WHY IS ADVOCACY IMPORTANT?
The GPC itself is not an advocacy and campaigning platform, however it is well positioned to convene a powerful collective voice through using the broad membership and by letting others lead where they can have most influence. The GPC is positioned to coordinate these efforts, identifying key moments and targets to work across the membership on specific pieces of advocacy, in spaces the GPC would not normally occupy through its NGO partners and donors. Furthermore, the GPC Cell is uniquely placed to forge high-level relationships within the UN system to supply evidence and analysis to amplify protection concerns that could have an influence over programming decisions.
To make this work a success, the GPC embedded new ways of working on advocacy to ensure it is representative of its membership, and allow for a predictability of our advocacy efforts that fosters high quality products. Therefore, the GPC established a Task Team on Advocacy, that will be focused on protection advocacy, with a composition of that group based of advocacy specialists from key protection partners. This new way or working will help foster more collective approaches and maximise opportunities to amplify protection concerns.
KEY AREAS OF FOCUS OF THE ADVOCACY TASK TEAM
The overall strategic objective of the Global Protection Cluster on advocacy is to ensure voices of crisis affected persons and communities are heard, especially the forgotten ones.
The Advocacy Task Team ensures the GPC can mobilise effectively on national and global advocacy:
- Identify key opportunities for advocacy and the most appropriate tactics for influencing, leveraging the comparative advantage of diverse make-up of GPC
- Work jointly on developping advocacy products, essential guidance and tools
- Support capacity building of National Protection Clusters and partners of protection advocacy
- Establish strong links across the IASC Result Group 3 on Collective Advocacy to ensure centrality of protection in advocacy efforts
- Make recommendations on prioritization of research/evidence building for protection advocacy
ESSENTIAL GUIDANCE AND TOOLS
- GPC Advocacy Task Team TORs
- GPC Advocacy Task Team Frequently Asked Questions
- GPC Advocacy Action Plan 2020 on COVID
- GPC Advocacy Action Plan 2021 on Financing
KEY ADVOCACY PRODUCTS
STATEMENTS
- GPC Statement on concrete action to protection civilians in Sudan amidst political crisis, October 2021
- GPC Statement on the Protection of Civilians in Dara’a al-Balad, Syria August 2021
- GPC Statement on Ceasefire in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region July 2021
- Joint Statement on the 2021 World Humanitarian Day – Humanitarians protecting people in the climate change emergency
- GPC Statement on a Mid-Year Stocktake on Protection Funding in 2021
ADVOCACY KEY MESSAGES
- GPC Syria Protection Messages, June 2022
- GPC Protection Messages Ukraine, April 2022
- Tri-Cluster Briefing Note for the Afghanistan Pledging Conference, March 2022
- Tri-Cluster Briefing Note for the Yemen Pledging Conference, March 2022
- GPC Protection Messages Ukraine, March 2022
- GPC Protection Messages Colombia, February 2022
- GPC Protection Messages Afghanistan, February 2022
- GPC Key Protection Messages, Central Sahel, January 2022
- GPC Advocacy Messages on Afghanistan, November 2021
- GPC Key Messages – Donor briefing on the situation in Afghanistan, August 2021
- GPC Key Messages – Donor Briefing on the situation in Ethiopia, September 2021
- Key Messages – Brussels Pledging Conference 2021: Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region
- Key Messages – Protection Crisis in Central Sahel, October 2020
- IASC Key Protection Advocacy Messages on COVID-19
GLOBAL EVENTS
- Collaborative Advocacy by Humanitarian and Human Rights Actors: How to Better Manage the Tensions Between Advocacy and Operational Access? Summary Note and Recording.
- Peer Exchange Webinar on Advocacy in Protracted Crises for Communities Living Under NSAGs’ Control. Summary Notes and Recording.
- Mid-Year Event 2021: Protection funding – Where do we stand mid-year 2021? A spotlight on funding for local actors.
- High-Level Event 2020 : The State of Protection in the COVID-19 Era.
RESEARCH
- ODI – Global Protection Cluster Advocacy Scoping Study, 2020
- ODI – Collaborative advocacy between humanitarian and human rights actors: opportunities and challenges, October 2021
- ODI Briefing Note on the Complementary between International and Local Protection Advocacy; Don’t speak for me, I’ll speak for myself, March 2022
- ODI Briefing Note on Influencing State’s Policy and Practice on the Protection of Civilians, April 2022
CONTACT
Alison Kent
Global Protection Cluster Advocacy Task Team Co-lead (OXFAM)
alisonkent@oxfam.org.uk
Carolina Montenegro
Global Protection Cluster Advocacy Task Team Co-lead (NEAR)
cmontenegro@near.ngo
Marie-Emilie Dozin
Global Protection Cluster Head of Advocacy and Communication Pillar
dozin@unhcr.org