Saving lives,changing minds

Stra

tegy

201

3-20

17

Inte

rnat

iona

l Coo

pera

tion

AUSTRIAN RED CROSS

www.roteskreuz.at

2 | Strategy 2013-2017

IMPRINTAustrian Red Cross, Headquarters, International Cooperation, Wiedner Hauptstraße 32, 1041 Vienna, ZVR-No.: 432857691, Phone.: +43 1 589 00-190, E-Mail: service@redcross.at, www.roteskreuz.at, www.redcross.at; Chief Editor: Max Santner, Photos: Austrian Red Cross, Ethiopian Red Cross, IFRC, Graphics, layout & print: markushechenberger.net, First edition. January 2013

This strategy was adopted by the 219th Austrian Red Cross Governing Board meeting on November, 16th 2012.

International Cooperation | 3

The Austrian Red Cross at a glance:

The Austrian Red Cross was founded and officially recognized in 1880.

Regional and national bodies have been established as non-profit societies under Austrian law and act with legal and financial independence.

Over 60,000 volunteers and full-time professionals in 9 regional branches, 141 district and 711 local branches work country wide to alleviate suffering and provide hu-manitarian services to the Austrian population and abroad through health care and ambulance services, blood donation, first aid, social and welfare services, tracing, and disaster management.

The Austrian Red Cross International Cooperation Strategy 2013–2017 (The Strategy) depicts the way the Austrian Red Cross (AutRC) will work in delivering aid internationally.

This Strategy is a product of a process undertaken by the AutRC International Cooperation (IC) to analyse the external and internal factors influencing its humanitarian and development work. This thorough analysis has led to a rethinking of the AutRC strategy for its IC, and the reshaping of its operational activities from 2013 to 2017.

Based on this strategic document the AutRC will develop a multi-annual and annual work plans defining detailed targets and activities for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the AutRC IC strategic objectives.

Introduction

4 | Strategy 2013-2017

In today’s fast changing world various trends pose huge challenges to people in need. The number and severity of disasters, armed conflict and violence have increased. More than one billion people live in areas affected by conflict and/or in a situation with weak state institutions, poor governance, and governments being unable or unwilling to provide basic services and security to its people.

Humanitarian space as a frame for humanitarian organizations to effectively, safely and impar-tially provide assistance and protection to populations affected by conflict is under threat. With the politicization of aid, there is increasingly a need for neutral, independent and impartial humanitarian action.

Unforeseeable and more extreme weather events due to climate change threaten peoples livelihood and safety. Complex disasters, the coincidence of multiple conflicts and disasters are no longer an exception. The interrelated consequences are progressing environmental degra-dation, competition over vital resources like food and water, and frequent migration. These factors hit poor societies hardest, increase their vulnerability and hamper development.

More than half of the world’s population lives in urban or peri-urban settings. Population growth and unregulated urbanisation implicate changing lifestyles, heavily varying income opportunities and different forms of vulnerability, often leading to gross inequity and social exclusion among societies.

More and new humanitarian actors, including public-private partnerships enter the humani-tarian arena. The set up increases the challenge of humanitarian assistance’s coordination and potentially blur the perception of development work. This trend consequently leads to a competition for resources among traditional and new humanitarian actors.

Paternalistic attitudes vis-à-vis the so called third world gets fundamentally questioned.

Aid organizations and donors change their conceptual and operational approaches to devel-opment, and adapt their funding instruments and modalities accordingly. South-south cooper-ation will be promoted rather than North-south cooperation in development work. Service delivery, advisory measures and knowledge management in humanitarian assistance and development efforts are getting more important.

New partnerships within and beyond the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement will be necessary to ensure that humanitarian needs of the most vulnerable are met timely, effectively and efficiently and realize positive sustainable change.

Context

Due to a changing environment, huge challenges lie ahead of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, constituting the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and 188 Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies. As the world’s largest humanitarian organization, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement faces up to the upcoming changes based on its vision “Saving lives, changing minds”.

International Cooperation | 5

Strategic Frame

International framework documents (among others)

■ United Nations: “Millennium

Development Goals”, “Hyogo

Framework for Action”

■ OECD: “Paris Declaration”, “Ac-

cra Agenda for Action”, “Busan

Global Partnership for Effective

Development Cooperation”

■ European Union: “EU Agenda

for Change”, “EU Consensus

on Humanitarian Aid”, “EU

Consensus on Development”

The strategic direction, the operational focus and the scope of the AutRC IC activities are based on the needs of the most vulnerable people and their socio-economic challenges.

Humanitarian standards, international policy documents in the field of development and human-itarian aid and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement build the framework of our activities.

