War and Accountability

This material explores the issue of accountability and its relevance to those involved in providing humanitarian assistance in times of war and violence. It is the third in the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)'s International Humanitarian FORUM series of publications.

Decision-makers, journalists, and academics from humanitarian and political sectors consider questions like this: should those who benefit be more involved in their own aid? For example, the author of the introduction notes that, in light of the need to act rapidly when crisis demands immediate action "Working together with local associations could impair well-oiled needs assessment and response procedures. These arguments cannot be easily dismissed, but, at the outset of a humanitarian mission, more effort could nevertheless be devoted to identifying partners representing affected segments of the population, with whom a meaningful dialogue could be established. Such participation could develop a sense of partnership and, hence, of shared accountability towards the population."

Contributions are divided into several sections: defining accountability, accountability in practice, and personal viewpoints. Click here to access the table of contents. Summaries and online versions of selected articles are available on the ICRC site.