The event was jointly hosted by the Inter-Agency Working Group for Disaster Preparedness (IAWG); the IAWG provides a forum for regional organizations to enhance coordination and information exchange in order to respond to humanitarian crises in a timely and efficient manner. The IAWG and its sub-working groups support a number of strategic regional partnerships, including the Sphere Project, Humanitarian Accountability Project, People in Aid, Emergency Capacity Building (ECB) and the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA).

In relation to the launch of the TI hand book Mr. Aeneas Chuma, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative explained that “The humanitarian sector must be aware of this risk (of corruption) and promote accountability in all their operations. We must remain vigilant in order to deliver quality humanitarian AID. It is for this reason that I’m delighted that leading AID agencies in this region have come together to develop strict standards of accountability in their operations.”

As means of expressing accountability towards their beneficiaries, LWF had a small ceremony during the launch, where a copy of the book was handed over by Philip Wijmans, the Country Representative for LWF Kenya (Djibouti) to representatives of the duty bearers and the beneficiaries. Regina Njeri, the LWF camp manager for Dagahley camp in Dadaab and George Kinuthia, the LWF Project Coordinator, Kakuma Refugee Assistance Project,m accepted a copy on behalf of the duty bearers. Then three refugees from Dadaab each accepted a copy on behalf of the beneficiaries, mentioning that it was their right to keep the agencies accountable to the minimum standards of the Sphere handbook.

‘The Sphere 2011 handbook, ‘Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response’ launched establishes shared principles and a set of universal minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian response. The 2011 edition incorporates a new chapter – Protection Principles – which considers the protection and safety of populations affected by disaster or armed conflict as an integral part of humanitarian response. It also addresses emerging issues like climate change, disaster risk reduction, and early recovery of services and livelihoods, cash transfers and civil-military relations. The Sphere Project was created by a group of humanitarian non-governmental organizations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Since its first trial edition in 1998, the Sphere Handbook has been translated into more than 40 languages, becoming the most widely known and internationally recognized set of standards for humanitarian response.
“The United Nations advocates for the use of Sphere Minimum Standards in Disaster Response as the common standards for the humanitarian response. We should all remember that in our work we should uphold the following principles as spelt out in the Humanitarian Charter:  The right to life with dignity, the right to protection and security and lastly the right to receive humanitarian assistance. These principles mirror the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality,” Mr. Aeneas Chuma expressed at the launch.

The cornerstone of the Handbook is the Humanitarian Charter, which describes core principles that should govern humanitarian action and asserts the right of disaster-affected populations to life with dignity, protection and assistance. For the new edition, the Humanitarian Charter has been completely re-written so as to offer clearer language and strengthened linkage to the standards. A series of Core and Minimum Standards are based on best practices in the sector. The Core Standards pertain to the planning and implementation phases of humanitarian response. The Minimum Standards deal with four sets of life-saving activities: water and sanitation; food security and nutrition; shelter and non-food items; and health. They have all been significantly revised in the new edition.
The Sphere Project, a unique voluntary initiative, is a consortium of humanitarian actors including some of the biggest and oldest organizations and agencies in this sector. It aims to improve the quality of humanitarian response to disasters or armed conflicts and the accountability of states and humanitarian agencies to their constituents, donors and affected populations.

TI-Kenya, the Sphere Project and the Inter-Agency Working Group hope that aid workers will find the handbooks of great utility in improving the quality of humanitarian response to disasters or armed conflicts.