Security Assessment for the Syria International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Resource Desk Program

Terms of Reference (ToR)

Security Assessment for the Syria IHL Resource Desk programme

Introduction

Diakonia works with local partners and other strategic actors in over 30 countries for the fulfilment of the right of all people to live a life in dignity. Diakonia’s mission is to change unfair political, economic, social and cultural structures that generate poverty, inequality, oppression and violence. It is a Swedish faith-based organization established in 1966 with regional offices in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America as well as local offices in several countries. The Regional Middle East Office is situated in Jerusalem with Country Offices in Lebanon and Egypt.

As an organization with a long history and track record of promoting human rights across the world, Diakonia has taken a more holistic basis for promoting respect of human dignity under all situations and circumstances by engaging on the complementary and specific legal framework regulating armed conflict - international humanitarian law (IHL). Over 10 years’ experience with IHL capacity building and advocacy started in 2004 when the International Humanitarian Law Resource Centre was created in the Regional Office in Jerusalem with the mandate to raise awareness of issues pertaining to IHL in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The IHL Resource Centre has evolved into a well-respected Centre in IHL since then, catering to local civil society and international community in this context.

Following the success of the IHL Resource Centre, coupled with the current global erosion of the respect for IHL and international human rights law, Diakonia has expanded its work by creating a Global IHL Program. The Program’s first phase entails IHL Resource Desks for Syria and Mali, alongside the international desk in Stockholm, while the second phase will explore establishing desks in Myanmar, Somalia and Democratic Republic of Congo.