Tag Archives: human rights and security

Human Analytics discusses human rights and PSC.1 at ASIS 2015

ASIS2015Human Analytics LLC recently served as a panel member at the ASIS International 61st Annual Seminar and Exhibits (ASIS 2015) held in Anaheim, CA from September 28th to October 1st. The annual ASIS International event is the security industry’s top educational event and included over five days of exhibits, presentations, and educational sessions to cover emerging developments and topics of importance to the global security industry.

On Monday, September 28th, ASIS International 2015 conducted an educational session to highlight and discuss specific legal, human rights, risk management, and security operation elements of the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1-2012 Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations – Requirements with Guidance (PSC.1).

The educational session consisted of a panel moderated by Dr. Marc Siegel of the ASIS International Global Standards Initiative and featured Pete Dordal of GardaWorld International, Lisa DuBrock of Radian Compliance LLC, and James Schmitt from Human Analytics LLC. Material was also presented from leading experts Chris Mayer of the Department of Defense and Dr. Ian Ralby of IR Consilium, LTD. to elaborate on U.S. Department of Defense requirements and legal implications of the standard. Pete Dordal presented an informative case study on GardaWorld’s implementation of the PSC.1 standard, while Lisa DuBrock focused on specific details and considerations of the overall Quality Assurance Management System (QAMS) aspects of PSC.1. James Schmitt completed the presentations by focusing on the significant number of key human rights provisions of PSC.1 and how these relate to private security companies, their clients, and their partners. Dr. Marc Siegel, as the panel moderator, facilitated questions from the audience as well as presenting additional questions related to PSC.1 to the panel members.

As part of its presentation, Human Analytics LLC covered key human rights provisions of the standard to include the requirements and rationale for companies to establish grievance mechanisms for populations impacted by private security company operations, the need and benefit for companies to publicly communicate their Statement of Conformance with the PSC.1 standard, as well as a company’s responsibility to assess human rights risk in their operations, to include their supply chain. A copy of Human Analytics’ presentation can be found here.

The PSC.1 standard is now recognized internationally as the most detailed international risk management framework relevant to security company operations. It is viewed as the industry standard and provides auditable criteria.

The educational session, “ANSI/ASIS PSC.1 Standard: Enhancing Management of Security Operations”, was designed for companies to better understand and successfully implement the new standard which is becoming increasingly required by both public and private sector utilizers of private security companies. “It was so important to see the growing number of companies that are committed to implementing the PSC.1 standard, or have actually done so already,” one participant said after the session. “It is not only the PSCs themselves that have moved to embrace the PSC.1 standard, it is also the organizations and government agencies that utilize PSCs and have made it a contractual requirement.” The session was attended by a number of representatives, to include individuals from private security providers, independent consultants, government, trade association, and industry.

UK NCP Final Statement on Complaint against G4S Relevant to all PSCs

 

HASquareLogoImageOnly

The recently released Final Statement from the OECD’s UK National Contact Point (NCP) on a complaint made by an NGO against a leading UK-based private security company’s (PSC) subsidiary operations in Israel warrants close attention by the wider PSC industry.

On June 9th, 2015 the UK NCP for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises released its Final Statement on G4S’s business activities in Israel following a detailed review into a human rights complaint made by the Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR), a UK-based non-governmental organization focused on Palestinian human rights issues. G4S, a UK-headquartered company, is the world’s largest PSC and G4S Israel (Hashmira) is the largest private security provider in Israel.

The OECD’s UK NCP’s findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented in its Final Statement were drawn from its Initial Assessment and examination considering the human rights complaint that G4S had breached the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. The OECD Guidelines are voluntary principles for responsible business conduct. Each government that adheres to the OECD Guidelines is required to designate a National Contact Point to handle enquiries and contribute to the resolution of issues that arise from the alleged non-observance of the Guidelines in specific instances. In addition to the United Kingdom, there are 44 other nations with specified NCP’s to include France, Germany, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and the United States.

In this particular case, the UK NCP concluded in its Final Statement that they did “not find any general failure by the company to respect the human rights of the people on whose behalf the complaint is made or any failure to respect human rights in regard to its own operations.”

However, the UK NCP also concluded that G4S has not adequately met the requirements under OECD Guidelines Chapter IV, Paragraph 3 to seek to address the human rights impacts of its business relationships. Specific to this point, the UK NCP further concludes “…that there is evidence that the G4S has leverage, and could take action such as: lobbying immediate business partners and/or government and legal representatives, sharing best practices (with business partners, stakeholders, and the wider sector), and committing to new practices in regard to future contracts.”

In its own announcement about the Final Statement, G4S notes “G4S employees do not operate the equipment, play any part in prison regimes, or have any interaction with prisoners or those traveling through checkpoints along the separation barrier.” G4S has also commissioned an independent review of its operations that concluded that the company “has no causal or contributory role in human rights violations.”

