GPC NRC Note on Protection in Humanitarian Coordination Transitions

In 2024, at least eight Protection Clusters were in discussions around potential deactivation or transition. Recognizing the need to support these Clusters and others that may encounter transitions in the future, the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) convened a session during its Annual Protection Conference with Cluster and AoR Coordinators on how to promote the continuity of protection in humanitarian coordination transitions. A webinar was later held during the 2024 Global Protection Forum, after several partners also raised interest in this issue. 

This note summarizes the learnings from those discussions and aims to offer considerations for Protection Clusters and protection partners in preparing for transitions of the humanitarian coordination architecture. It was prepared by the Norwegian Refugee Council, who co-convened the two transitions discussions in 2024. The note can be seen as a complement to the IASC’s broader Guidance on Cluster Transition and Deactivation, which was published in January 2025. The IASC Guidance is the principal guiding document on transition and deactivation processes. An annex focused on considerations for unforeseen or accelerated transitions has been added, considering the humanitarian reset process started in early 2025.