2 July 2002

The annual ad hoc Inter-Agency Meeting on Security has been transformed into the new IASMN, reflecting a deepened commitment by the UN system administrations and Member States to the development and management of effective measures to ensure staff security and safety.

Janice Albert, General Secretary, Anne Marie Pinou, Research and Liaison Officer, and Mamadou Mbaye, a WFP staff member, whose participation was sponsored by the Field Staff Association (FSA) of FAO/WFP, represented FICSA at the meeting.

The extensive agenda included the following:

• Update on all developments related to the implementation of new security arrangements, including budgetary matters
• Accountability
• Implementation of Minimum Operating Security Standards/Telecommunication Standards
• Security Training
• Field Security Officers
• Malicious Acts Insurance Policy
• Minimum Air Safety and Security Standards
• Transportation of cash
• Security Entitlements for locally-recruited staff
• Residential security measures
• Use of military/armed escorts
• Investigations into the deaths of staff members.

FICSA would like to highlight the following recommendations of the meeting:

At its 56^th session in 2002, the General Assembly noted "with concern the lack of an accountability and responsibility mechanism in the area of field security" and asked the Secretary-General to submit a report on the establishment of a "clear mechanism of accountability and responsibility" (A/RES/56/255-VIII).

In response, UNSECOORD presented a paper, Framework for Accountability within the United Nations Security Management System, to the IASMN, which was then revised by a working group. The paper identifies a number of mechanisms to ensure accountability, and the responsibilities of each staff member having duties in the security management system.

After the meeting, the paper was circulated to the participants for comments. FICSA has circulated the paper to the membership with a request for comments by 12 July.

FICSA considers that a framework for accountability should be unambiguous and have solid legal grounds. The responsibilities of staff who have security-related duties should be clearly defined and enforceable. The administrative actions to be taken in the event of non-fulfilment of responsibilities should be identified. Furthermore, a clear distinction should be made between accountability and responsibility.

With regard to security compliance, the IASMN recommended that a standardized approach to reward good performance and sanction bad performance be established throughout the UN system.

The IASMN agreed that organizations should issue a security policy statement outlining areas of accountability and identifying those responsible for security-related functions. Organizations have been asked to report to UNSECOORD on their progress in this regard by 1 September 2002. A generic Security Policy Statement was approved at IASMN to guide the organizations.

The IASMN recommended that security training be mandatory for all UN personnel and that this be a requirement for deployment or assignment or reassignment to the field. In addition, each organization should have a single focal point who is responsible for monitoring the implementation of security training.

FICSA welcomed a recommendation that training should be an integral component of accountability, and maintained that security professionals should be responsible for all security training.

All training packages should be reviewed by UNSECOORD for consistency. The Field Security Officers will be required to distribute written security briefings to staff on arrival at a duty station, including staff on mission or travel status.

While welcoming these recommendations, FICSA would like to stress that NGO staff, who are often the main implementing partners for some of the UN agencies, should also be trained because ignorance about UN security measures might endanger UN staff members, especially in sudden emergency or conflict situations.

UNHCR presented proposals on security entitlements for locally-recruited staff. They will be reviewed by the UN Office of Legal Affairs and human resources (HR) professionals, then submitted to the HR Network for consideration.

UNSECOORD pointed out that it is official UN policy not to evacuate locally-recruited staff, but also expressed its dissatisfaction with the inconsistent and often contradictory treatment of this issue in the past.

FICSA maintained that local staff should be made fully aware of security measures, particularly in the event that international colleagues have been evacuated. National staff may be at a greater risk in such circumstances because of their work with an international organization. FICSA reiterated its support for the evacuation of local staff.

IASMN welcomed the new concept for the management of FSOs, including the roster established by UNSECOORD to ensure that there is a pool of staff available for deployment.

FICSA supported the clearance of FSOs through UNSECOORD and suggested that FSOs spend more time with different agencies at the field level to gain an understanding of their particular needs at the duty station and this was accepted by the meeting. FSOs should be offered the possibility of inter-agency mobility to gain a broader understanding of the UN system.

It was also recommended that the Designated Officials and the Security Management Team be responsiblefor completing the performance appraisal of FSOs.

UNSECOORD will conduct a market survey to renew the insurance contract before it expires at the end of the year.

UNSECOORD will obtain clarification regarding why National Professional Officers were not automatically included in the policy.

