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01. Amnesty International Refugee Documentation Centre - Introduction Underlag till styrelsemöte 1-2 maj 1997
Amnesty International
Refugee Documentation Centre
Study and proposal
January 1997
0.1 THE STUDY AND PROPOSAL
0.2 THE PROCESS
PART ONE: BACKGROUND ON Al's REFUGEE WORK
1.1 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S REFUGEE MANDATE
1.2 DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN SECTIONS AND THE IS
1.3 THE ACTORS IN REFUGEE WORK - AT THE IS AND AT SECTION LEVEL
1.3.1 International Secretariat
1.3.1.1 Research teams
1.3.1.2 Refugee team
1.3.1.3 Information and documentation programs
1.3.2 Sections
1.3.3 Individual case work and assessments by sections; co-operation between sections and the IS
PART TWO: PROPOSAL FOR A REFUGEE DOCUMENTATION CENTRE
2.0 THE GAP AND THE RESPONSE
2.1 MISSION STATEMENT/OVERVIEW
2.1.1 Who are the beneficiaries?
2.1.2 How are they being benefited?
2.1.3 Why will the information centre be useful?
2.1.4 How will it work?
2.2 FUNCTIONS OF THE REFUGEE DOCUMENTATION CENTRE
2.2.1 Functions to be undertaken by the centre
2.2.1.1 Function: to gather information relevant to AI's refugee work
2.2.1.2 Function: to provide information
2.2.1.3 Function: to prepare assessments and to identify and issues
2.2.2 List of functions the centre will NOT be doing and analyze trends
2.3 INFORMATION GATHERED (INPUT/INTAKE)
2.3.1 Types of information
2.3.1.1 General background
2.3.1.2 Facts relating to human rights violations
2.3.1.3 Information specifically relating to refugee work
2.3.1.4 Information on issues and concepts relating to refugee protection
2.3.1.5 Important jurisprudence
2.3.2 Sources of information
2.3.2.1 Amnesty International as a source of information
2.3.2.2 Other information sources
2.3.3 Quality of information
2.3.4 Confidentiality of information
2.3.5 Language(s)
2.3.6 Information technology
2.4 PROCESSING OF INFORMATION / PACKAGING OF INFORMATION
2.5 INFORMATION PROVIDED (OUTPUT)
2.6 USERS AND PROVIDERS
2.6.1 External users
2.6.1.1 Protection and confidentiality of information
2.6.1.2 Priorities, workload and identity of the centre
2.6.1.3 Costs and charges
2.6.1.4 Division of responsibility in AI's refugee work
2.6.2 Users and providers from within AI
2.6.2.1 General approach
2.6.2.2 Who would the centre service?
2.6.2.3 Relationship between users and providers and with the centre
2.6.3 Co-operation with other relevant information / documentation centres
2.7 SUMMARY PART TWO
PART THREE: ORGANIZATIONAL AND FINANCIAL QUESTIONS
3.1 CRITERIA AND OPTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES
3.1.1 Volunteers versus staff
3.1.2 A network versus one central location
3.1.3 The refugee documentation centre as a deconcentrated or decentralized
function?
