The International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP) is an association made of and governed by professionals engaged in humanitarian action. Established in Brussels in mid 2010 as an International Non-Profit Association under Belgian Law, PHAP’s mission has been designed to respond to a growing demand for professional development and networking opportunities among individuals deployed in the context of humanitarian crises. PHAP is based on the recognition that humanitarian professionals, particularly from the global south, benefit from a remarkable range and depth of experiences. Such experiences can play a critical role in the design of practice‐oriented humanitarian strategies as well as the elaboration of standards of excellence in humanitarian action.

PHAP’s specific objectives are as follows:

• To establish a global space for peer‐to‐peer professional exchanges, dialogue and collaboration across institutions and regions;
• To offer cogent professional development pathways for individuals engaged in humanitarian assistance and protection, including a process of incremental certification recognized by governments and international agencies;
• To facilitate the participation of professionals from all regions in global exchanges on humanitarian action by using robust and practical information and communication technology (ICT) tools;
• To establish a series of thematic working groups to delve into critical and emerging issues of humanitarian assistance and protection, in collaboration with research centers active in this domain;
• To partner with international humanitarian actors, government agencies, major non-governmental organizations, and other entities in the development of educational and policy activities to strengthen the protection of vulnerable populations.

The PHAP membership is composed of professionals engaged in the protection of and assistance to vulnerable populations in situations of armed conflict, natural disasters, and other humanitarian crises. These professionals may be working with civilian governmental agencies, militaries, international governmental organizations such as the United Nations, the Red Cross Movement, non-governmental organizations active in these circumstances, as well as relevant policy and academic centers and the media. As an association of professionals, membership in PHAP requires a demonstrated minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in humanitarian action, such as the planning of operations, implementation and evaluation of programs, management of operations and/or organizations, engagement in legal and policy developments, as well as advocacy work pertaining to humanitarian assistance and protection. Additional experience may be required to participate in certain specialized activities.

Mission and strategy

Vision and mission

PHAP is the individual-based professional association bringing together all parts of the humanitarian sector. With a shared vision that human life and dignity are safeguarded in the face of humanitarian crises, the association’s mission is to empower capable and informed professionals to transform humanitarian action.

A key means to this end is to focus on concrete, practical measures to enhance the availability, experiences, skills, competencies, professional networks, and both formal and informal support structures of humanitarian personnel at all levels and in all parts of the system.