Working Group Description

The Protection Working Group was established in 2014 with 55 partners and aims at supporting a comprehensive and coordinated protection approaches through the Agency Protection Strategy developed by PWG members centered on (i) ensuring access to fundamental rights, including the right to seek asylum and timely access to registration and documentation as a prerequisite for proper protection delivery; (ii) expanding community outreach and development of community-based protection mechanisms, with a focus on community empowerment and self-reliance, and ensuring that women, girls, boys and men are engaged in the planning, implementation and evaluation of services; (iii) mitigating and reducing the risks and consequences of GBV, while improving the quality of multi-sectoral response services, as well as expanding access and reach of services; (iv) ensuring that emergency child protection interventions are strengthened and harmonized; and (v) exploring third country resettlement/durable solution options as a protection response to cases with special needs. In 2021, the Protection Sector will prioritize interventions that swiftly and substantially increase the level of support available to the Government of Jordan and communities hosting refugees, thereby mitigating the socio-economic pressures generated by the refugee influx. The Protection Sector will also work with other humanitarian response sectors to mainstream protection into the refugee response, including through the strengthening of area-based protection coordination and referral mechanisms. The PWG mid-terms objectives revolve around more advocacy intervention with the government to ensure the persons of concern's legal and physical safety. Areas in need of advocacy include acceptance of expired identity documents for access to services, favorable consideration in the treatment of non-Syrian refugees with health services, and financial assistance and support in the access of persons of concern to the work market. The PWGTF established in 2020 will facilitate improved coordination between MoSD and the PWG around protection risks and related interventions and provide technical and policy support to strengthen Jordan's social protection system. The primary responsibilities of the PWGTF include a) coordination on vulnerability and impact assessments for both Jordanians and non-Jordanians, including exploring options for joint assessments; b) expanding and strengthening the NSPS to mainstream refugee assistance into the national strategy, allow for needs-based programming across all populations and to ensure all vulnerable individuals have access to adequate social protection services; c) ensuring complementarity and harmonization with MoSD engagements and promoting data collection and assessment result sharing to minimize protection gaps; and d) providing technical and policy support on other issues as required related to the inclusion of refugees in national systems and guidance on refugee needs, including supporting the development of protection related policy frameworks and development strategies.