Security unit report

End of the year 2008

Who we are
The security unit is a field support unit and can be contacted 24/7 with requests for support, security advice, incidence reporting or other security related information.

Security on-line training course

The Security units two security manuals aimed at Red Cross and Red Crescent personnel, Stay safe: The International Federations guide to a safer mission, together with the accompanying publication, Stay safe: The International Federations guide for security managers have now been published in French versions. Both the English and French versions can be accessed through FedNet and requests for hardcopies can be forwarded to the Security unit at security.unit@ifrc.org

Daily activities
Monitoring and analysing the global security environment Internal and external stakeholders relations Feedback and support to delegations and National Societies. More than 90 per cent of all inquiries are replied to within 24 hours and all serious/urgent matters handled immediately 24/7. The unit receives numerous requests for support and advice from other organisations, individuals or external stakeholders Currently there are five (5) security coordinators deployed in the field. They are: Brett Page Asia/Pacific security coordinator Holger Leipe East Africa/Southern Africa security coordinator Andrew Hawkesford Indonesia security coordinator Michael Niedermayr Sri Lanka security coordinator Thor Thorbro Pakistan security coordinator

In order to meet the increased demand for Red Cross Red Crescent training and at the same time standardise security training within the International Federation, the Security Unit initiated work on an interactive CD-ROM security training course that also will be accessible on-line for all Red Cross Red Crescent personnel including the millions of volunteers worldwide. As we reported in our mid-year 2008 report the training course will be divided into different modules focusing on special aspect of eld security and security management. We are pleased to inform that the work on this project is on schedule and we expect to to release the nal product in July 2009. This e-learning traing course will be accesable to all those interested in completing the course and a diploma will be awarded upon successful completion. It is our aim that in the future successful completion will be a prerequisite for employment in the Federation and for participation on the Impact training (formally known as BTC). National Societies will also be encouraged to adapt same standards.

safe Stay r sa scurit

Prserve
Guide n dratio de la F curit s pour la sion is m en

Contact the security unit

security.unit@ifrc.org Lars Tangen: +41 79 217 3371 John Dyer: +41 79 251 8015 Karl Julisson: +41 79 308 9842

Our objective is that the e-learning courses and security manuals be available in all four (4) ofcial International Federation languages and therefore we encourage those National Societies interested in contributing to the cost of this translation to please contact the Security Unit.

End of the year 2008

Security unit report | 2

Hot spots
Weekly security newsletter from security unit. Global and Red Cross Red Crescent security news and updates. Subscribe for free

New security tools

In response to a number of incidents during the last three (3) years the International Federation is in the nal stages of adopting a set of Critical Incident Management procedures.

Critical incident management

Security tools
There are a variety of security tools available to International Federation and National Society staff. Among them are: I International Federation security framework which includes the following: I Security unit 24/7 support I Minimum security requirements I Hot Spots report. I Security regulations and contingency plan templates (contact security unit) I Seven pillars of security

INCIDENT
Senior field manager advised

Security unit

Under Secretary General XX

Does incident require Geneva input?

NO
Field critical incident Management team Established

YES

Secretary General advised

Geneva critical incident Management team Established

A security section has been created on the Fednet with links to a number of security support documents, travel advice travel restrictions and upcoming events. https://fednet. ifrc. org/sw99042.asp

Managers are expected to familiarise themselves with this process and ensure that key staff with their zones are briefed and aware of the process. It is expected that Heads of Zones will establish a mechanism to practice and test these procedures internally. Over the next 12 months it is intended that we will develop a number scenarios to test and validate the process between the eld and Geneva.

Security incident database

The Security Unit is currently in the process of developing a security incident database thereby enhancing our ability to analyse incidents, identify reasons for International Federation and National Societies security incidents and to determine trends which will enable us to be more proactive. This will also indicate where we will have to focus on our training and management support in addition to being a tool to provide accurate incident statistics and as a reality check on the progress of the Security programme. The database will allow us to compare a number of different variables at an given location or region with respect of over twenty different variables such as location, time, gender, type of incident, length of stay in country, etc. The database will allow enhanced real time monitoring of incidents as well as enhanced follow up on actions taken or needed.

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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Main activities 2008

I

I I

Monitor and report on the implementation and compliance with the Security Framework and the Minimum Security Requirements. To enhance managersability to do this we are developing a security management self assessment tool for use by Federation and National Society managers. Maintain the Zonal Security Coordinator in South and East Africa (Nairobi), Zonal Security Coordinator for Asia and Pacic (KL) and additional security coordinators to complex operations (Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia). Finalised Zonal Security Coordinator position for combined Europe and MENA zones (same position). Provided over 500 Federation and National Societies managers, delegates, staff and volunteers with appropriate security training that will enhance their ability to operate in a secure manner. This includes seven (7) two-day security managers workshops aimed at enhancing the capabilities of Federation managers. Provided incident analysis and response to 215 reported security incidents. The unit dealt with several major crisis in 2008 (partial or full relocation or travel movement restrictions). The ten (10) major countries/areas were Occupied Palenstine Terroitory (OPT)/Gaza, Yemen, Chad, Sudan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The unit continued to implement the new security regulations and emergency plans in the various delegations. Updated and approved security regulations and plans now exist in over 56 out of some 80 delegations and within several National Societies. Two self learning CD-ROM based and online security training courses will be published in July 2009 which will reach an increased number of staff and volunteers within the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement. Continued to provide a 24/7 support and advice to Field, HQ and National Societies The unit maintained effective working relations with other agencies regularly meeting meeting security focal points in the inter-agency community. Frequently shared working methodologies, security approaches and tools with DG ECHO, NGOs, IOs and EISF. The unit has benetted from a from a good and close working relationship with the full time security ofcers from the American Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross and British Red Cross as well as with security focal points in a number of other National Societies. Maintained a close working relationship with the ICRC security unit. The unit was awarded a special mention in the DuPont Safety Awards for our approach to creating a security culture within the International Federation.

