The Code of Conduct

Principles of Humanitarian Conduct for Sparrow International

1 Humanity

The right to receive assistance, and to offer it, is a fundamental humanitarian principle which should be enjoyed by all citizens of all countries. As members of the international community, we recognise our obligation to provide humanitarian assistance wherever it is needed. Hence the need for unimpeded access to affected populations is of fundamental importance in exercising that responsibility. The prime motivation of our response to disaster is to alleviate human suffering amongst those least able to withstand the stress caused by disaster. When we give humanitarian aid it is not a partisan or political act and should not be viewed as such.

2 Impartiality

Aid is given regardless of the race, creed or nationality of the recipients and without distinction of any kind. Relief priorities are calculated on the basis of need alone. Wherever possible, we base the provision of relief aid upon the assessment of the needs of the disaster victims and the local capacities already in place to meet those needs. Human suffering should be alleviated wherever and whenever it is found. Thus, our provision of aid should reflect the degree of suffering it seeks to alleviate. The implementation of such a universal, impartial and independent policy, can only be effective if we and our partners have access to the necessary resources to provide for such equitable relief, and have equal access to those affected.

3 Neutrality

Relief will not be used to further a particular political or ideological standpoint. Humanitarian assistance will be given according to the need of individuals, families and communities. Notwithstanding the right of NGHAs to espouse particular political or religious opinions, we affirm that assistance will not be dependent on the adherence of the recipients to those opinions. We will not tie the promise, delivery or distribution of assistance to the embracing or acceptance of a particular political or religious creed.

4 Independence

We shall endeavor not to act as instruments of government foreign policy, NGHAs are agencies which act independently from governments. We therefore formulate our own policies and implementation strategies and do not seek to implement the policy of any government, except in so far as it coincides with our own independent policy. We will never knowingly – or through negligence – allow ourselves, or our employees, to be used to gather information of a political, military or economically sensitive nature.

5 Voluntary Service

We value and promote the voluntary giving of labour and finances by concerned individuals to support our work and recognise the independence of action promoted by such voluntary motivation. In order to protect our independence we will seek to avoid dependence upon a single funding source.

5 Respect

We will endeavour to respect the culture, structures and customs of the communities and countries we are working in. Relief should never be imposed upon the beneficiaries. Effective relief and lasting development can best be achieved where the intended beneficiaries are involved in the design, management and implementation of programs.

6 Accountability

We hold ourselves accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from whom we accept resources. We often act as an institutional link in the partnership between those who wish to assist and those who need assistance. We therefore hold ourselves accountable to both constituencies. All our dealings with donors and beneficiaries shall reflect an attitude of openness and transparency. We recognise the need to report on our activities, both from a financial perspective and the perspective of effectiveness. We recognise the obligation to ensure appropriate monitoring of activities and to carry out assessments of the impact of assistance.

7 Dignity

In our information, publicity and communications,we shall recognise beneficiaries as dignified humans, not hopeless objects. Respect for the victim as an equal partner in action should never be lost. We will not allow external or internal demands for publicity to take precedence over the principle of maximising overall relief assistance.