Community-based protection uses a community-based approach to programming, specifically to address protection issues by involving affected groups in a community at every stage (namely, in assessment, diagnosis, prioritization, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation) that a community faces.
Moreover, it is essential that this protection mainstreaming analysis is implemented with an Age, Gender, Diversity (AGD) perspective, in order to ensure gender equality and the inclusion of women, men, girls, and boys of all ages with diverse backgrounds.
This approach supports the community’s self-determination and capacity, has a long-term impact and results in less dependency on external actors and has proved that resources available will be used more effectively. Following this approach, UNHCR Iran aims to empower the refugee communities by putting them in the center of its programming.
UNHCR continues to reach out to communities and include them as equal partners in assessing, designing, and implementing activities and projects in cooperation with the local government counterparts. These activities help address issues identified and prioritized by the communities themselves such as those related to child labour and out of school children, to support peaceful coexistence, and to engage with vulnerable refugees including those with disabilities.
Finalization and adoption of the Community-Based Protection and Urban Outreach Strategy (2023-2024) will be a milestone to establish and systematize the community-based approach for the Iran operation.