Working with Private Security Providers

Challenge Area

Working with Private Security Providers

Private security providers play an important role in protecting company personnel and assets, but their work is sensitive and can pose risks to human rights.

This section helps navigate topics like:

How to vet private security providers including in the absence of public information
How to prevent the excessive use of force
How to ensure culturally appropriate security practices

The good practices included in this Toolkit are not meant to be prescriptive. It is up to the user to evaluate whether they could be feasible, useful and appropriate to the local context in a specific situation on the ground.

Local procurement

Bids and contracts

Private security within risk and impact assessment

Training

Labour standards

Human rights abuses

Relationship between public and private security

Vetting (private security providers)

Oversight and accountability

Security equipment and use of force

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Case Studies

Risk mitigation: hiring private security providers which are certified by the International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA) or another industry standard

The International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA) is a multi-stakeholder initiative formed in 2013 to ensure that providers of private security services respect human rights and humanitarian law.

Case Studies

Guidance on the use of force by private security providers

Excerpt from Regulating the Use of Force by Private Security Providers: A Guidance Tool for States (DCAF 2019)

DCAF – Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance
Business and Security Division
www.businessandsecurity.dcaf.ch
Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2E,
CH-1202 Geneva Switzerland
Tel: +41 (0) 22 730 94 18
Contact us

International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
www.icrc.org
Avenue de la Paix 19, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
Economic Adviser
Department of International Law and Policy
Tel: +41 (0) 22 734 6001
Contact us