Upcoming or planned activities

I I I I

I I

Creation of an electronic security incident database Global security regulation handbook Completion of a self assessment for MSR implementation in all delegations Finalising the recruitment for Indonesia and Europe/MENA security coordination positions Creation of Zonal coordinator positions inW. Africa and other zones. Continued security training in all zones with emphasis on security management training Publication of the e-learning CD-ROM training course

The security units main activities and one staff on loan are funded from the global security appeal (MAA00026) and the unit depends on support from Partner National Societies to be able to conduct its planned activities and tasks.

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End of the year 2008

Security unit report | 4

Main objectives for 2009

In order to adjust to the challenges of the current operational environment the Federation recognises the need to develop a security culture where security becomes an integral part of the operational planning, where managers manage their operations and the security situation in a proactive manner and deployed personnel have greater security awareness. To establish an effective security culture it was determined that a more structured approach needed to be taken where key elements that inuence and determine the security culture are dened. This would then enable the process to be undertaken in a structured manner and priorities identied. This diagram below outlines how the process has been undertaken.

STAY SAFE
Creating a security culture within the International Federation

Evaluation
I

Established security framework

I I I I I

I I I I

Managers security self-assessments Security assessments Incident analysis Mission debriefs Security incident database

Effective security awareness Effective security plans Minimum security requirements Fundamental principles of Red Cross/Red Crescent Red Cross/Red Crescent Code of Conduct

SECURITY CULTURE
Management
I I I I I

Dissemination/Training
I I I I I

Empowerment/responsibility Security management process Security updates Advice and support Critical incident management

Federation intranet security site Security training/workshops Stay safe handbooks CD-ROM/Internet based training Annual security reports

The approach being taken allows other elements of the Movement and primarily National Society to either utilise the security framework or replicate elements to enhance their own security culture. To support that process documents such as the MSR and templates are available on the Federations Intranet, the security unit conducts training directly for National Society and also adopts a train the trainers approach to enable National Society to conduct their own training, the Federation security manuals have been distributed widely within the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement and also throughout the humanitarian sector and we have worked with a number of National Society to establish terms of reference for individual National Society security advisors.

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End of the year 2008

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

International Federation incident statistics

Application
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies uses a broad denition for what constitutes a security incident, and therefore it is important to include even minor incidents or those that were narrowly avoided. If in doubt, the incident should be reported to the security unit at the secretariat. The International Federation statistics include security incidents involving International Federation personnel which includes International Federation delegates and staff on loan and their in country dependants, visiting International Federation staff, delegation visitors, regional disaster response team (RDRT) delegates, Participating National Societies (PNS) working under the International Federations security umbrella, locally-employed staff during working hours, and National Society staff and volunteers in their duties for the International Federation. I

Incident analysis
General This 2008 end of year report is the third end of year report since the Security Unit was re-organised in the beginning of 2006 adding two security coordinators to the unit. The aim of these reports is to provide an overview of the units main activities throughout the year including security trainings conducted and upcoming trainings, new security tools provided or implemented by the organisation and perhaps most importantly to provide security incident statistics and analysis with regard to reported security incidents within the International Federation. Although security incidents have been collected and gathered within the International Federation for a number of years it was in 2006 that a new denition of what constitutes a security incident was established along with the denition of those that fall under the International Federations security management was expanded (including PNS delegates, their families and local staff that came under the International Federations security management). With these new changes and with the addition of the FleetWave logistics reporting system on vehicle incidents, it is our belief that the last three years statistics reect more accurately the true scope of security incidents within the International Federation than those of previous years. In our opinion, an indication of increased accuracy in the International Federations security incident statistics following the re-organisation of the Security Unit is that when comparing statistics since 2006 there have been relatively minor changes between the various incident categories when comparing the total number of incident within each category to the total numbers of reported incidents (for example burglaries have constituted around 15 per cent of all reported incidents and robberies around 9 per cent) The only incident category that has witnessed a decrease in number of incidents reported is the vehicle incidents category (down from around 50 per cent of all reported incidents few years ago but is now around 30 per cent) but as explained in the vehicle incident analysis section we believe there is a strong case to made as to possible explanations of that trend. Total number of incidents reported in 2008 was 215.

International Federation and PNS staff under International Federation security management
In order to analyse these incident statistics, it is important to receive as accurate number as possible regarding the total number of deployed International Federation delegates, local staff and other Red Cross Red Crescent personnel that came under International Federation security management in the eld JanuaryJuly 2008. According to statistics from human resources, this includes approximately: 541 126 227 1,110 International Federation delegates and Geneva staff National Society contracted delegates accompanying family members (approximately) local employees (only those are registered who request a Fedmail account)

These numbers do not reect the number of PNS, their delegates, family members and local staff worldwide that have signed a service or an integration agreement with the International Federation and come under its security management. In larger operations such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia, there are more than 100 PNS delegates in addition to their local staff that fall within the International Federations security management framework. Therefore, the security unit conservatively estimates that about 3,000 Red Cross Red Crescent personnel came under the security management of the International Federation during this reporting period. I

