Glossary of Humanitarian Terms ReliefWeb Project www.reliefweb.int/glossaries August 2008 RELIEFWEB GLOSSARY OF HUMANITARIAN TERMS The terms and definitions in this glossary have been compiled from existing glossaries and other reference material available to the public, with a focus on their common usage and understanding within a humanitarian context, particularly as relating to natural disasters, complex emergencies and disaster risk reduction. ReliefWeb has not created or modified any of the definitions. As such, the definitions provided do not necessarily reflect the position of the United Nations or its Member States. Index of Terms A Acceleration ......................................................................................................................................9 Acceptable Risk................................................................................................................................9 Accountability....................................................................................................................................9 Adaptation.........................................................................................................................................9 Advocacy ..........................................................................................................................................9 Aftershock.........................................................................................................................................9 Agenda for Protection.......................................................................................................................9 Alert ..................................................................................................................................................9 Amnesty............................................................................................................................................9 Arbitration .........................................................................................................................................9 Armed Conflict ............................................................................................................................... 10 - International armed conflict ....................................................................................................... 10 - Non-international armed conflict................................................................................................ 10 Armed Group ................................................................................................................................. 10 Arms Control.................................................................................................................................. 10 Arms Embargo............................................................................................................................... 10 Assessment ................................................................................................................................... 10 Assistance ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Asylum ........................................................................................................................................... 10 Asylum-Seeker .............................................................................................................................. 11 Avalanche ...................................................................................................................................... 11 B Bilateral Aid/Assistance ................................................................................................................. 11 Biological Disaster ......................................................................................................................... 11 Biological Hazard........................................................................................................................... 11 Biological Weapons ....................................................................................................................... 11 C Capacity......................................................................................................................................... 11 Capacity Building........................................................................................................................... 11 Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) ................................................................................ 11 Chemical Accident......................................................................................................................... 12 Chemical Weapons........................................................................................................................ 12 Child Soldier .................................................................................................................................. 12 Civil Defence.................................................................................................................................. 12 Civil Military Coordination (CMCoord) ........................................................................................... 13 Civil Society ................................................................................................................................... 13 Civil War ........................................................................................................................................ 13 Civilian Personnel.......................................................................................................................... 13 RELIEFWEB GLOSSARY OF HUMANITARIAN TERMS, Continued C Civilian Populations ....................................................................................................................... 13 Climate Change............................................................................................................................. 13 Closed Camp................................................................................................................................. 14 Cluster ........................................................................................................................................... 14 Cluster Approach........................................................................................................................... 14 Cluster Bombs ............................................................................................................................... 14 Cluster Leads................................................................................................................................. 14 CNN Factor.................................................................................................................................... 14 Code of Conduct............................................................................................................................ 14 Coercion ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Co-Existence ................................................................................................................................. 15 Cold Wave ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Combatant ..................................................................................................................................... 15 Common Country Assessment (CCA)........................................................................................... 15 Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP)................................................................................. 15 Community-Based Approach......................................................................................................... 15 Complex Emergency ..................................................................................................................... 15 Conciliation .................................................................................................................................... 16 Conflict........................................................................................................................................... 16 Conflict Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 16 Conflict Prevention......................................................................................................................... 16 Conflict Resolution......................................................................................................................... 16 Conflict Transformation ................................................................................................................. 16 Consolidated Appeal...................................................................................................................... 16 Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP)........................................................................................... 16 Contingency Planning...................................................................................................................