3.1.3.1 Perceptions and attitudes
3.1.3.2 General discussion of decentralization and deconcentration
3.1.3.3 Criteria from an organizational point of view
3.1.4 Exploring the question of the location of the centre
3.1.4.1 Location in London - pros and cons
3.1.4.2 General criteria for the location of the centre
3.1.5 Options for organizational structures
3.1.5.1 within the IS
3.1.5.2 allocated to another structure
3.1.5.3 Options for a new structure
3.1.5.4 Organizational aspects of the new structure
3.2 OPTIONS FOR FUNDING
3.2.1 Al funding
3.2.1.1 The international budget
3.2.1.2 Section contributions
3.2.1.3 Cost recovery systems
3.2.2 External funding
3.2.2.1 Governments and IGO's
3.2.2.2 Foundations and trusts
3.2.2.3 Universities
3.2.3 Models for (mixed) financing
3.3 STEPS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
3.4 SUMMARY PART THREE
PART FOUR: CONCLUSlONS AND RECOMMENDATlONS
Appendices:
Appendix I Development of Al's refugee work
Appendix 2: Examples / case studies of refugee work at section level
Appendix 3: Summary of section responses to project questionnaire
Appendix 4: Options for organizational structures within the IS
Appendix 5: Options for allocation of function to section(s) or grouping(s)
Appendix 6: Other refugee documentation centres
Appendix 7: Papers and literature reviewed
Appendix 8: Projected budget
Appendix 9: Chart: function of refugee documentation centre
ABBREVIATIONS:
|
AGM
ARABAI CIREA EDAI EFAI EU EXCOM. ICM IDP IEC IGO IS LIOP MEC/MSP MTO NGE NGO R&MP UNHCR |
Arabic Language Program (Al) Centre d'lnformation, de Re flexion Spanish Language Program (Al) French Language Program (Al) European Union Executive Committee (of UNHCR) International Council Meeting Internally Displaced Person International Executive Committee Inter-Governmental Organization International Secretariat Legal & International Organizations Program (IS) Military, economic and cultural relations/military security and police transfers Mid Term Objective Non-Governmental Entity Non-Governmental Organization Research & Mandate Program (IS) United Nations High Commissionar For Refugees |
INTRODUCTION
0.1 THE STUDY AND PROPOSAL
This document is the study on and proposal for the establishment within Amnesty International of a Refugee Documentation Centre (working title). The study was prepared by a project officer (Karsten Luthke) in close cooperation with a working group consisting of section members experienced in refugee work and International Secretariat staff (Petra Catz, Netherlands; alain Bovard, Switzerland; Danielle Del Burgo, Canada; Sia Spiliopoulou-Åkermark Sweden; Graham Bennett, Director of Information Resources, IS; Leanne MacMillan, Refugee Program Coordinator. IS; Jonathan Sugden, Researcher, IS). At its meeting in September 1996 the working group agreed on the substance of the study and the proposal recommended. It asked the project officer to make final revisions and adjustments to the proposal and circulate it to refugee coordinators for consultation. Based on this the working group finalized the conclusions and recommendations in January 1997.
This study comes in four parts. Part One provides the necessary background. It addresses al's refugee mandate and the division of responsibilities in refugee work between sections and the IS. Part Two is the major part of the study. It identifies the functions of the proposed refugee documentation centre and deals with questions of information gathered and provided. It addresses types and sources of information, quality of information and confidentially, as well as the language question and aspects of information technology. Part Three addresses organizational and financial questions. It explores options for organizational structures and funding of the centre. Part Four contains the conclusions and group.
0.2 THE PROCESS
For a number of years now those involved in al's refugee work, and in particular section refugee coordinators, have pointed to a gap between their specific information needs and what the IS can provide. The Dutch Section has taken the lead in identifying these problems and suggesting as long ago as 1992 to explore the feasibility of setting up an intermediate structure to address them. In the following years this proposal has been discussed on a number of occasions at various levels of the movement (including the meetings of refugee coordinators in 1992 and 1993 and the meetings of Section Directors in 1994 and 1995) and generally been received favourably.
The 1995 ICM in adopting the Ljubljana Action Plan authorized as Mid Term Objective 1.5 the "implementation of the results of the feasibility study carried out by the Dutch Section in liaison with the IS, in relation to a decentralized refugee information and coordination structure".
In October 1995 the IS and the Dutch Section appointed for a period of 18 months a project officer to undertake the feasibility study in close cooperation with a working group, which was simultaneously installed. In addition, a reference group was formed to seek the views and assistance of a broad spectrum of interested and experienced people; its members are from Canada, France, Germany, Ghana and Japan
A workplan was drafted by the project officer and accepted by the working group. It identified the following elements and steps for the study:
-a review of past discussions. decisions. and action on matters relevant to the gathering. handling. and distribution of information relating to al's work on asylum-seekers and refugees.
- an evaluation of the information and documentation needs regarding refugee work in various sections.
- an assessment of the current practice of dealing with requests for information relevant to al's work on asylum-seekers and refugees and perceived gaps and problems in the view of sections and the IS.
