The ICRC is looking for a consultant to organize a public online event to launch the guidance for armed forces on protection of healthcare. The role will involve liaising with departments across the ICRC, its field delegations, as well as the Government of Sweden, the Swedish Red Cross and a range of other external stakeholders, especially those with a military component.
Background
Attacks, threats and other violent obstructions of the work of health-care personnel, facilities and medical transport continue to occur in armed conflicts across the world. Frequently, these obstructions result in the disruption of health-care services, just when these services are needed the most. In addition to short term impacts, these attacks also result in long-term reverberating effects countering hard-won gains in child and maternal health, control of communicable diseases and access to treatment for non-communicable diseases. These patterns of violence may severely impact the achievement of health-related SDG 3.
Following a consultation process with more than 30 State armed forces and international organizations with a military component, in 2013 the ICRC organized a roundtable on military doctrine and practice relating to the protection of healthcare in armed conflicts and other emergencies. The consultation and associated publication has provided a clear conceptual framework for engagement with armed actors on this issue.
However, studies by the ICRC on the continued occurrence of violent incidents against health care involving State armed and security forces indicate that there are still significant deficiencies in doctrine, training, planning, procedures and practice linked to these events. In order to provide further concrete operational guidance to militaries on protection of healthcare, the ICRC with the support of the Government of Sweden and the Swedish Red Cross has therefore produced a Guidance Document allowing armed forces to review their capacity and preparedness in this area.
Rationale
The primary users of the Guidance Document will be military commanders and their staff. Whilst the level of granularity is operational and below the level of political authorities, it is also important to raise awareness of the guidance with governments as a framework and benchmark for military accountability. There are two avenues immediately available to reach this target audience:
· Capitalizing on the high profile the issue of protection of healthcare has enjoyed in multilateral diplomacy, a launch event for this Guidance Document is likely to attract the attention of political authorities, sensitizing them to its further dissemination to armed forces
· The ICRC’s Unit for Relations with Arms Carriers will include this Guidance Document in their toolbox, producing accompanying material to raise State armed forces’ awareness and encourage its use, as well as additional presentational material available for more in depth dialogue.
In light of the above and bearing in mind the continuing pandemic environment, the Guidance Document will be launched through a public online panel discussion to which representatives of MoDs, militaries and MFAs, as well as relevant healthcare stakeholders will be invited.
Deliverables
In consultation with the Health Care in Danger and FAS departments at the ICRC headquarters, the consultant will be in charge of leading and delivering the following items:
· Conceptualisation of the format and the agenda of the event
· Lineup of VIP speakers
· Mapping of key audiences and stakeholder outreach
· Technical management of the event
· Reporting
The event is planned to take place in the last week of February/first of March and the consultant will be expected to start working at the beginning January on a half-time basis. 50-60% (20-24 hours/ week)
How to apply:
Interested applicants should send their proposals including fees to gva_hcid@icrc.org by 11 December at the latest.
Candidates with prior working knowledge of the ICRC, especially in the domains of relations with armed carriers, protection and humanitarian policy and diplomacy will be favoured.