Front cover

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (the Alliance) is a global network of operational agencies, academic institutions, policymakers, donors and practitioners. Its mission is to support the efforts of humanitarian actors to achieve high-quality and effective child protection interventions in both refugee and non-refugee humanitarian settings. The Alliance achieves this primarily by facilitating inter-agency collaboration on child protection and by producing technical standards and tools.
The Alliance envisions a world in which children are protected from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence in all humanitarian settings.
Contents
Icons related to the integration of child protection across sectors
What is Child Protection in Humanitarian Action?
Why the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS)?
What does each standard contain?
Who should use these standards?
How were the standards developed, and on what are they based?
The international legal basis for child protection in humanitarian action
How do these standards connect with other humanitarian standards?
How do I use the CPMS in my context?
What do we mean when we say ‘children’?
What cross-cutting issues should be considered when using the standards?
Principle 1: Survival and development
Principle 2: Non-discrimination and inclusion
Principle 3: Children’s participation
Principle 4: The best interests of the child
Principle 5: Enhance people’s safety, dignity and rights and avoid exposing them to further harm
Principle 8: Help people to claim their rights (Sphere)
Principle 9: Strengthen child protection systems
Principle 10: Strengthen children’s resilience in humanitarian action
Introduction to Pillar 1: Standards to ensure a quality child protection response
Standard 3: Communications and advocacy
Standard 4: Programme cycle management
Standard 5: Information management
Standard 6: Child protection monitoring
Introduction to Pillar 2: Standards on child protection risks
Standard 7: Dangers and injuries
Standard 8: Physical and emotional maltreatment
Standard 9: Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)
Standard 10: Mental health and psychosocial distress
Standard 11: Children associated with armed forces or armed groups
Standard 13: Unaccompanied and separated children
Introduction to Pillar 3: Standards to develop adequate strategies
Standard 14: Applying a socio-ecological approach to child protection programming
Standard 15: Group activities for child well-being
Standard 16: Strengthening family and caregiving environments
Standard 17: Community-level approaches
Standard 20: Justice for children
Introduction to Pillar 4: Standards to work across sectors
The importance of sectors working together to promote child protection and well-being
Specific considerations for sector-integrated programming
Standard 21: Food security and child protection
Standard 22: Livelihoods and child protection
Standard 23: Education and child protection
Standard 24: Health and child protection
Standard 25: Nutrition and child protection
Standard 26: Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and child protection
Standard 27: Shelter and settlement and child protection
Standard 28: Camp management and child protection
Annex 2: Relevant legal instruments
General human rights instruments and related soft law
Child-specific human rights instruments and related soft law
International humanitarian law and related soft law
International refugee law and related soft law
Annex 3: Key resources for cross-cutting issues
Refugees, internally displaced and migrant population settings
Foreword
Today, one in four children lives in a country affected by conflict or disaster. Girls and boys face daily risks to their lives and threats to their future physical and mental health. Evidence shows that illness, developmental challenges and even early death are connected to childhood hardship and exposure to violence. Children’s survival, well-being and healthy development are seriously jeopardised in humanitarian settings.
Given these immediate and long-term risks, it is an urgent priority for all those working in humanitarian settings to protect children from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. While child protection actors play a central role, all sectors need to be involved in preventing and responding holistically to the risks and vulnerabilities that affect girls and boys in crises. Humanitarian efforts must be predictable, swift, well-planned and responsive to children's and families' own priorities. Actions need to be grounded in rights, informed by evidence and measurable in their results. It is also essential to strengthen the formal and informal systems that will continue to protect children after the emergency response is over.
Taken together, all these requirements comprise the inter-agency Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. Since their launch in 2012, the standards have contributed significantly to the professionalisation of the sector. Widely known and used by child protection and other experts in humanitarian settings, they have markedly improved the quality of our work. As part of the Humanitarian Standards Partnership, they have strengthened our accountability to those we serve.
This second edition of Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action has been realised through the hard work of over 1,900 individuals from 85 agencies and 82 countries. It is a true example of inter-agency and inter-sectoral collaboration. This edition strengthens the standards' emphasis on principles, evidence and prevention and increases their applicability to internal displacement and refugee contexts. We believe these changes will further professionalise the sector and add to the rigour and quality of programmes at the field level. We urge all those involved in humanitarian action to take this opportunity to implement and promote these standards.



Acknowledgements
The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action wishes to thank everybody who has collaborated on the 2019 Edition of the CPMS.
Full acknowledgments and other added resources can be found in the online version of the CPMS at https://alliancecpha.org/en/CPMS_home.
Special thanks are due to the following agencies and individuals who gave their time and expertise.
