New Global Protection Cluster Strategic Advisory Group
For a shared leadership and joint responsibility
The Global Protection Cluster announced today the creation of its new Strategic Advisory Group that will guide field support in over 30 operations in conflicts and disasters.
The new group embraces the diversity of protection responders enabling the Global Protection Cluster and field operations to address stubborn old challenges and adapt to tackle new ones through greater inclusiveness, transparency, and accountability.
In making the announcement, William Chemaly the Global protection Cluster Coordinator said “I am very pleased to welcome the new members, particularly local actors, development partners and field colleagues, and hope that this new structure will allow us to better reflect on and respond to the complexities of today’s protection challenges and be ready for the future”.
The new group brings a number of changes to the governance of the global protection cluster.
- Field operations will benefit from operational knowledge of National and International NGOs and NGO networks, including a group Co-Chair for the first time.
- The group will build on the expertise of United Nations Agencies reflecting our need to support operations in mixed situations and across humanitarian, development and peace frameworks.
- For the first time as well, specialized areas of responsibilities join the group bringing expertise on child protection, gender based violence, housing land and property and mine action. In addition a number of UN Agencies and NGOs will bring their kno-how in a targeted way on subjects such as disability, aging, youth, accountability to affected population, protection of civilians, political participation of displaced population, access negotiation and engaging with states and non-state actors.
- The International Committee of the Red Cross and protection cluster coordinators from field operations will observe and guide the group ensuring the work is informed by wider protection efforts and field realities.
The new Strategic Advisory Group will be launching its new Strategic Framework in February 2020 and operationalize it through a multi-organizations workplan, with the support of two permanent working groups – an Information and Analysis Working Group and Member States Liaison Platform – as well as a number of time bound thematic task teams focusing on issues such as law and policy, protection mainstreaming and learning, cash modality for protection response, human rights, protection in climate response, and humanitarian, environmental, peace and development joint up approaches.
The multi-agency Operations Cell hosted in UNHCR Geneva and headed by the Global Protection Cluster Coordinator will continue to provide operational, functional and secretarial support to the work of the GPC.
The new group comprise the following:
- Co-chair: Global Protection Cluster Coordinator
- Co-chair: Norwegian Refugee Council
- Global Cluster Lead Agency: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- One National Cluster Coordinator
- One National Cluster Co-coordinator
Specialized Areas of Responsibility of the Global Protection Cluster:
- Child Protection, led by the United Nations Children’s Fund
- Gender Based Violence, led by the United Nations Population Fund
- Housing Land and Property, led by the Norwegian Refugee Council
- Mine Action, led by the United Nations Mine Action Service
Non-Governmental Organizations:
- Danish Refugee Council
- International Council Voluntary Agencies
- International Rescue Committee
- Interaction
- JurisConsulte, based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Network for Empowered Aid Response
United Nations Organizations
- International Organization for Migration
- Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- United Nations Development Programme
Observer: International Committee of the Red Cross
In addition, a number of organizations will contribute in a targeted way to the work of the SAG and the GPC, and as such will receive a standing invitation. This include: The World Food Programme, Oxfam, War Child, Help Age, Humanity and Inclusion.