Welcome
The Guiding Principles for Human Rights Field Officers (HRFOs) constitute the first articulation of a comprehensive set of professional standards specific to the work of HRFOs. They are intended to contribute to the enhancement of the professional quality of the work of the field officers. It is also envisaged that they will be of assistance to the various actors, such as humanitarian and development agencies, and international military and police components, who otherwise engage with human rights field operations, whereby they will have a better understanding of their work and their methods.
The Guiding Principles do not purport to be a comprehensive field manual or to exhaustively address every aspect of the issues explored. They are intended to provide a professional framework for the individual HRFO – in the main reflecting consensus as to international law and practice, but also pointing critically to how field practice may be enhanced.
The Guiding Principles address the work of all HRFOs who are deployed by intergovernmental organisations in conflict and post-conflict environments. Many elements of the Guiding Principles are of relevance to other HRFOs, including those operating in peace-time environments, and those who work with non-governmental organisations.
The Statement of Ethical Commitments of Human Rights Professionals is an integral part of the Guiding Principles. It is also an autonomous document that has relevance for all human rights practitioners.
The Guiding Principles were developed in a highly consultative process involving current and former HRFOs and experts from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe, between 2004 and 2008. They also take account of the standard operating procedures, codes of conduct and other relevant materials of intergovernmental organisations.
The Guiding Principles constitute a major output of the international research project ‘Consolidating the Profession: the Human Rights Field Officer’. The project board comprises: University of Nottingham Human Rights Law Centre, UK, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna di Pisa, Italy, University of Pretoria Centre for Human Rights, South Africa, the Office of United Nations the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, Venice, Italy, and, in their personal capacities, Dr Roberto Garretón M., Chile, and Professor Vitit Muntharborn, Thailand. The project director is Professor Michael O'Flaherty, University of Nottingham.
This initiative is funded by Irish Aid, the Government of Ireland’s programme of assistance to developing countries, and the University of Nottingham Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Strategy Group.