- an evaluation of the views of sections and IS staff about the opportunities and threats involved in implementing various changes and the extent to which a consensus can be achieved for different options.
- a study of comparable information/documentation centres (such as UNHCR's CDR. the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board ZDWF in Germany. and the now defunct French documentation centre) whose experience can be expected to throw light on the choices available to al.
- the identification of lessons to be learned for the project from the history leading to the establishment within al of various decentralized or deconcentrated units, notably the EU. Association.
- the presentation of various options to be considered and an analysis of their implications and costs.
- the identification of elements and steps required to secure the implementation of the preferred option and the goals agreed.
A joint meeting of the working group and the reference group was held in Brighton, England in January 1996. Further meetings of the working group took place in London in June and September 1996. In the course of this study and leading up to the proposal a number of sections were visited by the project officer, including the Danish, Swiss and UK Sections, and numerous people in different sections and at the IS were consulted. They all provided valuable input and guidance.
Questions examined in the meetings of the working group a nd additional consultations included the functions of ?proposed refugee documentation centre and how it would relate to the movement, the needs of refugee coordinators and others for specific refugee-related information, examples of the range of information the documentation centre might gather, process and provide, options for organizational structures, staffing, location and levels and acceptable sources of funding.
Section refugee coordinators were informed about the project during their meeting in January 1996 and notes with updates on progress made were included in mailings to refugee coordinators. A questionnaire was mailed to refugee coordinators in the spring of 1996, to which some 25 sections responded. A brief evaluation of responses received was sent to refugee coordinators in July 1996.
Further consultation was sought with section refugee coordinators, in particular during and around the refugee coordinators meeting in Amsterdam in December 1996. That meeting adopted by consensus a message in support of the proposal. The proposal will be presented to the Directors' Forum at the end of February and submitted to the IEC for their meeting in March or June 1997.
- a review of past discussions. decisions and action on matters relevant to the gathering handling. and distribution of information relating to al's work on asylum-seekers and refugees:
- an evaluation of the information and documentation needs regarding refugee work in various sections:
- an assessment of the current practice of dealing with requests for information relevant to al's work on asylum-seekers and refugees and perceived gaps and problems in the view of sections and the IS.
- an evaluation of the views of sections and IS staff about the opportunities and threats involved in implementing various changes and the extent to which a consensus can be achieved for different options.
- a study of comparable information/documentation centres (such as UNHCR's CDR the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board ZDWF in Germany and the now defunct French documentation centre) whose experience can be expected to throw light on the choices available to AI:
- the identification of lessons to be learned for the project from the history leading to the establishment within al of various decentralized or deconcentrated units, notably the EU. Association.
- the presentation of various options to be considered and an analysis of their implications and costs.
- the identification of elements and steps required to secure the implementation of the preferred option and the goals agreed.
A joint meeting of the working group and the reference group was held in Brighton, England in January 1996. Further meetings of the working group took place in London in June and September 1996. In the course of this study and leading up to the proposal a number of sections were visited by the project officer, including the Danish, Swiss and UK Sections, and numerous people in different sections and at the IS were consulted. They all provided valuable input and guidance.
Questions examined in the meetings of the working group a and additional consultations included the functions of ?proposed refugee documentation centre and how it would relate to the movement, the needs of refugee coordinators and others for specific information, examples of the range of information the documentation centre might gather, process and provide, options for organizational structures, staffing, location and levels and acceptable sources of funding.
Section refugee coordinators were informed about the project during their meeting in January 1996 and notes with updates on progress made were included in mailings to refugee coordinators. A questionnaire was mailed to refugee coordinators in the spring of 1996, to which some 25 sections responded. A brief evaluation of responses received was sent to refugee coordinators in July 1996.
Further consultation was sought with section refugee coordinators, in particular during and around the refugee coordinators meeting in Amsterdam in December 1996. That meeting adopted by consensus a message in support of the proposal. The proposal will be presented to the Directors' Forum at the end of February and submitted to the IEC for their meeting in March or June 1997.