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Security unit report | 6

Incident variables
Time of day Vehicle incidents In our 2008 year we noted that most vehicle accidents occur in rural areas and during day time hours which is not surprising given the International Federations policy on not driving during hours of darkness in rural areas. When analysing the location of vehicle accidents for the whole of 2008 the result is that the location of incidents is more or less evenly split between rural and urban areas. It has to be noted that a number of accidents occur on highways but the denition of a highway can be very broad from a 6 line highway in a modern city like Bangkok to a one lane highway in the NWFP of Pakistan. Those incidents that occurred during night time hours overwhelmingly occurred in urban areas and mainly consisted of minor dents or scrapes with little damage to the vehicle and no injury to Red Cross/Red Crescent personnel or third party. Such minor incidents are not reected in these statistics and represent about 20 per cent of all reported vehicle incidents. Robberies In previous years statistics a vast majority of robberies have taken place during night time hours, usually in delegatesresidencies with robbers forcing entry into the dwelling. The difference during these 2008 statistics is that we notice an increase in opportunistic robberies during the daytime committed against Red cross/Red crescent personnel on foot or in their vehicles. Although personnel spent most of their time in either the ofce or their residencies, they are most vulnerable while on the move at any time of the day. In all zones other than the East and South Africa zones, robberies tend to occur either early in the morning or late afternoon/evening while out in public which is not surprising since these are the times personnel generally are on their way to and from work or during leisure hours. Most robberies in E and S. Africa zones tend to be robberies at residencies and overwhelmingly involve the use of weapons while robberies reported in the Asia/Pacic and the Americas zone occurred in the public (out walking etc). Burglaries As during recent years, most burglaries occurred during the night-time and overwhelmingly in delegatesresidencies. As discussed later, most common method was gaining entry through a window. Theft Most reported incidents of theft tends to occur during working hours and usually in International Federations ofce premises. There were also a few theft reported which occurred during travel and then mostly theft from International Federations personnel from luggage at airports. Johannesburg International Airport and Nairobi seem to be particularly high risk compared to other airports.

Program related incidents They can be divided into two parts. The rst part covers harassment and physical assault of International Federation staff by members of the local community, beneciaries or contractor which takes place during working hours. The second part involves vandalism and theft of the International Federations property during night-time hours. These gures are not surprising, given that road conditions are usually more challenging in rural areas in addition to vehicles being driven at lower speeds inside buys urban areas. Location There are no specic trends when it comes to location vehicle accidents except that majority of all vehicle accidents occurred in urban areas, but the more serious accidents tended to occur to and from eld locations in the area of operations. These gures are not surprising, given that road conditions are usually more challenging in rural areas in addition to vehicles being driven at lower speeds inside buys urban areas. As since 2005, most incidents are reported from the Asia/Pacic zone or 60 per cent of the totals number of all reported incidents. In line with that trend, Asia/Pacic zone tops all the incident categories except that of robberies which overwhelmingly occur in Africa as in previous years. Incidents of theft largely occur in International Federations ofces and surprisingly many in hotels during eld visits. The main items stolen have been cash, laptops and other electronic equipment. As before, burglaries tend to occur mostly in residences Personnel The majority of those affected were delegates except in the vehicle accident category, in which local drivers constituted the majority of those involved. Given that it is the International Federations policy to employ local drivers as opposed to asking delegates to drive, the fact that local drivers are involved in high number of accidents was expected. It should also be remembered that local staff only fall under the International Federations security management during working hours or in course of their duties otherwise they would likely be more represented in these statistics given than many of them reside in high crime areas and are often the victims of local crime. Given the large number of volunteers involved in International Federation operations, as well as a rising number of RDRT delegates, FACT and ERU personnel it is assessed that their numbers are underrepresented in these statistics. Increased training and security awareness is needed to get a more accurate reection of the true scope of incidents involving those groups.

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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Gender When analyzing the gender of those affected (victims) there were no patterns detected. This applies to whether we analyze each incident category individually or view the data in its entirety. However, there have been a number of incidents that have been revealed in discussions with female delegates such as through debriengs and assessment eld missions that indicate that there have been a number of sexual harassment incidents that for various reasons were not reported. This is in line with various Humanitarian data; sexual crimes are estimated to be severely underreported in society in general. There have been no research to our knowledge on the issue within the International Federation but we might assume that the same applies within our organization. According to data obtained from other Humanitarian organizations the most common reasons for underreporting relate to: embarrassment, the agency cannot do anything anyway, no desire to prosecute, fear of breach of condentiality, not wanting to be removed from duty (loss of control), feelings of guilt. Families In a number of incidents involving burglaries and robberies, staff family members were included among the victims. As discussed later in the analysis section, many robberies and burglaries occurred in residences, with the more violent of those reported occurring in high crime urban areas. We strongly recommend that delegations operating in such environments conduct specic awareness training for all dependants. In July 2008 the security unit conducted security awareness training in the S. Africa Zonal ofce for local staff and family members during which there were interesting discussions on some of the security priorities from those with children compared with single delegates. Chapter 2 in the Stay Safe manual International Federations Guide to a Safer Mission contains various guidelines especially applicable to family security.

Targeting It can be hazardous to speculate or ascertain with certainty whether any incidents involved the targeting of Red Cross Red Crescent staff or the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement itself. In recent years there have been very few instances of such targeting but what we are increasingly witnessing are program related incidents in which beneciaries or local people have sometimes physically assaulted or on other ways harassed International Federations staff connected to that particular program. Those incidents are discussed further on page15 when discussing such incidents in more detail. There have, however been instances were International Federations vehicles have been attacked by local population and beneciaries but these cases have involved circumstances were our vehicles have displayed logos of organisations (along with the International Federations logo) that we have been conducting joint operations with. One such example is from Africa were beneciaries were frustrated with a UN organisations perceived lack of program implementation but our vehicle displayed that UN organisation logo alongside the International Federations logo. Preventable security incidents It can be extremely difcult to classify incidents as preventable or non-preventable not only because often the incident report itself does not contain enough information to allow for such classication but also because it will always be a subjective determination based on both the person involved and us in the security unit that analyse the reports. It is, however, clear that a number of incidents can be reasonable determined as having been preventable. This applies to such incidents as forgetting valuables in public places, leaving windows open at International Federations premises including residencies or simply being involved in a vehicle accident due to high speed. If we apply a very strict parameter to this determination we can with reasonable certainty state that around 20 per cent of all reported incidents could have been prevented either by adhering to International Federations security regulations and/or advice or by increased personal security awareness. There are a number of incidents that fall between what we classify as preventable or non preventable security incidents such as when handbags, mobile phones or other valuables are snatched or robbed while out in public, having non existent or inadequate physical security protection at residences or lack of beneciary interaction or information at various International Federations program sites resulting in security threats. When compiling all such incidents and thereby applying a less restrictive application of preventable vs. non preventable security incidents the result is that around 30-35 per cent of all security incidents could have been prevented by applying simple common measures or adhering to those already in place. Of course we can never ascertain with any reasonable certainty how many security incidents the International Federation and its personnel avoided due to the security procedures and policies implemented by the organisation. I