Red Cross and Red Crescent MovementThe seven Fundamental Red Cross Principles constitute the frame for all Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian activities.The vision of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) defines the overarching goal of all activities: “Saving lives, changing minds”, and the IFRC Strategy 2020 lines out three strategic aims:

1. Save lives, protect livelihoods, and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises

2. Enable healthy and safe living

3. Promote social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace

Austrian Red CrossThe activities of the AutRC IC are embedded in the AutRC Strategy and Strategy 2020 of the IFRC. Related to the legal framework in Austria the responsibilities of the AutRC are constituted by the AutRC Law, stipulating the AutRC being auxiliary in humanitarian services to the Austrian government. Within the organization the responsibilities and organizational set up is outlined by the AutRC Statutes. The AutRC statutory documents assign the strategic and operational lead of AutRC inter-national activities exclusively to the responsibility of the AutRC headquarters in Vienna. The international and national work of the AutRC is, however, mutually inspiring. AutRC volunteers, branches and the AutRC Youth contribute to the AutRC international work. Public information about AutRC international work communicated by Marketing and Communications supports the overall image of the AutRC among the public and authorities, and strengthens thereby the public support for the AutRC work as a whole.

Fundamental Red Cross Principles

Humanity: people caring for people Impartiality: aid doesn’t differentiateNeutrality: humanitarian initiatives need trustIndependence: our principles are maintained through self-determinationVoluntary Service: true aid must be free of self interestUnity: only one in any given country, open to allUniversality: humanitarian values are global

6 | Strategy 2013-2017

The AutRC IC works explicitly on a needs-based approach for, by and with the most vulnerable people.

In order to optimize the impact of our work, there is a need to have a focus. In long-term devel-opment work and in the emergency response, our thematic focus is on water, sanitation and hygiene combined with food security, and in disaster risk reduction with a focus on climate change adaptation. In addition, social inclusion will be given special attention.

Emergency response and recovery activities will be carried out globally according to needs and based on our capacities. We foster the link between relief, rehabilitation and development.

In our long-term strategic engagement we will follow a regional focus. Eastern Africa, South-Eastern and Eastern Europe, and the South Caucasus will be our target regions, the current engagement in Asia will be reviewed in the coming years. We are committed to cooperate in long-term partnerships within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Through all our activities we aim to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable individuals, communities and institutions.

Recognizing the changing environment new ways of thinking and working are prerequisite to prevent and alleviate human suffering, to save and protect lives and to ensure the respect for the rights of the human being.

We are striving to act as a reliable and competent partner in humanitarian aid and devel-opment work within our core competences. Our activities follow high standards for the benefit of the vulnerable and are valued by the public, and partners within and beyond the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. We follow a sustainable and integrated approach by delivering humanitarian services. Providing knowledge management within our core competencies is a major part of our service delivery.

Our Vision

Our Approach

Resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, organizations, or countries exposed to disasters and crises and underlying vulnerabilities to:

■ anticipate

■ reduce the impact of

■ cope with

■ and recover from the effects of

adversity without compromising

their long-term prospects.

Thematic focus- Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and

Food security- Disaster Preparedness- Social Inclusion

Regional focus- Eastern Africa- South-Eastern and Eastern Europe- South Caucasus

International Cooperation | 7

In our strategic engagement, the combination of thematic and regional focus linked with capacity development will constitute our programmatic approach. However, there will be a shift from explicit service delivery to increased provision of advisory support and knowledge exchange.

As a result there will be a need for intensified engagement in advocacy on behalf of the most vulnerable. Thereby the concept of Humanitarian Diplomacy demonstrates the responsibility to persuade decision makers and opinion leaders to act at all times in the interests of vulnerable people, and with full respect of our Fundamental Principles.

While focusing our operational engagement thematically and regionally, we will build on enhanced cooperation with partners primarily within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. To meet the needs of the most vulnerable in a holistic approach we see the necessity for a division of labour among the partners. Partnership will further be key to successfully addressing the changing donor landscape and to diversifying resource mobilization opportunities.

Professionally trained and experienced human resources are vital and prerequisite to the future increasing provision of advisory support and expertise in our core competences.

We strive to deliver our work according to professional standards in the humanitarian sector, with high quality, sensitive to gender, age and other socio-economic considerations, in a timely and appropriate manner. We have to consider eventual environmental consequences of our activities and strive to avoid any harm. Accountability to our stakeholders and above all, to our beneficiaries, and transparency of our activities are a cornerstone of our work.

Humanitarian Standards (among others)

■ “Code of Conduct for the In-

ternational Red Cross and Red

Crescent Movement and NGOs

in Disaster Relief”

■ “Humanitarian Charter and

Minimum Standards in Humani-

tarian Response/SPHERE”

8 | Strategy 2013-2017

■ We integrate disaster risk reduction planning in our emergency response activities from the

earliest feasible stage, and further the linking of the emergency response activities to reco-

very and development.

Strategic Objective 2Protect livelihoods, enable healthy and safe living and promote social inclusion: We provide an important contribution to strengthen the resilience of people in need and support them in reducing their risk of being exposed to disasters, crises and underlying vulnerabilities.

■ We contribute with our expertise and experience in water supply, sanitation and hygiene

promotion, combined with food security, to better livelihoods of vulnerable communities.

■ We support Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies and communities to be better

prepared for disasters and to mitigate the impact of disasters for the communities with a

special focus on climate change adaptation.

■ We support and advocate for disadvantaged groups – who are unable to enjoy the general

benefits of the society – in their basic needs and to have greater access to public available

services.

