8th Asia Pacific Conference

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Oct 20, 2010 - We will pursue sustained humanitarian diplomacy initiatives to advocate for humanitarian needs of mi- gra
Amman Commitment th

8 Asia Pacific Conference 17-20 October 2010 – Amman, Jordan

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TRATEGY 2020 of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies calls for collective commitments by member National Societies to do more, do better and to reach further in saving lives and changing minds. Building on the progress made over the past four years in implementing the 2006 Singapore Declaration, we reaffirm our intention to align our own national strategies with the main directions of Strategy 2020. With the increase in scale and frequency of natural disasters, often in complex environments, which is further compounded by the impact of the global financial crisis, we reconfirm the importance for the Red Cross Red Crescent to build community resilience and to prepare and respond effectively to disasters. We must adhere to the Fundamental Principles in all our actions. We celebrate the valuable contribution of our youth and volunteers and recognize their indispensible role in achieving the goals set out in Strategy 2020. We, the National Societies of Asia Pacific, therefore make the following commitments:

Effective preparedness: saving lives 1. We will ensure that our organizational development plans aimed at building strong National Societies will support effective systems, structures and mechanisms to be well prepared in building community resilience and responding to disasters and crisis. AND WILL

• Implement a robust development strategy for volunteers and youth to enable them to be the key first responders to disasters and crises. • Implement a strong communication strategy that includes beneficiary communication to ensure transparency of our actions • Implement an effective branch development strategy to deepen our reach to the most vulnerable in our communities. • Utilise our regional and global disaster response resources to complement national capacities for timely and effective implementation of relief and recovery assistance. 2. We will strive to empower communities to reduce disaster risks through knowledge sharing and learning, promoting community level behavioural change, advocacy, partnerships and integrated approaches.

www.ifrc.org Saving lives, changing minds.

AND WILL

• Identify traditional and emerging risks in our national and regional contexts, utilising local knowledge of social, environmental and physical vulnerability. • Engage and align our programming with national disaster risk reduction plans and frameworks. • Map existing strengths, capacity and knowledge and experience across Asia Pacific in order to foster greater sharing and learning. 3. We will strengthen and expand the Red Cross Red Crescent auxiliary role and partnerships in national health systems by promoting our unique strengths, especially in community-based health programmes and volunteer systems to respond to pandemics and health needs for the most vulnerable populations. AND WILL

• Efficiently use our resources to address the gaps in health services at the community level. We will do this through mobilizing youth and volunteers, and maximising our auxiliary role to better access resources. • Introduce community-based health and first aid approaches that enable National Societies to adapt their health programmes to the local context, meeting the needs of both rural and urban communities through primary and emergency health services. 4. We will work more efficiently with external partners in our role as a key humanitarian player ensuring full respect for our Fundamental Principles, particularly the principles of neutrality, independence and impartiality. AND WILL

• Actively participate and support initiatives following the Council of Delegates decision in 2009 to develop International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement guidelines for engaging with external partners. • Analyse and better understand our own and external partner capacities to maximise the opportunity of collaboration, guided by clear policy and due diligence.

Humanitarian diplomacy: changing minds 5. We will pursue sustained humanitarian diplomacy initiatives to advocate for humanitarian needs of migrants and internally displaced people with governments and other relevant stakeholders.

AND WILL

• Undertake further research into the experience and conditions of migrants and internally displaced people in Asia Pacific to plan a more effective Red Cross Red Crescent response to their humanitarian needs. • Establish regional and inter-regional Red Cross Red Crescent platforms for humanitarian assistance to migrants and internally displaced people. 6. We will strengthen our own capacity and increase activities to advocate for more favourable humanitarian legislation. AND WILL

• Increase our knowledge and understanding of IDRL within our own National Societies and utilise this capacity to advocate and work with governments on disaster management legislation. • Seek opportunities to partner with other actors on IDRL and utilise existing links and structures to advocate for enhanced legal preparedness. • Encourage new interest in IHL by supporting the establishment of national IHL committees in more countries. 7. We will collectively work to reach Movement objectives in a spirit of transparency and accountability as one Movement. AND WILL

• Develop/update national strategies in a participatory way, including all components of the Movement for well-coordinated partnerships. • Strengthen our leadership capacity at all levels to advance effective Movement cooperation in line with the Code of Good Partnership and under the guidance of Strategy 2020. 8. We will strive to strengthen our domestic resource mobilization capacity and reach, and increasingly move towards financial self-reliance to provide sustained services to the people we seek to assist. AND WILL

• Participate in the Federation-Wide Resource Mobilization strategy (FWRMS) reference groups and ensure that the strategy is shared with all relevant parties and is measured for its effectiveness. • Commit to network, learn from best practices and support one another and follow through the outcomes from the fundraising Hui (meeting) organized in April 2010.

Culture of volunteering and greater youth participation 9. We will implement the Solferino Declaration and Ajloun Commitments with a clear implementation plan and allocated resources. AND WILL

• Recommend that Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change (YABC) orientation be undertaken for all Red Cross Red Crescent leaders and increase the number of YABC trainers to ensure all National Societies have capacity to conduct youth activities at local and national levels. • Develop and implement national volunteering and youth policies to ensure strengthened recruitment, retention and recognition of volunteers of all ages. 10. We will focus better on children’s vulnerability, with a specific focus on vulnerability of female children and share the best practices. AND WILL

• Encourage a stronger voice of empowered youth using a holistic approach targeting family, community and other stakeholders. • Scale up psychological support tools that can be adjusted to needs and cross-cultural contexts. 11. We will actively involve and utilise youth appropriately at all decision-making levels within our structures. AND WILL

• Allocate appropriate resources for youth activities, training and motivation. • Recommend that, where possible, at least ONE member of youth is represented on the national governing board, and that ONE youth is included in delegations attending statutory meetings. 12. We will recommit to the principle of voluntary service by putting this at the centre of everything we do. AND WILL

• Undertake a media campaign to celebrate the work of volunteers in conjunction with the International Year of Volunteers. • Allocate a greater priority to volunteering issues and the recognition, motivation and development of volunteers.

Amman, 20 October 2010