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Security unit report | 8

Incident analysis by regions and zones

Main points
I I

A total number of 215 incidents reported to the Security unit An increase in total number of incidents in Africa and Asia/Pacic zone Over half of all reported incidents occurred in the Asia/Pacic zone. Same trends witnessed within incident categories in all zones as in previous years. A considerable increase in PNS incidents reported to the International Federation No fatal incidents occurred for those coming under the International Federations security management during the year although there were a number of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement staff who died or were killed.

1 The rst reason relates to increased reporting from PNS personnel operating under the International Federations security umbrella. In 2008 there has been substantial increase in security incident reports from PNSs compared to previous years. Based on discussions with various PNSs on eld level it is assessed that the reason is not that there has been an increase in security incidents among PNSs but rather that there has been an increased awareness among PNSs personnel to report security incidents and adhere to the International Federations reporting procedures. During the last 18 months the Security Unit has conducted security training for over 1000 International Federation, NS and PNS personnel which undoubtedly has increased awareness of the International Federations security framework and various policies such incident reporting procedures. 2 With the adoption of the International Federations Minimum Security Requirements (MSR) in the beginning of 2008 the importance of adherence to security incident procedures was emphasised. The implementation of MSR is mandatory for all International Federation operations and those PNSs that come under the International Federations security management. The MSR has been distributed and after 12 months we see managers starting to implement MSR which has increased awareness of the various security procedures that are required to be established and adhered to by the delegation. This as led to an increase in reported security incidents 3 The International Federation has also entered into various service agreements with PNSs operating in these areas and in some countries such as Sri Lanka the legal status of all PNSs is based on the International Federations status agreement within the country. Effectively this means that all those PNSs fall within the International Federation security management and thereby adding considerably to the number of personnel that fall under the International Federations incident reporting denition. I As reected in the table on following page, around 63 per cent of all reported incidents occurred in the Asia/Pacic zone. That gure is slightly higher than in previous three years but the fact that most incidents occur in that zone is not surprising given that the highest number of International Federation personnel are employed there. Program related incidents occurred exclusively in the Asia/Pacic and E. Africa zones and as before, the most violent crimes occurred in Africa which is in line with other Humanitarian organisation reports. Over half of all reported security incidents within the zone are reported from the Tsunami operations in Banda Aceh and Sri Lanka and those gures are in line with the number of delegates working in those operations which are the largest International Federations operations at the moment and have been for the past three years.

Overview The total number of security incidents in 2006 was 165 and in 2007 a total of 135 security incidents were reported. The total number of reported security incidents for 2008 is 215. During these three years the number of International Federations staff has been roughly the same although there have been some reduction in staff numbers for 2008. There was a considerable rise in reported incidents between 2005-2006 which has been discussed in previous yearly reports. The increase has mainly been contributed to the reorganisation of the security unit in 2006 resulting in various new procedures being implemented such as re denition and expansion of the denition to which the term Federation personnel applies and new incident reporting procedures established. Additionally with the streamlining of vehicle accident reporting and monitoring by the International Federations Fleet base in Dubai through their online reporting system FleetWave, there was an initial surge in reported vehicle accidents, incidents that many of which had been unreported in the past. In 2007 there was a decrease of 30 incidents from previous year. That increase is statistically not so signicant and given that the large Tsunami operations and the Pakistan EQ operation of which over 60 percent of all International Federation personnel where involved in, it was not surprising that once these operations had settled in and security established, that there would be some reduction in security incidents. Majority of this reduction was in the vehicle incident category, exclusively from the large operations in Indonesia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all which had Fleet managers and fully implemented various Fleet regulations and drivers training. There are mainly two (2) factors that in our opinion have inuenced the increase of reported security incidents of 81incidents for the time period 2007-2008 or 37per cent

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End of the year 2008

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

burglary

robbery

theft

vehicle vehicle /injury

other

programme-related

total

Africa Americas Asia and Pacific Europe MENA

4 2 21 -

13 2 3 -

16 3 29 3 -

14 36 1 5

2 4 2 1

6 29 1 -

3 15 -

58 7 137 7 6

Total

27

18

51

56

36

18

215

Combined, the Asia/Pacic and E. Africa zones comprise over 90 per cent of all reported International Federation incidents worldwide. The reasons for the high number of reported incidents from these two zones can partly be explained by the number of International Federation staff based in those zones but that does not, however, explain the disproportionably high number of incidents reported compared to number of staff based there. In other words, the total number of staff based in those regions is around 70 per cent of the total number of International Federations staff worldwide but they accounts for 90 per cent of all reported security incidents. The two countries that have proportionally the largest number of reported security incidents compared to the number of personnel in-country are Pakistan and the Maldives. The most serious reported incidents came from Pakistan including a 3rd party killed in a vehicle accident and serious injuries sustained by a PNS delegate in a bombing. Pakistan is one of the most complex and difcult operating environment the International Federation currently operates within and therefore not surprising the high number of security incidents reported and their seriousness. The largest incident category worldwide for International Federation operations are vehicle accidents. This is however, not the case in Maldives due to the limited use of vehicles as a result of its geographical features. Nearly all incidents reported from the Maldives are burglaries into delegates residencies and program related incidents and this has also been the case for the previous three years. The numbers have risen annually even though staff numbers have reduced during the same period. There are a number of factors that in our opinion have impacted on this increase, especially regarding reported burglaries.

