GISF’s latest publication delves into the humanitarian principle of neutrality, exploring how it can impact the delivery of aid and partnerships with local actors.
Neutrality may seem like a simple idea. It refers to a stance of not supporting either side in a conflict or dispute. But it is not always as straightforward as it sounds.
“No idea in the humanitarian world has created more confusion than neutrality.” Those are the words of Jean Pictet, one of the key figures involved in drafting the 1949 Geneva Conventions. As one of the world’s leading bodies for promoting NGO security risk management, GISF has long recognised the truth of those words. We are aware that neutrality is a concept that has often been misunderstood or interpreted inconsistently by different parties.
To help address this, GISF is now pleased to publish our latest research paper: Neutrality, Access, and Making Localisation Work.
Drawing on interviews with 20 humanitarian practitioners and experts, this publication unpacks what neutrality means to different actors. It also explores how a position of neutrality can impact humanitarian access, the acceptance of aid, and relationships with local partners.
“Neutrality is enshrined as one of the four humanitarian principles,” said Dimitri Kotsiras, GISF’s Research and Programmes Manager. “Despite this, it is still fraught with complexity. For instance, some NGOs feel an obligation to speak out against war crimes. But this can be perceived as them taking sides and compromising their position of neutrality.
“Likewise, we are rightly seeing a growth in partnerships between international and local NGOs,” Kotsiras continued. “But this can open up a disparity between local and national actors when it comes to demonstrating their neutrality. Some contexts can complicate the ability of local or national organisations to openly position themselves as neutral – especially in conflict zones.”
In addition to exploring these challenges in depth, the research paper provides a list of concrete solutions. These are divided into sections targeted at the wider humanitarian community, donors and international NGOs, and local and national NGOs.
“We recognise that there aren’t always easy answers when it comes to complex topics like neutrality,” Kotsiras concluded. “But we wanted to provide some really tangible steps that everyone involved in the humanitarian sector can take. In particular, these focus on ways to maximise collaboration between local and international NGOs. We know that local actors are at the heart of humanitarian action. So, by strengthening a commitment to considered localisation, we can improve humanitarian access, while still adhering to the principle of neutrality.”
The report is currently available in English and will soon be translated into French, Spanish and Arabic. GISF encourages readers to share this resource with their networks to help promote the findings and recommendations as widely as possible.
This research paper was made possible by the generous support of the American people through USAID. The contents are the responsibility of GISF. They do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.