There was an urgent need to clearly define the policy and develop minimum standards governing the movement/transportation of cash.

It was confirmed that staff members were under no obligation to carry cash. FICSA stressed that staff be informed about this policy and that staff should have the right to refuse to carry cash, without any adverse consequences from the management.

The IASMN recommended that organizations identify other means to transport cash and take steps to ensure that staff were not being paid large amounts of cash at high risk duty stations.

A working group was convened to develop a detailed approach to residential security measures. Its recommendations will be considered at the upcoming HR Network meeting in July.

The IASMN recommended that residential security measures not be tied to the security phase in effect at the duty station, as they are not linked to, or determined by, levels of criminality.

FICSA maintained that field staff should participate in the development of residential security measures.

Grave concern was expressed at the low level of implementation of the standards and the non- observance of security clearance procedures for staff travel. Since action is needed urgently, it was recommended that Designated Officials/Security Management Teams submit a report on compliance to UNSECOORD by 1 August 2002. In addition, organizations should ensure that staff do not travel unless security clearance is received.

The IASMN recommended that Minimum Telecommunications Standards (MITS) be considered as part of MOSS and that a working group be constituted to immediately identify common funding requirements for system-wide security communications in high-risk duty stations.

The meeting decided that WFP would be designated as the lead agency for implementing system-wide minimum security telecommunications and minimum information technology infrastructure in emergency operations.

Organizations not formally present at a duty station should ensure that their staff on mission status are provided with the MOSS requirements for that particular duty station.

FICSA maintained that security clearance should be linked to MITS compliance, i.e. the Designated Official should give particular attention to the information communications technology (ICT) when approving clearance and/or authorizing the establishment of a sub-office in the countryside. Organizations must inform their own staff members about the right to access ICT.

The meeting endorsed the concept that safety, and not political and financial considerations, should be the primary factor in the selection of air carriers and that all organizations implement risk management criteria in determining standards of commercial air travel for UN staff.

A technical working group should be established to finalize the development of aviation safety and security standards for the UN system.

Participants expressed concern about the practice of requiring staff who travel on UN aircraft to sign a waiver limiting the liability of the organization in the event of an accident. The IASMN requested that this matter be considered by the HLCM for appropriate action.

The IASMN reiterated the decision of the HLCM regarding staff members’ right to refuse to travel on any given aircraft for safety reasons.

FICSA maintained that organizations at the country level should consult aviation safety websites to be able to advise staff about travel on commercial airlines. Organizations involved in managing charter flights that carry staff should brief staff on the specifications of the aircraft and emergency procedures.

Noting the document on the use of escorts for humanitarian convoys, prepared by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), the meeting endorsed its distribution to the field for review and comments to be considered at the next IASMN meeting in 2003. It was stressed that this document was a non-binding instrument, without prejudice to existing rules and regulations applicable to the use of military and armed escorts.

FICSA maintained that guidelines are needed on the use of military or armed escorts and that the "Humanitarian Code of Conduct Guide" should be widely disseminated to staff, particularly those in conflict/emergency regions.

The IASMN endorsed the role of the Investigations Unit within UNSECOORD and requested UNSECOORD, together with the Office of Legal Affairs, to further define the terms of reference of the proposed review panel.

FICSA fully supported the creation of this unit and asked for clarification on how the unit would function, particularly when it comes to dealing with government authorities. In this respect, FICSA strongly denounces the impunity of some Member States in not fully collaborating during investigations and recommends that, in such cases, this be brought to the attention of the Security Council to ensure that appropriate actions are taken. The lack of strong reactions by the organizations to the impunity of some Member States only contributes to endangering the lives of more staff.

The meeting recommended that for duty stations in phases three and above, UNSECOORD should evaluate the appropriateness of the phase every six months. UNSECOORD will also closely monitor the process used by Designated Officials and Security Management Teams to ensure that security phases correspond to the prevailing security situation at the duty station.

FICSA raised the issue of harassment in the field and stated that it was closely linked to accountability. The Federation hopes that the issue will be addressed in depth at a future IASMN meeting.

FICSA stated that the communication problem with staff in the field needs to be addressed. Organizations and UNSECOORD must ensure that field staff have access to all relevant security-related information and directives.

FICSA raised the issue of inequitable reimbursement of entitlements and allowances in the field and hoped that organizations would harmonize their practices.