1 Low visibility of the few international organisations in country prior to the end of 2005 Tsunami. Post Tsunami there was an inux of various humanitarian organisations resulting in increased visibility of afuent western aid organisations which more often than not were viewed as a softer target than many of the hotel resorts were traditional tourists resided. 2 There has been a general increase in crime over the past years in the Maldives which has deteriorated further as result of worsening economic situation, especially during the last 18 months and a surge in drug use especially among younger people. 3 The capital, Male, where most of the burglaries occurred is extremely densely populated and buildings erected in very close proximity to each other. Delegates residencies in apartment buildings are above 3rd oor which is most places ofces reasonable protection against outside intrusion. However, in Male apartments situated on 6th have been scaled from adjacent buildings at all hours of the day. This presents an added risk of burglaries and therefore it is important to maintain high security awareness and emphasises on that burglaries can occur in any place. The disproportionably high number of incidents from these two zones implies that there is considerable underreporting from other zones which is much in line with our assessment during eld missions, debriengs and in discussions with various other humanitarian agency and looking at their incident statistics. American, Europe and the MENA zones all experience a slight increase in reported incidents but when compared to the increase in the total number of reported security incidents from

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

End of the year 2008

Security unit report | 10

2007, that increase is proportionally much lower than the increase from the Africa and Asia/Pacic zones. By fostering a security culture within the International Federation through various means such as establishing security framework and tools, increased security management training aimed at enhancing security management skills, constantly reinforcing the importance of security and holding personnel accountable for their responsibilities toward security, it is our belief that incident statistics within the International Federation will become more representative of the scope of incidents occurring. As discussed before, one factor possibly contributing to the large number of reported incidents from the Asia/Pacic zone is that four (4) out of a total of ve (5) security coordinators the International Federation employs worldwide are based in that zone. It has been our experience in the Security Unit that having a security coordinator in place signicantly increases adherence to proper incident reporting procedures resulting in statistically higher number of incidents reported than from delegations with no security coordinators. This has also been the case in E. And S. Africa zones where we have witnessed an increase in reported security incidents following the establishment of a zonal security coordinator covering these zones. When we analyze individual incident categories within the zones we notice that as in recent years most incidents of theft occur in the large operations, i.e. Tsunami operations and mostly take place in International Federations ofces or warehouses as opposed to delegate or staff residences. It has to be noted though that there has been a signicant decrease in theft from International Federation ofce premises in Sri Lanka from previous reporting periods. One inference to draw from those statistics is that in operations involving large number of delegates, staff, contractors, and various other personnel connected to the organization, access control in the International Federations premises is severely lacking especially given the number of personnel working or visiting those premises. The high visibility of our ofces compared to the low visibility of our residences might also play a part here. The main items stolen are various portable electronic items such as mobile phones and laptops. These are mainly crime of opportunity and by implementing and adhering to a functional access control system these incidents can be greatly reduced. I

Vehicle incidents
I

I I I I

During last three years vehicle accidents have decreased from 50 per cent to around 30 per cent of all reported incidents Most minor accidents occur in urban areas and highways while more serious accidents occur in rural areas Majority of accidents occur during daylight hours Over half of all vehicle incidents occur in Indonesia Around 80 per cent of incident involve national staff drivers In overwhelming majority of accidents International Federations driver were found not at fault The International Federations statistics compare very favourably to those of other humanitarian organizations and the United Nations whether compared to number of vehicles in the eld or per driven kilometres.

For the last three (3) years vehicle incident reports submitted to the security unit have been compared to those vehicle incidents registered on the FleetWave database in order to ascertain if there were any discrepancies between the data collected. In 2006 there was around 15-20 per cent of incidents that had been reported solely either to the security unit or registered on FleetWave. In 2007 this number had dropped well under 10 per cent and this year the number is around 5 per cent. This clearly indicates that vehicle incident statistics of International Federation are becoming more reective of the actual scope of such incidents within the organisation. It has be noted that FleetWave only registers vehicle accidents involving International Federation owned or registered vehicles whereas vehicle accidents involving International Federation personnel (and PNSs personnel under International Federation security management) even when operating private vehicles are reected in security unit statistics.

