Support for OHCHR leadership of the Protection Cluster in oPt

Project completed
Aisha Association for Women and Child Protection "Sharing Stories, Finding Safety project", provide psychological support to 600 traumatized women, Gaza 2015, ©OCHA

SDC contribution to OHCHR-led Protection cluster will strengthen the protection of the Palestinian population in the oPt through effective leadership of the largest humanitarian cluster in the oPt, ensuring coordination and provision of guidance on international humanitarian and human rights law, coordination of advocacy on protection issues, coordination of holistic responses to protection concerns, and protection mainstreaming in the humanitarian interventions in the oPt. This intervention is in line with SDC Cooperation Strategy 2015-2018 for the oPt.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Human rights
Humanitarian Assistance & DRR
Rule of Law - Democracy - Human rights
Human rights (incl. Women's rights)
Material relief assistance
01.01.2016 - 31.12.2017
CHF  740’000
Background

The occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) suffers from a protracted protection crisis with humanitarian consequences, driven by lack of respect for international law. Key drivers of protection concerns and humanitarian needs stem from the continuous occupation and related policies such as the imposition of the closure on the Gaza Strip; the existence and expansion of settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; imposed restrictions on freedom of movement throughout the oPt. The situation is underpinned and exacerbated by a lack of accountability for violations of international law, discriminatory application of laws and law enforcement, a failure to uphold the rights of Palestinians, on the part of both Israeli and Palestinian duty-bearers, resulting in a culture of impunity that fosters further violations.

Objectives

To strengthen the protection of the Palestinian population in the oPt through effective leadership of the Protection Cluster ensuring coordinated and holistic responses and interventions addressing protection issues throughout the country.

Target groups
  • 114 Palestinian, Israeli and international organizations that are members of the Protection Cluster
  • According to the Humanitarian Needs overview (HNO) a total of 1.8 M are identified as most in need for protection (among a population of 4.8 M at risk) including 282,092 children in need of psychosocial support and child protection interventions (about 1,400 Palestinian boys arrested by security forces in the West Bank), 350,000 living in 67 communities in the West Bank vulnerable to settler violence, 294,000 women in need of GBV services, including legal assistance, psychosocial support and health, and approximately 95,000 still displaced in the Gaza Strip following the 2014 conflict and 11,000 demolition orders in Area C of the West Bank affecting 13,000 structures –need for legal assistance and advocacy to prevent displacement of affected Palestinians and finally 8,000 people live in 61 communities in the West Bank at high risk of forcible transfer – 65% are refugees.
Medium-term outcomes
  1. Increase respect for International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law and accountability for violations.
  2. Prevent and mitigate the effects of the occupation and conflict-related violence.
  3. Ensure Gender-Based Violence (GBV) victims and survivors have access to multi-sectoral responses.
Results

Expected results:  

  • Ensure overall coordination of the Protection Cluster and its sub-groups for information sharing, analysis of protection concerns, guidance on protection strategies and contributions to humanitarian strategies and processes.
  • Provide guidance and coordinate Protection Cluster responses to emerging protection concerns and cases, including through the inter-cluster response mechanism and HCT’s advocacy strategy particularly on matters concerning life, liberty and security, accountability for violations of international law, forced displacement and child protection.
  • Actively support protection mainstreaming (including gender, age and disability perspectives) in the humanitarian interventions of other clusters/sectors.
  • Coordinate and provide guidance on international humanitarian and human rights law ensuring synergies between OHCHR monitoring work and its role in protection cluster coordination, to improve better identification and response to emerging trends and protection concerns.
  • Coordinate advocacy on protection issues in line with the Humanitarian Country Team advocacy strategy.
  • Building meaningful links with Israeli and Palestinian NGOs for improved engagement and leadership of protection cluster work and subgroups when possible. This will include finalizing a comprehensive mapping of actors and their activities.


Results from previous phases:  

  • 48 humanitarian projects (valued at $52M) coordinated through 12 thematic working groups.
  • Review of the structural efficiency of the coordination architecture conducted by a Global Cluster Coordination (GCC) support mission to improve level of coordination between humanitarian and development actors, the scope for alternative coordination mechanisms, and the level of engagement with national authorities, as a result of which, a new organizational chart for the Protection Cluster was established including thematic working groups, with clear terms of reference, Charter of Rights and Obligations with Membership Commitments and agreed Cluster Coordinator responsibilities.
  • Better links with Palestinian and Israeli NGOs were built including leadership of a working group by Palestinian NGOs (PNGOs).
  • Better links to the PA line ministries mainly through the thematic working groups.
  • Better links with the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Advocacy working group (AWG), attending their meetings, contributing to their work plan, and leading on joint initiatives with a protection focus.
  • Stronger focus on Accountability through leadership of an ad-hoc working group on accountability.
  • Strengthened Referral Systems, especially in Gaza, ensuring timely information and provision of case information.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Credit area Humanitarian aid
Project partners Contract partner
United Nations Organization (UNO)
  • UNHCHR
  • The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)


Coordination with other projects and actors

Coordination and synergies with other projects and actors.

Most SDC national and international partners are members of the protection cluster and its working groups where they contribute to the cluster’s outputs. It offers a unique space for strategic coordination of protection interventions and their priorities which directly impacts on effective and rights-based assistance delivery. It also informs contributions by the Humanitarian Pooled Fund (HPF), also funded by SDC. This project complements another contribution to OHCHR of CHF1’630’000 in support of  its mandate to monitor and report on human rights situation in the oPt, as well to support national human rights institutions and policy development.

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    740’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    713’142
Project phases

Phase 2 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2017   (Completed)

Phase 1 01.01.2015 - 31.12.2015   (Completed)