Our approach

The work of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is guided by seven Fundamental Principles, which means people receiving cash from us can trust we are neutral, impartial and independent

Find out more about the Fundamental Principles and our approach to:

On this page you can also discover:

Dignity

We believe people affected by crisis should be at the centre of humanitarian response and empowered to recover with dignity. When the conditions are right, receiving cash gives people more choice to direct their own recovery and prioritise their needs. Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) underpins our cash work. To find out more about CEA or to access case studies and guidance on CEA in cash programming, please visit the Community Engagement Hub here.

Localisation

We champion an approach that is as local as possible – as international as necessary. Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies are often the first to respond in an emergency. By strengthening their capacity to deliver cash independently, we are working towards reaching more people, more quickly, with more appropriate forms of aid.

Working together

We are committed to working collaboratively with others, and towards collective goals such as the Grand Bargain Commitments on cash. Strong partnerships with other humanitarian organisations, governments, academia, and the private sector are essential to delivering more efficient and effective cash assistance.

Movement Cash Community

Within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement our work on cash is guided by the Cash Peer Working Group (CPWG), a body of technical advisers who collaborate on efforts to scale-up and improve the quality of cash assistance. At a strategic level, an Advisory Group, comprised of National Society leaders, helps to champion the cash agenda across the Movement.

To find out more about the structure of this thriving cash community and how to get involved, you can download the Membership Pack.

The minutes of meetings held by the CPWG are regularly published on the Movement Cash Community page.

Our Strategic Framework

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s Strategic Framework will guide our work between 2020-2025. Our vision is that ‘Crisis affected populations meet their humanitarian needs in a sustainable, culturally appropriate and dignified manner’.

When it comes to cash assistance, specific strategic inputs are shared among partners during Regional Strategic Cash Workshops. More details of each workshop can be consulted in the reports below:

Cash conference: ‘Towards Transformation’

On 13th September 2018, the British Red Cross convened a Cash Conference on behalf of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, guided by the theme ‘Towards Transformation’. Read the report or watch the recordings of the different sessions to find out more about the themes that emerged on the day and their contribution to the global debate on the scale-up of humanitarian cash transfers.