Minimum standards for child protection in humanitarian action

There is currently limited evidence on which child protection interventions are most effective and appropriate in different contexts. These standards are therefore based on the expertise and experience of practitioners working in the sector today. They are intended for use by those working on child protection or related areas of humanitarian action. The standards also aim to support relationships of accountability between survivors of conflict or disaster and humanitarian workers, through participation by survivors providing the possibility to influence decisions about the assistance they receive, and through the provision of information and channels to complain if humanitarian assistance is not well provided.

The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action follow the structure of the Sphere standards. Each standard is accompanied by key actions, measurements (including indicators and targets), and guidance notes. It is intended that the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action be used in conjunction with the Sphere Handbook, and that they provide a complementary set of agreed norms that relate specifically to child protection work in humanitarian settings.