Afghanistan: Joint Operating Principles - Ensuring the Delivery of Principled Humanitarian Assistance (revised December 2022)
The Joint Operating Principles (JOPs) were endorsed by the HCT in December 2019 and revised in August 2021, and in December 2022.
Purpose and scope: Humanitarian staff and organizations engaged in the response to the crisis in Afghanistan agree that these JOPs reflect accepted policies and standars for interaction and engagement with duty-bearers, and other stakeholders in humanitarian action.
Humanitarian actors agree to hold themselves and their sub-contractors, suppliers and those otherwise involved in the humanitarian operation and programmes, to these shared principles and core operating standards. These JOPs form the framework for engagement in bi-lateral and joint negotiations with the De-facto Authorities (DfA).
A. Principles
Humanitarian operations and actors are guided by the core Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. These principles are derived from International Humanitarian Law, Human Rights Law and other normative documents1 , and in accordance with the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response:
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Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found, with particular attention to the most vulnerable populations, such as children, women, people with disabilities and the elderly. The dignity and rights of survivors must be respected and protected.
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Neutrality: Humanitarian actors will not participate individually or organizationally in hostilities or taking sides in controversies of a political, religious, or ideological nature.
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Impartiality: Assistance is provided without discrimination based on ethnic origin, political opinion, gender, nationality, race or religion. The provision of humanitarian assistance is guided solely by needs, and priority is given to the most vulnerable cases.
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Independence: Humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or non-humanitarian objectives.