Still, the OECD’s UK NCP message to PSCs (and beyond to other companies) is clear: as a PSC your actions may not cause or contribute to adverse human rights impacts, but under OECD Guidelines you have a responsibility to seek ways to prevent or mitigate adverse human rights impacts directly linked to your business operations, products, or services by a business relationship, even if you do not contribute to those impacts.

As PSCs (and the users of PSC services) consider their responsibilities to respect human rights, they will do well to closely examine as part of their human rights due diligence process how the OECD Guidelines extend to their business relationships. And, as the UK NCP’s Final Statement makes clear, PCSs that have leverage in their business relationships are expected to take actions with business partners and other stakeholders to mitigate adverse human rights impacts they are linked to by contracts.

The UK NCP’s Final Statement also provided specific recommended actions for G4S to consider if it is to fully comply with its responsibilities under the OECD Guidelines.  While these recommendations are specific to the OECD findings related to the complaint against G4S, the application of the principals related though these recommendations, which are based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, are relevant everywhere. The UK NCP recommends:

  1. That G4S considers how it may be able to work with business partners in Israel to support action to address adverse impacts referred to in the complaint;
  2. That G4S communicates to stakeholders and business partners any actions it is taking in regard to the issues raised in the complaint;
  3. That G4S implements across its operations a contract approvals process that includes assessment of human rights risks and application of mitigations, as it has indicated its intention to do in the new governance risk and compliance management procedures shared in its comments on this statement.

G4S has indicated to the UK NCP that in July 2015 it intends to refine its contracts approvals process “to include assessment of human rights risks and assurance that appropriate mitigations are in place.” By establishing a policy commitment to respect human rights, PSCs and organizations that utilize PSCs can contractually require an up-front human rights due diligence process to identify potential adverse impacts of their business operations and related mitigation steps for all programs and business relationships. Doing so will allow PSCs to avoid causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts and to prevent and mitigate impacts they are directly linked to by a business relationship – and in the long run may assist in avoiding costly litigation.

The applicability of the UK NCP’s findings, conclusions, and related recommendations to G4S amplify far beyond this specific complaint. Our view is that international PSCs will improve their services and the effectiveness of their operations, as well as guard against reputational and legal risks, by taking heed now rather than later.

Radian Compliance And Human Analytics Forge New Partnership To Help Private Security Providers Meet PSC.1 Standard

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Leading security and quality management system consulting companyRadian Compliance (www.radiancompliance.com) and human rights consulting firm Human Analytics (www.human-analytics.net) announce a groundbreaking strategic partnership to help organizations implement quality assurance and risk management standards for complex environments. Fueled by the U.S. Department of Defense and U.K. Foreign Commonwealth Office’s strong support for a certifiable standard for private security operations, Radian Compliance and Human Analytics have joined forces to assist organizations with meeting the ANSI/ASIS PSC.1 standard. By combining core competencies, the two firms deliver a one-stop resource for exceptional technical expertise in security operations management, risk management, and human rights compliance.

The ANSI/ASIS PSC.1 – 2012: Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations – PSC.1 – enables contracted private security companies operating in complex environments to improve and demonstrate consistent quality of services within a framework that ensures respect for human rights and national and international laws, while also maintaining the safety and security of their operations and clients.

Radian Compliance and Human Analytics are uniquely qualified to help private security providers and their clients understand, implement, meet, and maintain the PSC.1 standard. The expert team includes Human Analytics Senior Managing Director Dr. Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt, who participated in the committee responsible for drafting PSC.1, and Radian Compliance Managing Partner Lisa DuBrock, a fellow member of the committee who also currently serves on the ASIS International Standards and Guidelines Commission.  Both teams utilize experienced veterans in private and information security to support this practice.

“Radian Compliance is dedicated to providing high quality certification consulting services for our clients, 70 percent of which are defense contractors,” said DuBrock. “Becoming certified to the PSC-1 Standard will also help our clients stay ahead of the game on the road to the pending ISO standard.”

“Human rights risk management is a core component of PSC.1,” said DeWinter-Schmitt. “Not only is respecting human rights the right thing to do, it makes good business sense and is critically important to PSC.1 compliance and certification.”

Radian Compliance is a well-established consulting firm supporting clients with governance, risk, and compliance expertise for today’s constantly evolving international standards. Its extensive assessment, implementation, and training expertise is focused on quality and risk management in both private and information security management systems. Radian Compliance clients have been 100% successful in achieving their goal of ISO certification. Radian is an economically disadvantaged women-owned small business.

Human Analytics helps public and private organizations develop and implement programs to mitigate human rights risks associated with operating in complex environments, with specific emphasis on private security providers and organizations that utilize them. Human Analytics has extensive expertise in human rights, international business management, security management, and organizational risk management, and works with clients to meet and exceed international business and human rights standards.

 

SOURCE Radian Compliance; Human Analytics