CHILD PROTECTION SUB-WORKING GROUP-SYRIA
TERMS OF REFERENCE
DECEMBER 2014
DRAFT ZERO
Introduction:
Ensuring that child protection responses in Syria are prioritized, efficient, predictable and effective and to avoid
partial response and duplications, the child protection sub working group “hereinafter CP SWG” was activated in
September 2014.
Recognizing that the Government of Syria bears the primary responsibility for the protection of children in Syria,
the CP SWG works towards ensuring that an effective and predictable response to child protection concerns in Syria
through improved coordination among related government institutions, agencies, international and national
humanitarian organizations involved in child protection programming.
The Child Protection Sub-Working Group works under the umbrella of the Protection and Community Services
Working Group.
The definition of Child Protection in crisis:
“The prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children in emergencies”1
Objectives of the CP SWG:
The CP SWG is a coordination forum through which the members of the child protection sub-sector (i.e. related
government institutions, agencies, international and national humanitarian organizations) involving in child
protection in crisis response can coordinate interventions, seek consensus on issues, create partnerships and linkages
for better prioritization of available resources and commitment to the adopted minimum standards for child
protection in humanitarian action2 with an overall goal of enhancing the protection of children.
Guiding principles and approach
The work of CP SWG work is guided by the Principle of Partnership3 and Humanitarian Principles4 with emphasis
on:
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State responsibility.
Do no Harm.
Best Interest of the Child.
Strengthening Child Protection System.
Strengthening children resilience in humanitarian Actions.
Non- Discrimination.
Confidentiality.
Endorsed by the Global Child Protection Working Group.
http://cpwg.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/04/CPMS-Arabic-version-handbook.pdf
3
http://www.actalliance.org/resources/policies-and-guidelines/partnership/7934-principlesofpartnership.pdf
4
https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/OOM-humanitarianprinciples_eng_June12.pdf
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Gender, age and diversity.
Structure of the CP SWG
The CP SWG is a sub working group of the Protection and Community Services Working Group.
The CP SWG will meet in the last Thursday of the month?? Or every second Thursday of the month??
Ad-hoc meetings and task forces are established upon consultation with the members of the Sub-Working
Group, when this is considered necessary to address an urgent issue
Key tasks for the CP SWG:
1. Support effective coordination, corporation and information sharing :
The purpose of coordination is to reduce duplication, address gaps and solve problems. The CP SWG shall:
 Ensures service delivery is driven by the Strategic Response Plan and strategic priorities.
 Developing mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery and ensuring
complementarity.
 Share information on child protection programmatic responses with particular focus on issues
around abuse, exploitation and violence.
 Maintain the profile of child protection within the broader protection structure and ensure
mainstreaming of child protection in other humanitarian sectors.
2. To inform humanitarian response’ s strategic decision-making by
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Lead, coordinate and conduct within the Protection and Community Services Sector or at Inter-sector
level child protection needs assessments.
Supporting analysis of gaps (across and within sectors, using information management tools as
needed).
Identifying and finding solutions for (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication and cross-cutting issues.
Formulating priorities on the basis of analysis.
3. To plan and develop strategy by :
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Support the Protection and Community Services Sector in developing and implementing the Protection
strategy.
Developing sub-sector objectives and indicators that directly contribute to the realization of the
Protection and Community Services Sector response’s strategic priorities.
Adopting, applying and adhering to common standards and guidelines including the Minimum
Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Actions.5
Clarifying funding requirements, helping to set priorities, and agreeing sub-sector contributions to the
overall humanitarian funding proposals.
4. To monitor and evaluate the child protection sub-sector performance by:
5
http://cpwg.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/11/CPMS_Summary-FINAL-Version.pdf
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Supporting the Protection and Community Services Sector in measuring performance against the
Sector’s strategic objectives and agreed results.
Recommending corrective action where necessary.
5. To build national capacity
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Ensure that child protection response is built on and support the local capacities through awareness
raising and capacity building initiatives.
Develop and maintain appropriate links with related governmental institutions, civil society
organizations and other stakeholders in child protection response.
Provide and disseminate child protection policies, guidelines and best practices to all relevant actors
and target groups including through organizing and/or supporting training programmes, seminars and
workshops.
6. Advocacy
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Identifying child protection concerns that contribute to Humanitarian Coordinator/Humanitarian
Country Team and Protection and Community Services Sector advocacy strategies.
