Evaluation of the security officer within the UN / NGOs
Culture of the security officer
A culture of safety and security in the security officer is the keystone of any security system; it allows for a common understanding of the importance and necessity of creating safe and secure operating environments. A culture of security helps to enhance vigilance and enable a better understanding of the different security contexts and implications that characterize the activities undertaken by UN / NGO staff in situations where security is not seen as an obstacle. but rather as a catalyst. A culture of safety can be established by providing appropriate orientation and training to staff at different levels, ensuring that they continue to be sensitized through regular practice sessions and information sharing. relevant, encouraging the use of best practices and ensuring adherence to planned policies and locally approved security measures.
• Building a system-wide safety culture is a multidimensional endeavor that requires constant effort. It does not take hold overnight and requires the participation of several actors representing not only the executives in charge of security, but also the leaders and the most senior persons in charge of the operational management of the organizations, who must show the example. The UN / NGO security management system comprises different entities each with their own institutional culture (i.e. humanitarian action, peacekeeping, etc.) and a distinct mandate. However, interaction and cooperation between agencies is important and frequent, and takes many forms. Inspectors believe that it is possible to promote a safety culture based on the same basic principles system-wide by undertaking common activities (eg in the area of training). In addition, they are convinced that this is not only possible, but also necessary.
• A culture of safety is reflected in the approach staff members take when performing all kinds of duties, including when performing day-to-day tasks. Staff safety can be improved simply by promoting and embracing a culture of safety. However, the security measures to be taken in this regard are not the sole responsibility of such personnel; UN / NGO bodies must assume their responsibilities as employers and comply with applicable international labor standards in matters of occupational health and safety, and in particular with the provisions of the ILO Convention on Occupational Safety and Health, 1981 (No. 155) and its relevant recommendations. The designated manager and the team
Information management by the security officer
Security risk management and risk analysis are an integral part of the UN / NGO security management system, which is why having all relevant information in a timely manner is essential for it to function properly. . The ultimate goal is to have the necessary information, when and where it is needed, to quickly implement the planned prevention and mitigation measures in the area of safety.
The Inspectors stress the fundamental role that Member States should continue to play in this regard. Cooperation with national security actors is nonetheless of paramount importance for UN / NGOs. However, the sharing of information held by Member States with UN / NGOs continues to be determined by national considerations rather than by the information needs they must meet.
• In order to assess threats and risks, it is in particular necessary to collect relevant information, which should provide essential information to determine the threats to be countered, as well as the risks associated with them, and the competent authorities of the countries. hosts should be consulted throughout the processes to be undertaken for this purpose.
• Although progress has been made since the publication of the Independent Panel's report, it is widely recognized that there is a need to further strengthen threat and risk analysis capacities within the UN security management system. / NGOs, especially at the regional level.
• Today, no single agency, fund or program can afford the sophisticated technical capabilities and security systems it needs. Therefore, system-wide cooperation in the development and use of new means of security information management is essential.
Safety and security standards for the security officer
Significant progress has been made since the publication of the report of the Independent Panel on Security Awareness and Standardization of Practices, a document in which it was recognized that a clearer definition of responsibilities, of accountability and managerial functions, as well as a strengthening of
Collaboration and mechanisms for sharing information between different UN / NGO entities are necessary to ensure the safety of activities. To complement the basic standards established in the policies in force in the UN / NGO security management system, a set of minimum qualitative and quantitative requirements for premises and equipment should be developed and implemented. as well as standard procedures and a training program in the methods of operation and maintenance of this equipment, in order to optimize the safety and security of the personnel and property of the UN / NGOs.
• Strengthening of skills in the areas of safety and security among the security officer through standardized training. The obligation to follow common system-wide training rules has been imposed on all levels of the UN / NGO security management system with the aim of standardizing basic training for all staff. In addition, the Department of Safety and Security at the Security Officer offers special training to security specialists from different agencies with a view to standardizing their qualifications. In addition, some agencies such as UNHCR and UNICEF provide specialized training for their staff with additional needs, while some agencies, funds and programs have developed their own security training activities based on requirements. that are unique to them.
