International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA)

⏱ The United Nations 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, taking place in Geneva from 25-27 November, is just around the corner! ICoCA is excited to participate in this important event, which will focus on the critical theme of the "smart mix of measures" necessary for effectively implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). This year's forum will reflect on both the successes and challenges of integrating these principles into business practices, particularly within the context of fragile global value chains. 🌐 Rooted in the UNGPs, ICoCA emphasises that responsible security practices are essential for businesses to uphold human rights across operations and supply chains. Aligned with global best practices, effective security not only safeguards human rights but also reinforces a company’s operational integrity, especially in high-risk and conflict-affected regions. To explore issues related to human rights and security in these regions, our Executive Director, Jamie Williamson, will facilitate a session on Conflict-Affected Areas on 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟮𝟲 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 from 𝟵:𝟬𝟬 𝘁𝗼 𝟵:𝟰𝟬 in 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗫𝗫𝗜𝗩. The Forum will provide an important platform to discuss key topics like human rights due diligence, access to remedy and the impact of technology and AI on transparency and accountability. These discussions are critical as businesses work to mitigate risks, foster a culture of respect for human rights and build lasting trust with stakeholders across diverse sectors. 🤝 👉 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺'𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: https://lnkd.in/d7jEHPJP 👉 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁-𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: https://lnkd.in/g4uqaHbf

🎙 "𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘗𝘔𝘊𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴." This statement captures the essence of our conversation with Dr. Alessandro Arduino, an affiliate lecturer at the Lau Chine Institute at King's College London and a trusted advisor to ICoCA. In the latest episode of our podcast series 👇, we delve into the pressing issues surrounding 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗣𝗠𝗖𝘀) and their impact on global security. Dr. Arduino discusses his latest book, 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘩𝘦𝘮: 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘋𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘳, where he explores how profit-driven PMCs are reshaping modern warfare, managing rather than resolving conflicts. His insights trace the historical context of mercenaries and the ongoing privatisation of security, examining the implications of heavily armed groups utilising emerging technologies like drones and cyber capabilities 👨💻. He highlights how different nations—such as China, Russia and Turkey—approach security operations in varying ways, shaping the future landscape of military practices. 🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: https://lnkd.in/dGNCyQjP

𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗣𝗦𝗣𝘀) 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗣𝗦𝗣𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁. From procurement to contract monitoring and incident reporting, clients can drive higher standards within the security sector. However, cost 💰 often outweighs quality, with companies paying minimum wages or less outbidding those offering fair wages. By paying a fair price and demanding benchmarks like ICoCA Certification 🎖, clients encourage security companies to invest in vetting, training and fair treatment of employees, ultimately driving standards upward. Prioritising cost over quality, on the other hand, can lead to reduced staff training, lower wages and longer hours, posing risks to both organisations and communities. Investing in responsible PSPs isn’t just about security, it’s also about 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. ICoCA Certification ensures that providers undergo rigorous, ongoing human rights due diligence and comply with international standards. 🤝 Multinational companies like ABB, AngloGold Ashanti, bp, Glencore, Holcim, International SOS, Newmont Corporation, Pan American Silver Corp., Philip Morris International, Rio Tinto and TotalEnergies have already joined ICoCA as Observers. Observers play a vital role in supporting ICoCA’s mission, sharing best practices and participating in collaborative projects to shape the future of private security contracting. 👇 Explore why TotalEnergies decided to join ICoCA: https://lnkd.in/ehHsWeEW

As legal requirements evolve, companies using private security services face increasing Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) obligations. The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), effective from 2024, and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), passed in July 2024, require businesses to demonstrate and report on sustainability and human rights due diligence across their value chains. This includes private security procurement, specifically flagged as a key risk in the CSDDD. A recent report 👇 by Cecely Richard-Carvajal at NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights brilliantly analyses the EU CSDDD, CSRD and the evolving Business and Human Rights regulatory landscape over the past 15 years. It clearly outlines the key steps for governments and companies to make CSDDD effective. A few thoughts on the recommendations: 🤝 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 (𝗠𝗦𝗜𝘀) like ICoCA offer a great forum for engaging governments and companies, reflected in recommendations #1, #10 and #11. 👩🏫 Large companies under the CSDDD's scope are likely to face 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 that will take time to address. MSIs can offer the expertise needed to start this process 𝘕𝘖𝘞 (#2, #7, #8). 👮♂️ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 are explicitly called out in Annex 1 of the CSDDD. Given the extensive use of private security across all sectors, companies should proactively assess their security supply chains using existing tools like ICoCA’s procurement guide (#3, #9): https://lnkd.in/e3xUjf98 ✅ Specialist MSIs have already built-out detailed 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, which should be integrated into the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) to avoid duplication (#5). 🥕 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 and rewarding/sharing best practices are crucial. Supporting civil society will play a vital role in ensuring accountability (#6). 📘 Download the report: https://lnkd.in/dBgbSn7T

💼 #Job - We are seeking a Consortium Coordinator to lead our new EU-funded project, “Addressing the Accountability Gap.” (80% fixed-term contract, based in #Geneva) If you have a strong background in project management, especially with institutional donors, we want to hear from you! 📅 Apply by: November 10, 2024 ➡️ Application through this link: https://wkf.ms/3U2Rsu0

