ABSTRACT
The Sphere Project (2004) was created to establish consistency and accountability among humanitarian actors with different missions and agendas. The project pioneered the minimum standards for the humanitarian charter and emergency response where humanitarian values and principles reflect the ever-increasing complexities of modern humanitarianism. In an effort to move the human rights agenda forward and establish protection for beneficiaries, the prominent NGOs adopted the Code of Conduct that set up consistent conduct expectations from humanitarian workers—because a tarnished image means increased risks for humanitarians and less lifesaving aid. The limitations of norms and fixed standards in unprecedented and morally ambiguous situations led to development of the values-based framework that could establish broader contextual relevance of conflicting ethical imperatives and rely on professional competency in determining which one to follow. In this framework, some values represent aspirational ideals, other strategic or operational guidance; these can be binding like professional codes or imperative like safety and the self-care.