Strategic Objectives 2013-2017

Enabling action 1

Support Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, capacity development

Enabling action 2

Advocacy and public education & trainings (Humanitarian Diplomacy)

Enabling action 3

Building cooperation within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and beyond

Strategic Objective 1

Save lives and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises

Strategic Objective 2

Protect livelihoods, enable healthy and safe living and promote

social inclusion

Strategy 2013-2017Austrian Red Cross – International Cooperation

Strategic Objective 1Save lives and strengthen recovery from disasters and crises: We respond to the needs of disaster affected through providing financial aid, material and relevant expertise.

■ We respond to disasters and crises world-

wide in a timely and effective manner,

efficient and based on the needs of the

affected population. In our response we

only add to what is not provided by local,

national or regional sources.

■ We support the most vulnerable to recover

after disasters and crises and make them

resilient to cope with future disasters and

adversities.

■ We strengthen national and regional

emergency response systems with a special

focus on Europe, where we are part of the

national and regional response system.

International Cooperation | 9

Enabling action 1Support Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, capacity development: We acknowledge the leading position of our partner Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in their home country and will support them to fulfil their mandate and to provide services for the most vulnerable.

■ In all our programmes and projects we aim to strengthen and to further develop the capacity

of our respective partners in order to be a well-functioning Red Cross and Red Crescent

National Society at both headquarters and branch levels.

■ We support our partner Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in project imple-

mentation by financial support, and providing technical expertise in our core competencies.

We assist our partners by capacity development with a special focus on project cycle ma-

nagement, thus specifically in planning, proposal writing, donor relations, implementation,

monitoring and evaluation.

Enabling action 2Advocacy and public education and trainings (Humanitarian Diplomacy): We engage in policy dialogue on all levels with decision makers and opinion leaders on behalf of the vulnerable.

■ We formulate, promote and defend the rights of the vulnerable by operationalizing the

Red Cross and Red Crescent Fundamental Principles.

■ We take active part in public and internal awareness and educational activities by positio-

ning humanitarian issues and promoting AutRC IC core competencies.

■ We network and liaise within and beyond the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement to

lobby for Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian positions.

Enabling action 3Building cooperation within the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and beyond: We build on enhanced partnership to promote a holistic view of the target populations´ needs, and an integrated approach in providing our services. Thereby we strive to improve the quality, efficiency and overall impact of our work.

■ In our emergency response we build on and foster the coordination function and capacities of

the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International

Committee of the Red Cross.

■ In our long-term engagement we seek partnership within and beyond the Red Cross and

Red Crescent Movement in order to complement competencies, use synergies, share costs

and increase efficiency.

■ We use partnership to jointly address traditional and new funding channels. Thereby we aim

to create a diversified financial basis for our activities and sustain our long-term commitment.

10 | Strategy 2013-2017

■ European Commission. EU Agenda for Change,

http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/development-policies/documents/agenda_for_

change_en.pdf

■ European Commission. EU Consensus on Development,

http://ec.europa.eu/development/icenter/repository/eu_consensus_en.pdf

■ European Commission. EU Consensus on Humanitarian Aid,

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:025:0001:0012:EN:PDF

■ Inter-Agency Standing Committee. Inter Agency Standing Committee Coordination Mechanisms,

http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/iasc

■ International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

http://www.icrc.org

■ International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

http://www.ifrc.org

■ International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Strategy 2020,

http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Publications/general/strategy-2020.pdf

■ International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the ICRC.

Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs

in Disaster Relief,

http://www.ifrc.org/Global/Publications/disasters/code-of-conduct/code-english.pdf

■ OECD. Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and Accra Agenda for Action,

http://www.oecd.org/dac/aideffectiveness/34428351.pdf

■ OECD. Busan Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation,

http://www.oecd.org/dac/aideffectiveness/49650173.pdf

■ Open Forum for CSO Development Effectiveness. Istanbul Principles for CSO Develop-

ment Effectiveness,

http://www.cso-effectiveness.org/IMG/pdf/final_istanbul_cso_development_effectiven-

ess_principles_footnote_december_2010-2.pdf

■ Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz (ÖRK).

http://www.roteskreuz.at

■ The Sphere Project. Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards

in Humanitarian Response/SPHERE,

http://www.sphereproject.org/

■ United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Hyogo Framework for Action,

http://www.unisdr.org/files/1037_hyogoframeworkforactionenglish.pdf

■ Vereinten Nationen. Millennium Development Goals,

http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals

Further links

International Cooperation | 11

The Fundamental Red Cross Principles

Humanity The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire to bring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, endeavours, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate human suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and health and to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples.

Impartiality It makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guided solely by their needs, and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

Neutrality In order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not take sides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

Independence The Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in the humanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respective countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able at all times to act in accordance with the principles of the Movement.

Voluntary service It is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.

Unity There can be only one Red Cross or one Red Crescent Society in any one country. It must be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.

Universality The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all Societies have equal status and share equal responsibilities and duties in helping each other, is worldwide.

AUSTRIAN RED CROSS