Terms of Reference
Proposal for BOND Conflict Policy Group
This document makes proposals on:
- Remit
- Group structure and roles
- Chair or Co-Chairs role
- Steering Group role
- Membership role
- Activities
- Information dissemination
- Policy and thematic dialogue
- Official consultations
- Joint advocacy
- Meetings
1. Remit
The Group aims to support BOND members in networking on conflict and security-related issues of relevance to development and humanitarian action. Other wider foreign policy-related issues will be addressed, when relevant. The Group will also aim to provide strategic input to wider BOND advocacy and policy discussions relevant to its remit. Specifically, the Group aims to facilitate:
- Information dissemination
- Policy and thematic dialogue
- Official consultations
- Joint advocacy
2. Group structure and roles
Chair or Co-Chairs role
To provide strategic coordination of activities by:
- Developing agenda for biannual 'plenary' / full meeting with Steering Group & membership
- Chairing Group biannual meetings
- Making decisions on participation in Group delegations for consultation meetings with limited participation (in liaison with the Steering Group and BOND Engagement & Participation Officer)
- Chair / Co-Chairs to be elected on an annual basis
Steering Group role
- To provide advice to Chair / Co-Chairs on strategic planning and decisions relating to activities (e.g. participation in delegations to consultations with limited participation)
- If possible, Steering Group membership should represent diversity of BOND network
- Steering Group membership will be elected on an annual basis
- Rotating minute-taking responsibilities
Group membership role
- Membership involves receiving information disseminated over the Group e-list
- Unless in exceptional circumstances, emails will be limited to one-per-week maximum
- Members can choose to participate in consultations or proposals for joint advocacy actions advertised through the Group
- Without the express and written agreement of the Group Chair (in liaison with the BOND Engagement & Participation Officer), individual members or Groups of members are not permitted to represent the Group or wider BOND network (e.g. by publishing statements or attending meetings in the name of the Group) unless representing a previously agreed position
3. Group activities
Information dissemination
Information dissemination through the Group e-list, updated by the BOND Engagement and Participation Administrator, regarding:
- Consultations
- Calls for joint advocacy actions
- Proposals for thematic and policy dialogue
Official consultations
- Information about relevant official consultations will be circulated to the Group
- The BOND Engagement & Participation Administrator will log registrations for meetings (for monitoring purposes and to inform host organisations)
- For consultations that allow for only limited participation, the Chair / Co-Chairs in liaison with the Steering Group will determine representation in the form of a delegation. Final decision-making authority lies with the Chair / Co-Chairs and the BOND Engagement & Participation Officer. Such delegations are obliged to liaise with the wider Group membership via the e-list in advance of such consultation meetings to collect and communicate perspectives from other Group members and should be understood to be representing the Group and not their individual organisation
Thematic and policy dialogue
- Any such activities should be proposed and agreed with the Group Chair, Steering Group and wider membership at the biannual plenary Group meetings where possible
- Any such activities will be advertised via the Group e-list to all members
- Any such activities will also be organised by the individual Group member proposing the dialogue, not the BOND Secretariat or Group Chairs
Calls for joint advocacy
- Any joint advocacy actions (e.g. joint letters, position papers or media work) will be branded by the Group as a whole where there is consensus/an agreed position. Groups advocating as BOND Groups must check their policy positions with the Network Advocacy Officer to ensure that they do not contradict BOND principles and other positions
- Where an agreed joint position has not been reached, actions should be branded by individual agency sign-on
- Any such activities will also be organised by the individual Group members proposing the action, not the BOND Secretariat or Group Chairs
4. Group Meetings
Chairs, Steering Group and the wider membership should meet biannually to review activities and up-coming priorities.