Undertaking advocacy on behalf of the sub-sector members.
Membership, minimum commitments and responsibilities:
The membership of the CP SWG shall include relevant government institutions, national and international nongovernmental organizations, Red Crescent/Red Cross Movement, IOM and UN agencies.
The ICRC will have a standing invitation to attend the CP SWG meetings in an observer capacity if they wish so.6
The CP SWG chair should review membership on a regular basis (and in any event at least twice a year) and if
appropriate make recommendations to the members about inviting other interested parties to participate in meetings,
either as members or observers.
Membership’s minimum commitment:
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A common commitment to humanitarian principles and the Principles of Partnership.7
Active participation in the sub-working group and a commitment to consistently engage in the CP SWG’s
collective work.
Capacity and willingness to contribute to the CP SWG’s strategic response and activities.
Commitment to work cooperatively with other sub-working group partners to ensure an optimal and
strategic use of available resources, and share information on organizational resources.
A demonstrated understanding of the duties and responsibilities associated with membership of the subworking group as defined by this ToR.
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The CP SWG may decide to grant an agency observer status in the working group, which implies that the agency would be exempted from participating in
decision making within the forum.
7
http://www.actalliance.org/resources/policies-and-guidelines/partnership/7934-principlesofpartnership.pdf
Responsibilities:
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All agencies/organizations are requested to nominate a focal point who will attend meetings in order to
strive to maintain continuity in the work of the CP SWG as well as an alternate representative who will
attend when the focal point is precluded from participating.
Agencies should participate in the CP SWG with a view to sharing information - within the limits of their
mandates and principles of confidentiality – on child protection issues, and to contributing actively to the
identification of solutions to such protection problems
The minutes of the CP SWG, together with information shared in the CP SWG meetings, are considered to
be internal. Agencies wishing to use such information for purposes other than activities of the CP SWG
must seek the approval of the source of the information and the chair of the CP SWG.
CP SWG’s Chair commitment and responsibilities
Chair’s minimum commitment:
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The chair should act as neutral representative of the sub-working group as a whole, rather than as
representative of his/her particular agency in line with Principles of Partnership.8
Ensure that all CP SWG’s plans and decisions are developed/taken through a consultative process with the
members of the sub-working group.
Takes into account members’ comparative advantages and complementarities.
Proactively represent the CP SWG in the Protection and Community Services WG, GBV SWG, inter-sector
coordination ISC and other sectors meetings.
Convene and facilitate meetings of the CP SWG in line with the Principles of Partnership, ensuring that
meetings are consultative and results-oriented
Ensure coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities
As context allows, ensure complementarily with government policies and plans.
Support the establishment of relevant taskforces such as unaccompanied and separated children taskforce.
Responsibilities:
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Prepare and manage meetings of the CP SWG, including facilitating the identification of CP SWG
member(s) to implement agreed response actions and follow up on them.
Timely sharing of the meeting’s minutes and follow up on action points.
Ensure timely and regular information-sharing, with CP SWG members, Protection and
Community Services Working Group, Education WG, Inter-Sectoral Coordination forum ISC,
other working groups, HCT, and other protection forums/actors on the hub levels, as appropriate
on including, but not limited to (i) briefs on the
Represent the CP SWG at all related forums.
Ensure coordination of CP SWG activities with the GBV SWG, Education WG, MHPSS technical group
and other protection-related forums in the state.
Identify existing service gaps and opportunities for programming and funding.
Provide inputs on the child protection situation with due respect for confidentialities issues.
Coordinate the input from the CP SWG to the Strategic Response Plan.
http://www.humanitarianresponse.info/es/system/files/documents/files/Cluster%20Lead%20Agencies%20Joint%20Letter
%20on%20Dual%20Responsibility.pdf
Reporting
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Coordinating monthly inputs of CP SWG members to the CP 5Ws and Protection and Community
Services 4Ws.
Updating and disseminating the CP Who, does What, Where analysis in regular basis.
Provide regular CP updates to the Protection and Community Services WG, inter-sector coordination
meetings and other related WG and forums as required.
Provide CP inputs to the Humanitarian Bulletin.
Revision
The ToR will be reviewed once a year. However, this ToR is a working document and may be revised and updated
to meet the needs of all members by agreement of the majority of the members.