Addressing Harmful Information in Conflict Settings: A Response Framework for Humanitarian Organizations

The ICRC harmful information response framework is intended to guide organizations in designing and implementing effective response strategies to the consequences of the spread of harmful information during armed conflicts.
The spread of harmful information – be it false, misleading, or hateful content, or narratives that violate international law - has been a consistent phenomenon in armed conflicts. However, today its scale, speed and reach have been greatly augmented by advances in information and communication technologies. Conflicts from Rwanda, DRC, Sudan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to Lebanon – clearly evidence how harmful information can impact people’s lives, safety and dignity, and lead to an escalation of violence and rights violations.
Harmful information also hinders the work of humanitarian organizations by calling into question their mandates and intentions, undermining their integrity, and making them and their staff a target of online and offline harassment and violence. The framework defines the scope of harmful information in armed conflict, presents the objectives of 360-degree responses to this information dimension of armed conflict, and suggests criteria for assessing the relevance and need for responses.
Spearheaded by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the framework is the product of broad multistakeholder and collaborative processes, involving a large number of humanitarian and human rights organizations. It also draws on dialogue and collaboration with stakeholders in government, the United Nations, academia, civil society, and the private sector.