Privatisation of Public Security

Good Practices

Ensure that contracts with public security forces are agreed upon with the relevant authorities rather than with individuals. This way, individuals will maintain their status as public security personnel even when providing a service for a company.

Develop a comprehensive company policy on security, human rights and community relations

(see Impacts of company operations on the security of communities – Working with Communities).

• Develop principles for relations between security forces protecting a project site and the neighbouring communities, clearly setting out roles and responsibilities of public and private security.

Conduct joint meetings and trainings with public and private security to ensure that roles and responsibilities are properly understood

(see Relationship between public and private security – Working with Private Security Providers).

• Reach an agreement with relevant authorities regarding the content and regularity of the training. Include, as a minimum, the following topics: human rights, international humanitarian law, sexual violence, rules of engagement for the use of force, conflict management, crowd control and public order.
• (see Low levels of awareness and understanding of security and human rights issues by public security forces: getting involved in the training of forces assigned to the company’s area of operations within Training – Working with Public Security Forces).

Practical Tools

• Training Module 3: Roles and Responsibilities of Security Personnel (Voluntary Principles Initiative 2018)

Discuss security arrangements with host communities on a regular basis as a way of monitoring the conduct of public security forces

(see Impacts of company operations on the security of communities  – Working with Communities).

• Clarify the purpose of security arrangements during community consultations, referring to the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights.
• Establish mechanisms that enable communities to voice their concerns on security arrangements (e.g. through local in-country working groups on security and human rights).
• Ensure all vulnerable groups are included in these discussions.

Ensure that the company’s operational-level grievance mechanism allows individuals and communities to anonymously report any abuse, including abuses perpetrated by security providers.

• This is a key part of human rights due diligence, according to standards such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (no. 29–32) and the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct (see Human rights violations by public security forces: monitoring incidents and referring them to appropriate remediation within Stakeholder engagement strategy and Community mistrust: ensuring an effective company grievance mechanism within Human rights violations – Working with Communities) and Working with host governments).
• Build a company grievance mechanism that allows anonymous reporting of human rights abuses. Ensure it is accessible through several of the following ways: The Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights: An Implementation Toolkit for Major Project Sites, p. III-16 (World Bank Group and Anvil Mining 2008)‍
• A ‘report abuse’ hotline, accessible either via phone or SMS.
• A secure e-mail address that is solely accessible by a trusted monitor.
• Tip boxes with clear instructions posted above them, located in areas where individuals have unobserved access to the boxes and can drop in anonymous notes, tips or other information.
• A community office where complainants can report their claims in person. Ensure that this is easily accessible to all potential claimants. If it is clear that certain members of the potentially affected community are not able to access the office, mobile teams should be sent to engage with the community and carry out the grievance process in their location.