1.
Humanitarian
Imperative
INGOs recognise that the right to
receive humanitarian assistance, and to offer it, is a fundamental humanitarian
principle that should be enjoyed by all citizens of all countries. When we give
humanitarian assistance it is not a political or partisan act and should not be
viewed as such. Our primary motivation for working in this country or in any
other country in which we work is to improve the human condition and alleviate
human suffering.
2.
Non-discrimination
INGOs follow a policy of non-discrimination regarding
ethnic origin, sex, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, political
orientation marital status or age in regard to the target populations with whom
we work.
3.
Respect for Culture and Custom
INGOs respect the local culture, religions and traditions
of the people of
Burma/Myanmar.
4.
·
INGOs are agencies that function independently from all
governments, government controlled/organised bodies, and political parties.
·
INGOs set independent policies, design our own programs and
use implementation strategies which we believe are in the best interests of
the humanitarian needs of individuals,
families, and communities of the target population and, ultimately, in the best
long-term interests of the people.
·
While INGOs operate in Burma/Myanmar with permission from the
host government, we do not implement the policies of the host government nor
are instruments of foreign policy of donor governments, except in
so far as these policies coincide with
the independently set policies of the
INGOs.
·
INGOs select where we work based on our organisational
mandate, our independent assessment of need and organisational
capacity.
·
INGOs do not knowingly allow ourselves to be used to gather
information of a political, military, or economically sensitive nature for
governments or other bodies that may serve purposes other than those purposes
that are strictly humanitarian.
·
INGOs provide funds and project materials directly to
project beneficiaries.
·
INGOs do not provide funds or materials directly or
indirectly to government departments or parastatal organisations for project implementation.
·
INGOs work with organisations
that are determined to be independent non- governmental organisations,
which may include religious and cultural groups. business
associations, and others.
·
INGOs recruit and hire staff independently of any outside
influence.
5.
Monitoring and Accountability
·
INGOs are accountable to donors and beneficiaries and adopt
and implement
necessary
monitoring mechanisms to ensure all assistance reaches the intended
targeted
beneficiaries.
·
INGOs are prepared to discontinue assistance if we become
unable to implement
and/or
monitor our programs in an ethical and effective manner.
5.1 Financial Accountability
·
INGOs consider themselves stewards of our donors’ funds and
accept
that
responsibility with the utmost seriousness.
·
INGOs have monitoring and control systems in place to
ensure that our
financial
resources and assets are used solely by and for our intended
project
beneficiaries and are not diverted by the government or any other
party.
·
INGOs seek to maximise the
financial impact of our programs and we
do not
exchange money at the central bank rate of US$1 = 6 Kyats.
·
INGOs have financial audit systems in place that verify all
financial
expenditures.
5.2 Accessibility
INGOs work directly with and have direct access to project
beneficiaries and
their communities to, assess, evaluate and monitor
projects.
6
Rights-Based Programming and Advocacy
·
INGOs respect fundamental human rights as defined by the
United Nations and our programs take a constructive approach to advocate for
rights of individuals as consistent with program objectives in the communities
where we work.
·
INGOs seek to promote an environment in which fundamental
human rights are respected through a variety of means. INGOs
balance the importance of our advocacy activities with the importance of our
operations.
7.
·
INGOs seek to operate in a way that supports civil society
and builds the capacity of human resources in the country.
·
INGOs are committed to enhancing the capacity of local
community-based organisations.
·
INGOs are committed to enhancing the capacity of
individuals working within our individual organisations,
across a wide variety of skills, including technical skills.
·
critical thinking, problem solving and leadership skills.
·
INGOs are committed to enhancing both the technical and
organizational capacities of our beneficiaries.
·
INGOs foster understanding amongst our staff members and
between staff members and our target populations, recognising
the importance of reconciliation and understanding amongst Burma/Myanmar’s
diverse peoples.
8. Sustainability
INGOs employ a diverse set of strategies with a long-term
goal of achieving sustainable impact in our programming. Sustainability can be
defined in a number of different ways, including the long-term impact of a
specific intervention following the closure of a project, continued financial
viability of an institution, or capacity built within the community, within
local community-based organisations or among staff
members. Different INGOs may employ different
definitions and different methods, but all of us consider sustainability of
paramount importance and strive to achieve it.
9.
INGO Co-operation
·
INGOs exercise mutual respect for each agency’s mandate,
methodology, independence and self-determination.
·
INGOs practice transparency and confidentiality in engaging
in a regular dialogue with one another regarding these principles and encourage
one another to maintain the highest possible level of ethical programming.
·
INGOs encourage and support additional INGOs
entering the country to develop and undertake responsible ethical programming
to provide needed humanitarian assistance.
·
INGOs encourage donor agencies to significantly increase
funding for ethical and responsible humanitarian assistance activities within
the country.