ANNEX A KEY PRINCIPLES  Do no harm The documentation of human rights abuses should never harm the physical, emotional, or mental health of respondents. All possible steps must be taken to ensure respondents’ safety.  Respect your mandate Respect the professional boundaries between you and respondents. Do not seek to befriend, counsel, or offer financial support to respondents.  Confidentiality Preserving the confidentiality of information is critical. Breaching confidentiality can put all of the parties involved at risk, including the respondent, anyone named by the respondent, and your organization.  Understand the context Make sure you have a sound understanding of the context that you are attempting to investigate, including the dynamics of the conflict, community and sub-community dynamics, and customs, language, history, and family and community structures.  Sensitivity Human rights documentation has potentially serious consequences for individual respondents, their families, and their communities. Exercise sensitivity throughout the documentation process, including taking steps to guard against the risk of retraumatization.  Exercise good judgment and be persistent, consistent, and patient Documenting human rights abuses is a challenging process. You should use your best judgment at all times and be prepared to be flexible, persistent, and patient.  Seek consultation Regularly debrief with your team to continuously evaluate the documentation process and identify patterns or gaps early.  Accuracy and precision Approach documentation with a specific and rigorous focus.  Impartiality and objectivity Strive to always be impartial and objective. Do not demonstrate political biases or views during the documentation process. Rely on objective human rights standards when evaluating evidence. 25