Structural protection and assistance

At the broadest level, structural factors are the historical, geographical, political, economic, social and cultural conditions and institutions at the regional, national and international level that influence the overall environment in which individuals, families, communities and groups are situated and that shape their beliefs, decisions and behaviours. The institutions include:

• Formal organizations of government;
• Formal organizations through which people can represent their interests in relation to the formal organizations of government;
• Regional and global institutions.

Structure includes not only these institutions, but also more difficult to define values or ideas, dynamics and interrelations and phenomena in the natural world that are not represented by particular individuals. These can include global patterns and effects, such as globalization and climate change; patterns of interactions between States; the natural environment, such as weather patterns and geographical features; social systems, such as shared belief systems and economic systems; and the impact of past events and historical interactions between social groups and between countries.

Structural factors are typically relatively stable – insofar as they are not subject to immediate change – and have both immediate- and longer-term impacts.

At the structural level, programming tends to be longer term and is typically the domain of local and national governments. Efforts towards structural change may require more time to achieve but are also likely to have wide-ranging impact.

• Structural factors are the historical, geographical, political, economic and social conditions and institutions at the regional, national and international level that influence the overall environment in which individuals, families, communities and groups are situated and that shape their beliefs, decisions, and behaviours.
• Structural factors are typically relatively stable and have both immediate- and longer-term impacts.
• Interventions at the structural level are typically the domain of local and national governments, and regional or international institutions.
• As the primary duty bearer for upholding the rights of all persons, including migrants, the State has a particularly important role to play in upholding rights and reducing vulnerability to rights violations in all spheres, and at all levels.