Guidance note. Ensuring respect for the humanitarian principles

A guidance note on humanitarian principles was first published in 2017, updater in 2019 and now updated with input from humanitarian organizations. It is an annex to the Norwegian Humanitarian strategy 2024-2029. The strategy emphasizes that humanitarian principles should underpin all humanitarian efforts. Humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality are necessary to be able to carry out humanitarian work, and to reach those who need it most.  The principles are both an ethical framework and a practical tool.

This document provides guidance for our humanitarian partners on putting the humanitarian principles into practice. It is also intended to promote dialogue and greater understanding of the dilemmas that can arise when taking a principled humanitarian approach.. Even though humanitarian organizations work in different ways, it is important that everyone has a common basic understanding and approach when the principles are to put into practice.