text: Chapter 3
  Table 3-3. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Nongovernmental
  Organization Code of Conduct in Disaster Relief
  • The humanitarian imperative comes first.
  • Aid is given regardless of the race, creed, or nationality of the recipients and without adverse
  distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are calculated based on need alone.
  • Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint.
  • We shall endeavor not to act as instruments of government foreign policy.
  • We shall respect culture and custom.
  • We shall attempt to build disaster response on local capacities.
  • Ways shall be found to involve program beneficiaries in the management of relief aid.
  • Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meeting basic needs.
  • We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from whom we accept
  resources.
  • In our information, publicity, and advertising activities, we shall recognize disaster victims as
  dignified human beings, not hopeless objects.
  3-163. Like most professional codes, the code of conduct is voluntary. It applies to any NGO, national or
  international, regardless of size. It provides ten principles that all NGOs should adhere to in their disaster
  response work. The code of conduct also describes the relationships that these groups should seek with
  donor organizations, host-nation governments, and the UN. The code is self-policing; no NGO is going to
  force another NGO to act in a certain way. At the time this manual was prepared, no international
  association for disaster response NGOs possessed any authority to sanction its members. (A more detailed
  discussion of The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Nongovernmental
  Organization Code of Conduct in Disaster Relief appears on the International Committee of the Red Cross
  Web site.)
  Oslo Guidelines
  3-164. The Oslo Guidelines were completed in 1994. They were the result of a collaborative effort by
  over 180 delegates from 45 nations and 25 organizations. These delegates drafted the Oslo Guidelines to
  establish a framework on the use of foreign military and civil defense assets in disaster relief. This
  framework aims to formalize and improve the effectiveness and efficiency when using United Nations
  military and civil defense assets for international disaster relief operations. The core principles of the Oslo
  Guidelines are—
  * Humanity.
  * Neutrality.
  * Impartiality.
  In addition to the core principles, key concepts include sovereignty and the complementing military and
  civil defense forces. (A more detailed discussion of the Oslo Guidelines, including additional key concepts,
  can be found on the UN Web site known as ReliefWeb.)
  Interagency Standing Committee Principles and Concepts on Civil-Military Relationship in
  Complex Emergencies
  3-165. The Interagency Standing Committee was established in June 1992, in response to UN General
  Assembly Resolution 46/182 on the strengthening of humanitarian assistance. It is the primary mechanism
  for interagency coordination of humanitarian assistance. It is a unique forum involving the key United
  Nations and other humanitarian partners. All humanitarian action, including civil-military coordination for
  humanitarian purposes in complex emergencies, must be conducted in accordance with the overarching
  principles (shown in table 3-4). This section outlines these principles and concepts to follow when planning
  or undertaking civil-military coordination. (A more detailed discussion of the IASC principles and concepts
  is in the Civil-Military Guidelines & Reference for Complex Emergencies and on the UN Web site known
  as ReliefWeb.)