Tracing agency and protection
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Deliver humanitarian protection and assistance
As the custodian of international humanitarian law (IHL), we work under a mandate from the international community to protect and assist people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence. Our focus is not only on providing immediate relief but also on safeguarding lives, dignity and rights.
Prevent and address violations
We act to ensure that authorities and other players respect their obligations and uphold the safety, physical integrity and dignity of affected people. This includes working to prevent, stop or remedy violations of IHL and international human rights law (IHRL).
Engage in confidential humanitarian dialogue
Through confidential bilateral dialogue, persuasion and policy engagement, we influence government officials and armed actors to prevent violations and end harmful practices, building respect for humanitarian law even in the midst of conflict.
Adopt a multidisciplinary, community-focused approach
We work holistically and in close collaboration with communities, local organizations and partners. By combining protection activities with assistance, we address both urgent needs and the underlying causes of harm, fostering longer-term safety and resilience for people affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence.
Preserve life, dignity and rights
Our protection work is about more than meeting basic needs. It is about ensuring that people can live with dignity, that their rights are respected and that they are shielded from further harm in times of crisis.
For more information, please see the main What We Look For page.
At the ICRC, our protection and detention specialists work to ensure that people affected by conflict and violence are treated with dignity, that their rights are respected and that their families are not forgotten. We look for professionals with expertise, empathy and resilience to carry out these vital roles.
Detention delegates
You visit places of detention, speak privately with detainees and assess their living conditions, treatment, access to services and ability to keep in touch with their families. By engaging in confidential dialogue with the authorities, you help bring about lasting improvements to detainees’ lives.
Interpreters
You are the communication bridge that makes protection work possible. By facilitating conversations between detainees, communities and ICRC delegates, you help restore family links, improve detention conditions and ensure parties to conflict understand their obligations under IHL.
Prison system advisers
You support national authorities in strengthening their prison systems and developing sustainable policies and practices that improve detention conditions. Working across multiple countries, you bring technical expertise and humanitarian focus to systemic prison reform.
Delegates in charge of the protection of civilians
You engage with communities and authorities to document violations of IHL/IHRL, understand their humanitarian impact and amplify the voices of those affected. Your work identifies risks and guides strategies to better protect civilians.
Delegates in charge of restoring family links and missing persons
You help families separated by conflict, violence, disaster or migration to reconnect. In conflict settings, you also work with authorities to trace missing people and bring answers to families waiting for news of their loved ones.
Forensic specialists
You apply your expertise in fields such as genetics, pathology or anthropology to ensure dignified management of human remains. You strengthen local forensic capacities and help families find answers about loved ones who went missing as a result of conflict, migration or disaster.
Protection data managers
You safeguard and manage sensitive data on vulnerable individuals. By ensuring accuracy, confidentiality and effective data use, you support protection teams in documenting violations, tracing missing persons and advocating for the rights of affected people.
For more information, please see the main What We Look For page.
Read our colleague's stories
▶️ Interview with Fumiko Nakashima, Protection Delegate
▶️ Interview with Wilson Mondal, Protection Delegate
▶️ Interview with Yubaraj Adhikari, Restoring Family Links Delegate
Watch our videos
▶️ Working for the ICRC – Why do we visit detention facilities?
For more information, please see the main What We Look For page.