Incident category analysis

Other 16% Vehicle/injury 4%

Programme-related 8%

Burglary 14%

Robbery 8%

Vehicle 26% Theft 24%

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End of the year 2008

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

As reected in the chart, vehicle accidents account for 30 per cent of all reported incidents which is in line with the 2007 statistics. Reported vehicle incidents have decreased signicantly during the last three (3) years when they accounted for over 50 per cent of all reported incidents. There are a number of factors that have in our view contributed to this decrease. Among them are: I The reduction of operations in Pakistan during the last months of 2006 and during 2007 which are reected in these lower numbers. In 2006 Pakistan had the second highest number of vehicle accidents of all International Federation operations but only a handful in the last 6-9 months as the number of vehicles and personnel reduced considerably. I Increased accountability, streamlining of procedures and stricter adherence to regulations as a result of increased monitoring through FleetWave. I Increased training and support from the Dubai Fleet base for regional delegations and local drivers. I The scaling down of International Federations operations and resources in a number of large operations during the last two years. Around 60 per cent of all reported vehicle accidents are reported from the Asia/Pacic zone which is much in line with the number of International Federations vehicles based in the zone. In the Indonesia tsunami operation there are roughly 400 vehicles registered in the International Federations name out of around 900 vehicles worldwide. The proportion of vehicle accidents from the Asia/Pacic zone has decreased in the last two (2) years from about representing 75 per cent of the total number of reported vehicle accidents in 2006. It has to be noted that around 34 per cent of all vehicles included in the International Federations statistics are actually not in the possession or used by the International Federation itself but rather leased to various PNSs and NS through the global Vehicle Rental Program. Those vehicles are registered in country of operation in the International Federations name with the International Federations logo. It is however interesting to note that while PNS rented vehicles account for about 34 per cent of all International Federations vehicles they account for 62 per cent of all reported vehicle incidents. This indicates that PNS rented vehicles are involved in disproportionably high number of vehicle accidents compared to International Federations vehicles. In 2006 International Federation vehicles accounted for 77 per cent of all accidents, in 2007 this gure was down to 54 per cent and now for the rst time PNS used vehicles account for majority of reported vehicle accidents. It is not clear why this is the case but it is a trend that needs to be examined further. According to incident reports there was only a single accident that involved a technical malfunction of an International Federation vehicle and that vehicle was an M6 truck manufactured in the early 1950s. M6 trucks are regularly used in International Federation operations especially when the terrain does not allow for the use of traditional trucks.

Around 20 per cent of reported vehicle incidents are not included in these statistics since they involved minor incidents such as damage to International Federations vehicles when entering or exiting the vehicle (opening vehicle door against a wall etc), reversing into another vehicle in a parking lot or other minor incidents of similar nature. It has to be noted though that these statistics do not include near misses which could potentially have led to a major accident but narrowly avoided through luck or correct reaction. It is our belief that most near misses probably occur in relation to vehicle accidents compared to other incident categories such as common crime. Given the International Federations strict regulations regarding not driving in rural areas during hours of darkness and the mandatory rule of using national staff drivers for eld movement, it is not surprising that around 90 per cent of all accidents involve national staff drivers during daytime hours. These statistics highlight the need for proper training for national staff drivers and adherence to International Federation driving regu-

Banda Aceh

lations. The driving culture in many of the countries in which the International Federation operates often differs from what the International Federation denes as acceptable driving standards according to Fleet Regulations. In response to enhance national staff driver competencies the Fleet Unit in Dubai has for the past two years initiated a national staff driver training program and a training of trainers program in all the zones. In addition, through the streamlining of data collection methods on vehicle use and accidents, the International Federation is in a better position to monitor, identify and react to issues that need to be addressed and rectied. A separate category reects the number of vehicle incidents in which injuries where sustained. The gure shows that in 4 per cent of all vehicle accidents injuries were sustained either by International Federation staff or third party. Majority of those injuries where classied as non-life threatening injuries. This gure is similar to 2006 and 2007 statistics.

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There has been a discussion among various individuals and International Federations delegations regarding the use of motorcycles. International Federations Fleet Manual and security regulations state that delegates are not allowed to ride motorcycles. This translates into that delegates are prohibited from either drive motorcycles or ride on them as passenger. As a result during the last few years there have been no reports of delegates being involved in motorcycle accidents while on mission. In these 2008 statistics (as in previous years) it is interesting to note that a number of accidents involve locally driven motorcycles and International Federations vehicles in some of which, the motorcycle drivers sustained injuries which required hospitalization. Statistically, a person is more likely to sustain injuries while riding a motorcycle than driving a car and the injuries can be far more serious. Those statistics demonstrate clearly that as a risk mitigation tool, the ban on driving motorcycles is likely to have prevented a number of motorcycle related accidents thereby contributing to the organizations commitment of providing a maximum secure and safe environment for its employees. Given the size of the International Federation (and PNSs under the International Federations security umbrella) the number of reported vehicle accidents compares very favourably to those of other International Organisations, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the UN whether compared to number of vehicles in the eld or per driven kilometre. Since accident data began to be systematically collected by the Fleet unit in Dubai the trend regarding accidents per kilometres travelled in a International Federation vehicle has shown a sharp decrease in accidents compared to the total number of kilometres travelled. In 2006 there was on average one (1) accident of International Federation vehicle per 142.000 km travelled, in 2007 this gure was 161.000 km per accident and the gures for 2008 indicate that it has improved to just below one accident per 170.000 km travelled. Through analysing vehicle incident reports, police report, insurance reporting and other means, in around 80 per cent of all vehicle accidents International Federation drivers were found to be not at fault. In around 10 per cent of vehicle incidents, driving too fast according to prevailing condition (challenging road and weather conditions) are viewed as having been the main causal factor in the accident. Most of these cases involved wet conditions and mainly on highways or in rural areas. Those incidents are classied as being preventable incidents. The challenging environmental and road infrastructure conditions in areas in which the International Federation operates and the fact that no staff member under the International Federations security management has died in a road accident in the last few years must also be taken into account and highlights the high standard and commitment within the organisation when it comes to road safety issues. The Fleet Base will in March 2009 publish in depth analysis of various vehicle incident data. I

Common crime
Under the category of common crime we include theft, burglaries and robberies. In recent years vehicle related incidents have comprised the largest incident category but in 2007 the combination of those categories that are dened as common crimes began make up majority of all reported incidents. As in recent years most instances of crimes occurred as a result of lack of security awareness or security procedures not being followed. That applies especially to incidents involving common crimes such as theft, burglary and robberies. As in 2007, common crimes combine for around 40 per cent of all reported incidents.

