MSR Part 7: Security Management System

 

The IFRC must ensure that it is fulfilling its Duty of Care obligations, as defined in section 1-6, for all its IFRC personnel (and those under IFRC security management responsibility), and across all offices and field operations. This requires an adequately resourced security management system with monitoring, control and compliance mechanism that ensures it is functioning as intended and in compliance with the MSR.

Security Framework and Security Duty-of-Care  

The IFRC uses a multi-layered Security Framework, as defined in the “Stay Safe” manuals, to address its security Duty-of-Care of obligations. At a strategic and operational levels, IFRC meets its obligations by ensuring that its offices and field operations have the necessary resources, competencies, training and management processes to effectively implement the MSR and operate within the boundaries of the Fundamental Principles. At the individual level, it is expected that personnel take an active role in security by: informing themselves of the risks, security measures; abiding by the Security Regulations, Fundamental Principles and the Code of Conduct; and fulfilling their individual and management responsibilities as defined in the MSR.

Monitoring, Control and Accountability.

Primary responsibility for security management and MSR implementations rests within the management line, up to the Secretary General. Senior Managers are responsible for verifying that the MSR are implemented in offices and field operations under their responsibility. While senior managers may delegate security related task to qualified personnel, they retain all security management responsibility and must personally review and give their written approval of the six MSR compliance documents submitted to the GSU annually (1. IFRC Security Risk Register (annex A), 2. IFRC Security Regulations (annex B) 2a. IFRC Field Movement Control (annex C), 3. IFRC Emergency Medical Evacuation Plan, (annex D) 4. IFRC Critical Incident Management Plan, (annex D) 5. IFRC Security Welcome Brief (annex E) and the 6. IFRC Relocation Plan (annex F). 

The technical line on security, headed by the Global Security Unit (GSU) in Geneva, provides a secondary level of monitoring and control. As defined in sections 2-7 of this document, the GSU conducts regular MSR compliance checks supplemented by spot checks, field visits, debriefings of personnel and security risk management audits performed by the Office of Internal Audit and Investigations. 

The GSU has the mandate to conduct an assessment or MSR compliance visit, to any IFRC field location based on GSU own initiative. Same applies to GSU requesting security related information from any field operation on its own initiative, while informing the Reginal Director of such correspondence or other security management related concerns, at an operational level.

Security Budgeting

Senior Managers must ensure MSR implementation costs are included in their planning budgets. 

This MSR should serve as the basis for budgeting. Sections 2-7 of this report define the assessments, measures, documents, plans, staffing, expertise, training, equipment, and time that is required to implement each aspect of the MSR.

 
Sebastien Hogan