CPMS Working Group member agencies
BIFERD |
Islamic Relief Worldwide |
Many thanks to the following agencies who organised consultation workshops:
Afghanistan: Save the Children Afghanistan; Armenia: Children’s Support Center, Fund for Armenian Relief; Bangladesh/Cox’s Bazar: Child Protection Sub-Sector; Canada: International Child Protection Network of Canada; Colombia: Corporación Infancia y Desarrollo; Democratic Republic of Congo: BIFERD/DRC; Iraq: Child Protection Working Group (supported by UNICEF, UNHCR, Mission East and Save the Children’s Fund Kurdistan); Kenya: Child Protection Working Group (supported by UNICEF and Save the Children); LAC Region: UNICEF LACRO; Myanmar: Child Protection Sub-Cluster; Nigeria: Center for Community Health and Development International (CHAD) and Terre des hommes; Papua New Guinea: World Vision; Somalia: Child Protection Working Group (supported by CISP, UNICEF and the Government of Somalia); South Sudan: Child Protection Working Group (supported by UNICEF and Save the Children); Sudan: Global Aid Hand and UNICEF; Syria: Hurras Network/ Syria; Turkey: Nirengi Association; Syria: Children of One World Association (BİR DÜNYA ÇOCUK); and Uganda: Child Protection Sub-Cluster.
Save the Children and Terre des hommes each contributed a senior staff member to coordinate and manage the drafting process. Special thanks are due to these organisations, to Minja Peuschel and Susan Wisniewski, and to Susanna Davies and Joanna Wedge (from July/August 2019).
Finally, our deepest gratitude goes to the children all around the world, including our own, who inspire, instruct and encourage us in our humanitarian work.
Editors: Proteknôn Consulting Group, LLC., led by Hannah Thompson and Kristen Castrataro.
Graphic design by: Tiery Fresneau.
Layout by: River Valley Technologies.
Online consultation management: Markus Forsberg and Kim Morral of PHAP.
Donors: This edition was made possible with the financial support of USAID/ Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration (BPRM) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Suggested citation: The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, 2019 Edition, 2019.
For feedback or suggestions for the improvement of this publication, please contact the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action CPMS Working Group at cpms.wg@alliancecpha.org.
Icons used in the CPMS
CPMS-specific icons
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Adolescence: all children aged 9–17 years |
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Case management |
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Displacement: individuals who are forced to flee their usual place of residence, including asylum seekers, refugees and internally displaced people |
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Early childhood: all children aged 0–8 years |
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Indicators |
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Infectious disease outbreaks |
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Prevention of child protection risks |
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Safeguarding |
INSPIRE icons
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Implementation and enforcement of laws |
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Norms and values |
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Safe environments |
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Parent and caregiver support |
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Income and economic strengthening |
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Response and support services |
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Education and life skills |
Icons related to the integration of child protection across sectors
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Integration across all sectors |
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Integration with food security |
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Integration with livelihoods |
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Integration with education |
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Integration with health |
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Integration with nutrition |
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Integration with water, sanitation and hygiene |
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Integration with shelter and settlement |
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Integration with camp management |
Acronyms and abbreviations
- 3/4/5Ws
Who does what, where, when and for whom
- AAP
Accountability to affected population
- ACE
Alternative care in emergencies
- BID
Best interests determination
- CAAFAG
Children associated with armed forces or armed groups
- CBCP
Community-based child protection
- CCW
Certain conventional weapons
- CDC
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- CEFM
Child, early and forced marriage
- CFS
Child-friendly spaces
- CHH
Child-headed household
- CHS
Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability
- CM
Case management
- CMTF
Case Management Task Force
- CTFMR
Country Task Force for Monitoring and Reporting (on grave violations against children)
- CP
Child protection
- CP AoR
Child Protection Area of Responsibility
- CPCM
Child protection case management
- CP(i)HA
Child protection in humanitarian action
- CPIMS
Child Protection Information Management System
- CVA
Cash and voucher assistance
- DRR
Disaster risk reduction
- ECD
Early childhood development
- ERW
Explosive remnants of war
- EO
Explosive ordnance
- FTR
Family tracing and reunification
- GBV
Gender-based violence
- GBVIMS
Gender-based Violence Information Management System
- IASC
Inter-agency Standing Committee
- ICRC
International Committee of the Red Cross / Crescent
- IDTR
Identification, documentation, tracing and reunification
- IDO
Infectious disease outbreaks
- IDP
Internally displaced persons
- IED
Improvised explosive devices
- ILO
International Labour Organization
- IM
Information Management / Manager
- INEE
Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies
- IOM
International Organisation for Migration
- IPV
Intimate partner violence
- ISP
Information-sharing protocol
- IYCF
Infant and young child feeding
- LGBTI
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex
- MHPSS
Mental health and psychosocial support
- MRM
Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (on grave violations of children's rights in situations of armed conflict)
- NGO
Non-governmental organisation
- OCHA
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
- PCM
Programme cycle management
- PDNA
Post-Disaster Needs Assessment
- PFA
Psychological first aid
- PIM
Protection information management
- PSEA
Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse
- RFL
Restoring family links
- SGBV
Sexual and gender-based violence
- SMART
Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound
- SOP
Standard operating procedures
- UASC
Unaccompanied and separated children
- UN
United Nations
- UNHCR
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
- UNICEF
United Nations International Children’s Fund
- WASH
Water, sanitation and hygiene
- WFCL
Worst forms of child labour
- WHO
World Health Organisation