Theft
Main points: I Around 90 per cent of reported incidents occur in Asia/Pacic and E. Africa zone. I Vast majority of thefts occur in International Federation ofces. I Loss of equipment can have serious operational impact, especially during emergency response operations. I Risk of theft can be signicantly reduced by adhering to basic security measures. Theft as dened in this report is the unlawful taking of property without the use of force or violence, with the intention of permanently depriving the owner of that property. Incidents of theft have nearly tripled over the last two years from comprising 10 per cent of all reported incidents to nearly 30 per cent this year. There seems to be no obvious reason behind this trend but at the same time the number of common crimes combined has stayed the same at 40 per cent. This means that while incidents of theft have increased, incidents of burglary and robbery have gone down. It is likely that the number of thefts in the International Federation reect accurately the true scope of such incidents above and beyond other incident categories since theft usually involves the loss of valuables which staff tends to report on due to insurance issues and reimbursement. As in previous years, it is clear that when analysing incidents of theft, in the vast majority of cases access control systems were insufcient or non-existent in most of the ofces in which thefts occurred. Access control involves establishing some form of system in which a designated person (front desk staff or security guard) is responsible for ensuring that all those visiting the ofce are met at the entrance door (gate to compound) or lobby and that the staff member being visited is responsible for the visitor and does not leave him/her unescorted while on the premises. In larger ofces a requirement should be that all visitors are signed in upon arrival and when departing in a logbook and staff and visitors display name or visitor ID tags at all times. This is especially important in larger delegation where a number of non-International Federation personnel such as visitors,

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contractors etc, are received on premises. As mentioned, most of reported thefts in 2008 as in previous years occurred in the larger delegations. It is important to note that a vast majority of all common crimes such as theft are crimes of opportunity and International Federations staff can signicantly reduce that risk by taking some basic security measures. This includes:
I I

rise in drug use among young people, the release of a number of convicted criminals in late 2006 resulting in a sharp increase of common crime, high unemployment and economic downturn of the local economy following the 2005 Tsunami. Aside from the Maldives, majority of burglaries occurred in single dwelling homes or on ground and rst oor in apartment buildings. There are no statistics on the number of delegates residing in single dwelling houses vs. apartment buildings and therefore difcult to speculate to any statistical correlation there between. It is, however, generally accepted that living somewhere between the 3rd-6th oor of an apartment building (that has some minimum security measures in place) is more safe than a single dwelling home. Living above 6th oor in most countries is not recommended given that the local re departments capabilities are usually limited to rescuing people from no higher than 6 oors high.

I I

I I

Proper access control systems on premises Never leave valuables out in the open (in ofce or while driving) Lock all valuables in secure drawers or safes when leaving the ofce Lock ofce doors when departing Never carry anything on your person or in your luggage that you cant afford to loose Keep a low personal prole Dont display wealth or carry expensive or ashy items

Robbery Burglaries
Main points: I Nearly all reported incidents of reported burglaries occurred in the Asia Pacic zone and East Africa zone. I Burglaries represent around 14 per cent of all reported incidents which is in line with previous years I Burglary is usually a crime of opportunity and all International Federation premises should have minimum security measures in place. Burglaries are dened as the breaking into locked premises or vehicles without violence or threat of violence. Burglaries accounted for 14 per cent of all reported incidents which is a slight decrease compared to 2007 gures and considerable decrease from 2006. While incidents of theft have increased during the same time period incidents of burglaries has gone down. As before, vast majority of burglaries occurred in the Asia/Pacic which is in line with the number of staff in the zone. However, about half of all reported burglaries occurred in the Maldives (in the capital Male) which is highly disproportional compared to the few staff employed in the delegation. This trend is in line with gures from the previous two years in which we have witnessed a considerably increase in burglaries and other common crimes in the Maldives. A number of factors have contributed to this increase including the sharp Main points: I Similar number of reported robberies as in previous years I Most serious robberies occurred in Africa I No serious physical injuries suffered by staff in the course of being robbed I Usually you are more at risk when attempting to resist. Robbery involves using force or threat of force against another person in the course of a crime including attacking a person.

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Security eld training

As in previous years, overwhelming majority of all reported robberies occurred in Africa and robbery represents the only incident category in which most incidents occurred outside the Asia/Pacic zone. This trend corresponds with statistics from previous years in which robberies and violent crimes have predominantly occurred in Africa despite over half of all International Federations personnel being based in the Asia/Pacic zone. Robbery accounted for around 8 per cent of all reported incidents which is in line with gures for the previous years. Robberies have remained steadily between 7-9 per cent of the total number of reported incidents since 2006. Majority of robberies in Africa occurred in E. Africa and S. Africa zones, predominantly in Johannesburg, Nairobi and other high crime areas. Three (3) robberies occurred in Namibia which is unusual compared to previous years statistics although crime is a serious concern in Windhoek and other areas throughout Namibia. Half of all reported robberies involved the use of some kind of weapon, mostly knives and majority occurred in public areas between 06h00-08h00 and 18h00-21h00. The fact that majority of reported robberies occurred during those hours is not surprising given that staff tend to be on their way to or from work during those hours or going out for dinner. The difference between previous years robbery statistics is that the robberies into delegates residencies have decreased signicantly while those occurring in public have risen. A number of vehicle robberies occurred and exclusively within the E. and S. Africa zones. In most cases the victims received no physical injuries.

