work.

1.UNHCR and International Protection
- 1.1General Introduction
- 1.2Durable Solutions
- 1.3Emergencies
2.Community Services
3.Women
4.Children
5.Older Persons
6.Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
7.Statelessness
8.Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
9.Refugee Status Determination (RSD)
10.Protection Operations Support
11.Protection Training and Learning
- 11.1Mandatory Learning Programmes
- 11.2Self-Study Modules
- 11.3Protection Learning Programmes

1. UNHCR and International Protection Top

2. Community Services Top

UN High Commissioner for Refugees, The Heightened Risk Identification Tool - Second Edition, June 2010
UN High Commissioner for Refugees, The Heightened Risk Identification Tool (User Guide) - Second Edition, June 2010
Reinforcing a Community Development Approach, UNHCR Executive Committee of the High Commissioner's Programme, Standing Committee, EC/51/SC/CRP.6, 15 February 2001
The Community Services Function in UNHCR. An Independent Evaluation, EPAU/2003/02, Evaluation and Policy Analysis Unit, March 2003
UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations, First edition, May 2006
Women, Girls, Boys and Men: Different Needs - Equal Opportunities. IASC Gender Handbook in Humanitarian Action, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), December 2006
UNHCR Manual on a Community Based Approach in UNHCR Operations, March 2008

3. Women Top

UNHCR Policy on Refugee Women, August 1990
UNHCR's Commitments to Refugee Women, December 2001
UNHCR Policy on Refugee Women and Guidelines on Their Protection: An Assessment of Ten Years of Implementation. An Independent Sssessment by the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, May 2002
Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls, January 2008

4. Children Top

5. Older Persons Top

UNHCR's Policy on Older Refugees, EC/50/SC/CRP.13, Annex II, 19 April 2000
Older People in Disasters and Humanitarian Crises: Guidelines for Best Practice, HelpAge International, 2000
The Protection of Older Persons and Persons With Disabilities, EC/58/SC/CRP.14, 6 June 2007

6. Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Top

Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Against Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons. Guidelines for Prevention and Response, May 2003
Guidelines for Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings: Focusing on Prevention of and Response to Sexual Violence in Emergencies, IASC Taskforce on Gender in Humanitarian Assistance, September 2005

7. Statelessness Top

A Study of Statelessness, E/1112; E/1112/Add.1, United Nations, August 1949
Information and Accession Package: The 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, January 1999
Final Report Concerning the Questionnaire on Statelessness Pursuant to the Agenda for Protection. Steps taken by States to Reduce Statelessness and to Meet the Protection Needs of Stateless Persons, March 2004
UNHCR's activities in the field of statelessness: progress report, EC/55/SC/CRP.13/Rev.1, 30 June 2005
Nationality and Statelessness. A Handbook for Parliamentarians, UNHCR and Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), October 2005
The World's Stateless People. Questions & Answers, September 2007 (brochure)
The Excluded: The strange, hidden world of the stateless, Refugees Magazine, Special Report, No. 147, Issue 3, September 2007

8. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Top

Handbook for Applying the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 1 November 1999
Manual on Field Practice in Internal Displacement. Examples from UN Agencies and Partner Organizations of Field-Based Initiatives Supporting Internally Displaced Persons, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 1999
Implementing the Collaborative Response to Situations of Internal Displacement. Guidance for UN Humanitarian and/or Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, Inter-Agency Standing Committee, September 2004
Guidance Note on Using the Cluster Approach to Strengthen Humanitarian Response, Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), 24 November 2006
Internally Displaced People. Questions & Answers, September 2007 (brochure)
Guidance on Profiling Internally Displaced Persons, Provisional release, Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), November 2007
Handbook for the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons, Provisional release, Global Protection Cluster Working Group, December 2007

9. Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Top

Handbook on Procedures and Criteria for Determining Refugee Status under the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/1P/4/ENG/REV. 3, December 2011
Guidelines on International Protection No. 1: Gender-Related Persecution Within the Context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/02/01, 7 May 2002
Guidelines on International Protection No. 2: "Membership of a Particular Social Group" Within the Context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/02/02, 7 May 2002
Guidelines on International Protection No. 3: Cessation of Refugee Status under Article 1C(5) and (6) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (the "Ceased Circumstances" Clauses), HCR/GIP/03/03, 10 February 2003
Guidelines on International Protection No. 4: "Internal Flight or Relocation Alternative" Within the Context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/03/04, 23 July 2003
Guidelines on International Protection No. 5: Application of the Exclusion Clauses: Article 1F of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/03/05, 4 September 2003
Guidelines on International Protection No. 6: Religion-Based Refugee Claims under Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/04/06, 28 April 2004
Guidelines on International Protection No. 7: The Application of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees to Victims of Trafficking and Persons At Risk of Being Trafficked, HCR/GIP/04/06, 7 April 2006
Guidelines on International Protection No. 8: Child Asylum Claims under Articles 1(A)2 and 1(F) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/09/08, 22 December 2009
Guidelines on International Protection No. 9: Claims to Refugee Status based on Sexual Orientation and/or Gender Identity within the context of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or its 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/12/01, 23 October 2012
Guidelines on International Protection No. 10: Claims to Refugee Status related to Military Service within the context of Article 1A (2) of the 1951 Convention and/or the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees, HCR/GIP/13/10/Corr. 1, 3 December 2013
Guidelines on International Protection No. 11 : Prima Facie Recognition of Refugee Status, HCR/GIP/15/11, 24 June 2015
Guidelines on International Protection No. 12: Claims for refugee status related to situations of armed conflict and violence under Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees and the regional refugee definitions, HCR/GIP/16/12, 2 December 2016
Procedural Standards for Refugee Status Determination Under UNHCR's Mandate, 20 November 2003

10. Protection Operations Support Top

Project Planning in UNHCR: A Practical Guide on the Use of Objectives, Outputs, and Indicators for UNHCR Staff Implementing Partners, Second version, March 2002
Designing Protection Strategies and Measuring Progress: Checklist for UNHCR Staff, July 2002
UNHCR Handbook for Registration, Provisional release, September 2003
Practical Guide to the Systematic Use of Standards & Indicators in UNHCR Operations, Second edition, February 2006
Operational Protection in Camps and Settlements. A Reference Guide of Good Practices in the Protection of Refugees and Other Persons of Concern, June 2006
Protection Gaps: Framework for Analysis, Enhancing Protection of Refugees, June 2006
Operational Guidelines on Maintaining the Civilian and Humanitarian Character of Asylum, September 2006

11. Protection Training and Learning Top

11.1 Mandatory Learning Programmes Top

There are four mandatory computer-based training programmes that all staff - including JPOs, UNVs, deployees, consultants and interns - are required to undertake. They are currently available on the UNHCR Intranet or on a CD upon request. They are listed below for reference purposes:

Protection Induction Programme
Basic Security in the Field
Advanced Security in the Field
Prevention of Harassment in the Workplace

11.2 Self-Study Modules Top

UNHCR's self-study modules have been designed to benefit all UNHCR staff, partners and other members of civil society. They are also frequently referred to by colleagues designing protection training workshops for a wide range of audiences:

Self-Study Module 1: An Introduction to International Protection. Protecting Persons of Concern to UNHCR, August 2005
Self-Study Module 2: Refugee Status Determination. Identifying Who is a Refugee, September 2005
Self-Study Module 3: Interpreting in a Refugee Context, 1 January 2009
RLD4 - Interviewing Applicants for Refugee Status, 1995
Self-Study Module 5: Human Rights and Refugee Protection (Vol. I), December 2006
Self-Study Module 5: Human Rights and Refugee Protection (Vol. II), December 2006
Self-Study Module 6: Statelessness, September 2010

11.3 Protection Learning Programmes Top

The various protection learning programmes consist of a self-study phase, a workshop and a post-workshop phase. They are offered by UNHCR on a regional basis for UNHCR staff and partners who are working on the respective thematic issues. They are listed below for reference purposes:

Protection Learning Programme: An intermediate programme for all UNHCR staff from GS6 and higher who wish to better understand protection-oriented operations.
Thematic Protection Learning Programme on Statelessness: A Thematic Programme for senior staff and partners on how to work towards identifying, preventing, responding to and protecting stateless persons in an operation.
Thematic Protection Learning Programme on Protection Strategies in the Context of Broader Migration Movements: A programme for middle and senior level staff and partners on the protection of persons of concern to UNHCR in the context of broader migration movements.
Refugee Status Determination (RSD) Learning Programme: An operation-specific training for staff members working extensively on RSD issues.
Resettlement Learning Programme: An operation-specific training for staff members working extensively on resettlement issues.

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