OUR FUNDAMENTAL CHARTER

INTERSOS humanitarian intervention is based on the following principles:

Priority of the humanitarian imperative

INTERSOS basic principle is the recognition of every human being's right to be helped and assisted when in need and suffering, regardless of any other consideration or conviction.

Impartiality

In coherence with the humanitarian imperative INTERSOS, rejects all forms of discrimination, whether based on race, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic identity, social status, political conviction or personal choices.

Neutrality

Victims are victims, regardless of the side on which fate has lined them up. To all of them INTERSOS guarantees equal and fair assistance. This does not prevent INTERSOS from pointing out individual and institutional responsibilities with respect to catastrophic events or violations of basic rights and taking a public stand

Independence

INTERSOS refuses any form of subordination to political strategies or ideological views, whether national or international. Such independence allows INTERSOS to denounce human rights violations, injustice and inequality, regardless of the party perpetrating them, and to cooperate with other organizations and institutions acting in accordance with the same principles.

Respect for culture and environment

INTERSOS rejects policies and practices that might hamper local cultures or environments. Respecting different cultural identities means refraining from introducing alien behaviors and practices - even though potentially useful to emergency response. Great attention is paid to the environmental impact of humanitarian actions, carefully avoiding those practices that might damage or contaminate the natural environment.

Participation and ability building

The process of assistance to victims encompasses the emergency phase and the rehabilitation/reconstruction period. All the beneficiaries have to be involved in relief activities at various levels, thus enhancing individual and community abilities and gradually reducing dependence on external aid.

Technical skills

The humanitarian operator is a volunteer who expresses solidarity values in her/his professional actions by committing to a high quality response and coherent ethic principles. People engaged in humanitarian aid need to be well experienced, properly trained and ethical in their work.

Transparency

INTERSOS relies on official and private funding, national and international. It is accountable for this to beneficiaries, public opinion and donors. It is regularly audited by ECHO and other EC services, UN Agencies, contributing National Governments and other institutional donors.
The accounts of each operation and the general annual budgets are public domain and are certified by a major auditing company.