Case Study: Human Rights Training for Public Security Forces

Reminder! Webinar today at 15:00 CEST! Register here; see below for more information. 

Today, DCAF, the ICRC, and the GCBHR will launch cutting-edge practical guidance for companies on responsible security management: The Security and Human Rights Toolkit.

As a ‘sneak preview’ of the revised Toolkit, DCAF, ICRC and the GCBHR are releasing a case study on human rights training for public security. Public security forces assigned to company operations can present major challenges to communities as well as to the sustainability of company operations: lack of oversight on their conduct, mistrust and adverse reactions from communities, use of force against civilians, poor resources, capacities and equipment, lack of training. In the absence of a competent dedicated public security force, illegal armed actors may step in to fill the gap.

Companies can reduce these risks by consulting and working closely with the competent national authorities to support training programmes, as well as by contributing lessons learned, good practices and resources. Companies can also partner with security and human rights experts and civil society on trainings. This constitutes an investment in quality of security service provision, particularly in complex environments where public security may be weak or ineffective.

This week’s case study features an example from an extractive company. It discusses concepts such as:

• How can companies ensure public security forces assigned to their area of operations respect human rights and international humanitarian law?
• How and when should companies support training programmes for public security forces?
• How can companies collaborate with governments to promote public security forces’ respect for human rights and international humanitarian law?

Read the case study here!

Launch Event: 16 June 15:00 CEST

In this Together: How companies, governments and communities can collaborate to address security and human rights challenges

Join us as we launch our revamped Toolkit. This webinar will explore innovative multi-stakeholder approaches taken by companies, governments and civil society to address the human rights challenges in complex business environments. The webinar will demonstrate how the new edition of the Security and Human Rights Toolkit can help companies surmount challenges with public and private security, engage with concerned communities and develop security arrangements with host States. Register here!

Previous Fact Sheets and Case Studies

• Armed conflict and responsible security management
• Human rights due diligence
• Complex environments
• Gender
• Artisanal and small-scale mining
• Indigenous peoples
• Human rights defenders
• Multi-stakeholder initiatives

Security and Human Rights Toolkit

The new edition of the Toolkit on Addressing Security and Human Rights Challenges in Complex Environments supports and guides companies in how to responsibly organise their security arrangements. The Toolkit helps companies identify and mitigate human rights risks related to operational environments where social tensions or armed conflicts occur and where governance and rule of law are weak.

The updated version of the Toolkit will feature new case studies, tested good practices, resources, tools and fact sheets that provide concise, practical guidance on a series of key concepts connected to responsible security practices. It launches 16 June 2022.

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