As in other incident categories, a number of other robberies were reported to the security unit but those cases are not included in these statistics as the victims did not come under the International Federations security management system, such as local staff after working hours and PNSs not under the International Federations secutity umbrella. Global statistics indicate that most injuries during robberies occur when the victims attempt to resist the robbers. While in public: Try not to attract unnecessary attention I Be careful when speaking on a mobile or in public I If you have to keep a high prole you must strengthen your security precautions I Know which areas around you represent the highest security risk I Be aware that there is a real risk and that you may be a target I If you notice anything suspicious report it to the police or guards I Be particularly alert when arriving at or leaving routine places, such as your home, ofce, schools, clubs, bars or restaurants I Dont display wealth or carry expensive or ashy items
I

While in vehicle: Keep window mostly closed I Not display any valuables in full view including on seat (laptops, etc) I Avoid driving at night I Be especially alert when slowing down, and when entering or departing the vehicle, and specially in front of home gate, at trafc lights, etc.
I

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According to various crime statistics, around 70 per cent of vehicle robberies occur at front gate of your house

munities/beneciaries and those carried out the program have highlighted the importance of incorporating security in the planning process. The issue of Acceptance is closely tied in with program implementation and many of the reported incidents within this category highlight the need for active acceptance, i.e. that acceptance is not something we can take for granted but something that we must earn, and then it must be actively monitored and maintained. Acceptance relates in many ways to involving the local communities and beneciaries in the complete program cycle, from planning to end of program implementation and evaluation. In a number of program related incidents 3rd party contractors had not fullled their contractual obligations on various program projects resulting in beneciary frustration and anger. Although in those cases the International Federation carries no legal responsibility for work not completed there are of course other considerations such as moral and ethical responsibility towards the beneciaries and the fact that the program is carried out in the International Federations name and the project sites are marked with our logo.

In analysing robberies this reporting period and previous years it is clear that in vast majority of all residential robberies some form of protective measures was in place such as security fences, alarm systems, or guards on duty. However, these security measures were often found lacking or not properly managed or maintained. For example: Alarm system or bells where not connected to secondary power source, batteries not charged or system connected to a service provider that did not possess the promised capability to respond or react. In areas where there are frequent power cuts all alarm systems need to be connected to a backup power source in case of electricity failure for example batteries (maintained regularly). In residencies where panic buttons are installed it is important they are located on both oors of the residence and that response time of the security contractor is assessed and veried. Therefore all points of entry and bars in windows need to be reinforced since the aim is to delay potential intruders long enough for help to arrive. In case of telephone landline failure (or cut by intruders), Red Cross/Red Crescent personnel should always have secondary means of communication in case of an emergency. This could be mobile, satellite phones or radios. Outside fuse boxes should securely locked.

Other Programme related incidents

Main points: I There has been an increase in programme-related incidents, usually involving beneciaries and/or parts of the local community I Link between successful programme planning/implementation and security is often overlooked I Local community members and beneciaries should be consulted at every stage of the process. Security incidents relating to programme implementation or distributions include instances of vandalism at project sites; access to operational sites denied by beneciaries or the local population; harassment of staff and, in some cases, staff being held against their will by the local population at operational sites. In addition, there were some cases of distribution goods being looted and staff threatened. There were no reports of serious injuries in these cases although physical assaults did occur. Programme related incidents account for 9 per cent of all reported incidents which is in line with last year statistics were it comprised 11 per cent. As in other incident categories, there are more program related incidents reported than in previous years but compared to the total number of instances the percentage has remained steady round 10 per cent. Majority of reported incidents come from the tsunami operationsin the Asia/Pacic zone with well over half from Indonesia and the Maldives. The link between the implementation of programmes and security is an important area that is often overlooked until a problem arises. Recent security incidents and tensions between local comSome incidents are difcult to classify and although falling within the denition of a security incident are too few in numbers to warrant a separate incident category. This year the largest single subcategory within the category of Other is various forms of detention and harassment by security forces. Most of these instances involve national staff members and large num-

Relief distribution

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ber of the incidents occurred in Sri Lanka. Although staff are often subjected to various searches at checkpoints and have other encounters with security forces, the incidents reported to the security unit are those cases that do not fall within what we would dene as normal operating procedures by security forces. These instances are dened as: I A number of cases involved various breaches of security regulations and the code of conduct some of which resulted in termination of the staff members/delegates contract; I staff or vehicles caught up in public demonstrations resulting in injury or damage; I re at International Federation premises or hotels in which delegates were staying.

With the implementation of the Minimum Security Requirements, increased training for delegates, staff and managers, a new security incident database and on-line security training opportunities it is our belief that preventable security incidents can be even further reduced and these initiatives are also a reection of the continuing commitment to safety and security of International Federations staff by the organisation. Our aim for 2009 is to continue developing various security tools for the organisation including new critical management procedures and the publication of global security regulations for all International Federations staff. Our interactive security elearning program is expected to be released in July this year and it is expected that our 2 day security management course will have been conducted in all Zonal ofces by the end of the year. These initiatives are part of a larger process aimed at establishing a security culture within the organisation. The end product being an organisation that recognises the importance of security and views security as an integral part of operational planning. In such an environment managers manage their operations and the security situation in a proactive manner and deployed personnel have greater security awareness. I

Conclusion
The International Federation currently operates in around 150 countries of which a number experience some of the highest crime rates worldwide while others such as S. Sudan and Afghanistan experience armed banditry or insurgents and targeted attacks against humanitarian organisations. The Security Unit has conservatively estimated that around 3000 personnel came under the International Federations security responsibility during the reporting period - both International Federations staff as well as a number of PNS staff. However, despite the challenging working environment there were no reports of serious injuries or death among those coming under the International Federations security management during 2008. During the course of last three (3) years, the security unit has redened what constitutes a security incident, and the application of those that fall under the International Federations security management has been expanded. With these new changes and with the addition of the FleetWave logistics reporting system on vehicle incidents, it is our belief that the 2006, 2007 and 2008 statistics reect more accurately the true scope of security incidents within the International Federation than those of previous years. The number of staff coming under the International Federations security management has risen signicantly during the past two years.

P.O. Box 372 CH 1211 Geneva 19 Switzerland Tel: +41 22 730 4222 Fax: +41 22 733 0395 E-mail: secretariat@ifrc.org Web site: www.ifrc.org

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies promotes the humanitarian activities of National Societies among vulnerable people. By coordinating international disaster relief and encouraging development support, it seeks to prevent and alleviate human suffering. The Federation, the National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

154100 02/2009 E - Cartoons by Pierre Wazem