The revised Sphere Handbook is now available
The Sphere Project, a leading initiative promoting quality and accountability in humanitarian aid is releasing a revised version of its Handbook -- "Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response" -- on 14 April 2011.
The launch of the Sphere Handbook 2011 edition (English version) will take place in a dozen countries around the world (see a list of launch events at: http://goo.gl/uHncN).
The Sphere Handbook establishes shared principles and a set of universal minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian response. It offers common language and provides guidance for effective and accountable humanitarian response and advocacy.
The 2011 edition incorporates a new chapter on Protection Principles. It considers the protection and safety of populations affected by disaster or armed conflict as an integral part of humanitarian response.
The Handbook addresses emerging issues like early recovery of services and livelihoods, cash transfers and civil-military relations. Climate change, disaster risk reduction and psycho-social issues have been added as new cross-cutting themes.
Understanding and supporting local responses to disaster is a priority reflected in the whole Handbook, as is reinforcing the capacity of local actors.
The extensive revision of the Sphere Handbook that led to the 2011 edition involved more than 650 experts from some 300 organizations in about 20 countries. All the relevant UN agencies participated in the process.