In an increasingly interconnected world 🌐, companies and private security providers face unprecedented scrutiny regarding their human rights practices. 🚨 Operating in high-risk areas with weak governance can lead to severe 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 if proper human rights due diligence is not integrated into corporate strategies. Private security plays a vital role in safeguarding assets and personnel across all sectors, but without proper training, monitoring and awareness of local dynamics, the risk of 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘀 escalates. As the leading international body dedicated to improving human rights practices within the private security sector, ICoCA promotes transparency, accountability and responsible conduct. Established in 2013, ICoCA ensures that private security providers 👮♀👮♂️ adhere to international human rights standards through 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀. Incorporating human rights due diligence in your private security operations isn’t just good practice—it’s a necessity. At ICoCA, we’re committed to ensuring that companies implement robust human rights standards to mitigate risks in their operations. Learn more about our work and how you can 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆'𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 👇

In our latest podcast episode 👇, we explore the origins of ICoCA with Anne-Marie Buzatu, Vice President and COO of ICT4peace. As one of the principal architects behind ICoCA and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers ("the Code"), Anne-Marie shares her insights on how the Code emerged from the pressing need for accountability among private security actors operating in conflict zones. She discusses the pivotal Montreux Process, which facilitated essential dialogues between governments, civil society and industry stakeholders to clarify the responsibilities of private security companies under international law. 🤝 This collaborative effort laid the foundation for a governance framework addressing the challenges posed by the increasing role of private actors in these complex environments. Continuing our long-standing partnership, ICoCA and ICT4peace have recently collaborated on a 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝗸𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿. 👨💻 📢 Stay tuned for the release of this toolkit, along with a policy brief, which together will provide essential guidance for private security companies on navigating the human rights challenges of the digital age. 🎧 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁: https://lnkd.in/e5wKzref

At a recent conference with compliance officers of multinational corporations, struggling with human rights due diligence concepts, I was asked by someone ...⤵️ ❓️"Why do you care so much about security guards" An odd but fair question. So I replied ⤵️ "Imagine you are a security guard, you commute 2 hours each way for your shift, traffic gridlock and no public transport being the norm, you work 12 hour shifts, 3 days and 3 nights, 1 day off, your office is a plastic stall in a guard hut by a gate, you have to bring your own food and buy your own uniform, you are not shown much respect by visitors, you are paid a minimum wage not a living wage as too costly for the client, you have no medical insurance, any day off is docked from your pay, you can't let your guard down as your job is to protect others.... and if you lose your temper you may end up in jail.... ❓️would you want someone to stick up for you if you were this guard", I concluded. The question was met with a pause by the compliance officer, a furious head nod and then "of course!" Obvious really. ✅️ Responsible security providers understand the need to take care of their employees. Hopefully, one more compliance officer now understands this too. #responsiblebusiness #riskmanagement #leadership #ESG #SDG #UNGPs #EUCSDDD ##BizHumanrights #compliance

Following our recent reflection on World Day for Decent Work, today, on 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆, we want to emphasise the crucial link between working conditions and mental well-being. 🤯 Mental health is affected by poor working conditions, which in turn leads to issues with effectiveness and the quality of work performed by security personnel. In our research "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳", conducted in partnership with UNI Global Union, the University of Denver and backed by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, we uncovered alarming statistics about the mental health of security guards. Of the guards interviewed in our East Africa focus study, a significant percentage believe poor working conditions negatively impact their mental health: 🧠 37% in Tanzania 🧠 66% in Uganda 🧠 70% in Kenya These findings echo our earlier discussions about the appalling working conditions faced by guards and the “race to the bottom” phenomenon in the private security sector, where companies and clients cut costs at the expense of workers’ well-being. 🤒 Addressing mental health in the workplace is essential for enhancing productivity and safety. When guards are overworked and insecure in their employment, it leads to a cycle of inefficiency and potential abuses. By fostering better working environments, authorities, private security companies and their clients can support mental health and empower security personnel to perform their roles more effectively. 📚 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿: https://lnkd.in/eXpnhjVA

Today, we commemorate 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸, an essential reminder of the rights of workers everywhere. ✊ The human rights community often views those in uniform as potential perpetrators of abuse, overlooking the experiences of security personnel and the potential for improving their working conditions to prevent misuse of power. Working conditions in the private security sector have been a significant focus for ICoCA over the past couple of years. From 2022 to 2023, ICoCA conducted the first global research on the working conditions of security guards with the support of UNI Global Union, resulting in the study "𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳". This research included in-depth surveys in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda backed by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, revealing that private security guards are among the lowest-paid workers in the formal economy. In partnership with Consumer Options Ltd, approximately 1,000 guards were interviewed in each country, providing a representative analysis 📊 of their perspectives and highlighting both global trends and regional specifics in their working conditions. In the article below 👇, Jael Amara, Gender, Research and Strategy Consultant, and Vincent Bernard, Senior Policy Advisor at ICoCA, present findings from these surveys, revealing the appalling working conditions faced by guards across major cities in East Africa. They highlight the link between poor conditions and the risk of abuse among underpaid and exploited workers. The research underscores the “race to the bottom” phenomenon in the private security industry, fuelled by clients and companies cutting costs, leading to below-minimum wages and excessive working hours for guards (𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘴 in Swahili). 👮♀👮♂️ Importantly, the findings also propose solutions and urge clients, authorities and private security companies to end exploitative practices in the sector. 📰 https://lnkd.in/eGZN28XJ