• Security training is perhaps one of the prime examples of standardization activities undertaken at all levels of the UN / NGO security management system. This training is either 'basic' or 'specialized': basic security training is intended to ensure that UN / NGO staff at all levels are fully aware of their responsibilities in security matters, as well as the various types of assistance from which they can benefit; The purpose of specialized security training is to equip UN / NGO security personnel with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to fulfill their security responsibilities. The basic safety training for staff members includes the modules entitled "Fundamentals of Field Safety" and "Advanced Field Safety Course", which serve as the basis for the safety courses that all staff members. UN / NGO security management system officials are required to monitor.
Security crisis management and capacity building for the security officer
The management of security crises and the capacity to scale up are essential elements to be taken into account to ensure the proper functioning of the UN / NGO security management system. This system does not have the financial resources to apply the preventive security measures required to deal with any threat that may arise in any place where the organizations that make it up operate. The UN / NGO security management system is based on a structured risk analysis, which means that security measures corresponding to the particular risks to be faced must be able to be taken as quickly as possible. This means that, for this system to be effective, we must have the certainty that the necessary resources (both human and material) are available, that they can be redeployed, and that we can count on logistical and support resources. effective and flexible communication.
In addition, the financial constraints that organizations have to face and the limited nature of the resources available to each of them in the field of security require that these, given the fragmentation that currently characterizes them, be shared and that their use be properly coordinated to address the fact that they are dispersed throughout the UN / NGO system.
The persistence of problems observed at the management, staffing and operational levels can negatively affect the outcome of a security crisis. The Department is responsible for the safety and security of the Field Staff Security Officer.
However, the operational responsibilities assumed for a large number of staff continue to be fragmented due to their dispersal throughout the system. The multiplicity of organs of the UN / NGO security management system that are responsible for responding to security crises at different levels and offering different services and types of support, each of them applying its own methods of recruitment and having its own contractual status, can lead to some confusion. Fragmentation is a cause of duplication and inefficiency, which can have a negative effect on the outcome of a crisis. All operational, organizational and logistical elements of the immediate response of the UN / NGO security management system to a security crisis should be streamlined and clearly defined.
• Crisis management policy: a series of tasks which are still in progress. The Inspectors are pleased to note that a crisis management policy was adopted in 2016. This is an important text, as it is intended to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of the interventions carried out in the event of a crisis. at all levels of UN / NGOs. This policy makes it possible to clearly define roles and responsibilities, as well as the structure of the mechanisms to be used for decision-making, coordination, information exchange and communications. Although it does not yet apply to all organizations in the UN / NGO system, it should be taken into account by members of the Policy Committee and the UN / NGO Crisis Management Working Group. All UN / NGO entities that have a field presence and are members of this group should ensure that appropriate orientation and crisis management resource packages are provided to staff they assign to their activities. in the field.
• In June 2015, the Inter-Agency Security Management Network approved the creation of a working group with the mandate of developing, for the UN / NGO security management system, a policy on the management of safety and security crises in the field security officer. A section dedicated to crisis management in the field will be included in the new Security Policy Manual and is expected to be approved by the Network in 2017.
• According to the views expressed by officials interviewed in the field, the capacity to build up capacity is an aspect which justifies a reinforcement of the means implemented. The Department of Safety and Security at the Security Officer is aware of this need, which it has not failed to recognize in its strategic review. However, it does not have a permanent reserve team made up of security specialists ready to be deployed when needed. Instead, emergency deployments are carried out using existing resources within the Department of Safety and Security, Department of Field Support / Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of political affairs and other organs of the UN / NGO security management system.
Since 2012, the Department of Safety and Security at the Security Officer has strengthened its intervention capacities, in particular by entrusting mobilizable security specialists with the task of organizing preventive deployments. Due to the lack of permanent security capabilities, there is a need to redeploy available resources in some duty stations in order to enhance security in other locations, to address a security threat or even to provide services normally scheduled according to a pre-established schedule.