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| International NGO Safety Organisation | |
|---|---|
| Name | International NGO Safety Organisation |
| Caption | Logo of the International NGO Safety Organisation |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Region served | Global |
| Leader title | Director |
International NGO Safety Organisation
The International NGO Safety Organisation provides risk management, security guidance, and operational support to non-governmental organizations operating in high-risk environments. Founded amid escalating humanitarian crises and complex emergencies, the organisation engages with field actors, diplomatic missions, multilateral agencies, and private sector actors to develop safety standards, incident reporting mechanisms, and training curricula. Its work intersects with international humanitarian actors, regional coalitions, and academic institutions to reduce threats to staff, assets, and programs in conflict-affected and disaster-prone settings.
The organisation emerged in the late 1990s following high-profile incidents involving aid workers in Rwanda, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone that highlighted protection gaps for humanitarian personnel. Early convenings included representatives from Médecins Sans Frontières, International Committee of the Red Cross, and Oxfam International alongside mission-focused actors from United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and regional NGOs from West Africa, Balkans, and Great Lakes (Africa). During the 2000s the organisation expanded its remit after events such as the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War created new operational risks for relief organisations in the Middle East and Central Asia. Partnerships with institutions like Harvard Humanitarian Initiative and King's College London supported methodological development. In the 2010s the organisation adapted to urban crises exemplified by the Syrian civil war and natural disasters including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, refining incident reporting and interagency coordination. Recent years saw engagement with counterterrorism debates initiated after the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and collaborations with private security firms involved in operations in Afghanistan and Somalia.
The organisation's mission aligns with principles articulated by actors such as International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and World Health Organization: ensure the safety of humanitarian personnel and continuity of aid delivery. Core objectives include development of sector-wide safety standards modeled on practices from Sphere Project and Core Humanitarian Standard, establishment of incident reporting systems comparable to those used by Humanitarian Outcomes, and promotion of staff welfare paralleling policies from International Committee of the Red Cross and Save the Children. It seeks to influence policy dialogues convened by Geneva Centre for Security Policy and United Nations Department of Safety and Security.
Governance structures draw on multistakeholder boards with representatives from major actors like Catholic Relief Services, Norwegian Refugee Council, and regional networks such as Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network. Advisory councils incorporate experts from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Chatham House, and legal advisers versed in instruments like the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Funding sources combine grants from institutional donors such as European Commission, United States Agency for International Development, and philanthropic foundations including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Open Society Foundations. Project-based revenue derives from contracts with agencies like United Nations Development Programme and fee-for-service trainings for organisations operating in Central African Republic and Yemen.
Programs encompass incident reporting and analysis systems inspired by models from Aid Worker Security Database, bespoke risk assessments for missions in contexts like Mali and South Sudan, and emergency coordination support during crises comparable to mechanisms under Cluster system. Services include remote security advice similar to that provided by International Rescue Committee, rapid response deployment teams modeled after Physicians for Human Rights, and psychosocial support protocols informed by research from Inter-Agency Standing Committee guidelines. The organisation also administers security audits mirroring practices at World Food Programme and develops context-specific operating procedures for actors in urban settings such as Aleppo and Mosul.
Training curricula are co-developed with academic partners including London School of Economics, Columbia University, and University of Oxford to cover topics like staff safety, negotiation with armed actors, and digital security. Courses range from basic safety induction used by World Vision to advanced threat analysis taught in collaboration with King's College London security studies. Capacity building extends to local NGOs and community-based organisations in regions such as Horn of Africa and Sahel, using train-the-trainer models applied by networks like RedR UK and Norwegian Refugee Council field academies. Simulation exercises draw on scenarios from historical events including the Boko Haram insurgency and Libya conflict.
The organisation publishes operational guidance, white papers, and incident trend analyses citing cases from Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Venezuela. Research collaborations with Humanitarian Practice Network and universities produce peer-reviewed studies on topics such as aid worker kidnapping, legal protections under the Geneva Conventions, and effects of sanctions regimes like those involving Iran and North Korea on humanitarian access. Periodic reports feed into policy forums at United Nations General Assembly sessions and academic conferences such as those organized by International Studies Association.
Strategic partnerships include alliances with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, regional bodies like the African Union, and networks such as Global Protection Cluster and Sphere Project. Advocacy efforts aim to influence donor policies at forums including World Humanitarian Summit and bilateral dialogues with ministries like Federal Foreign Office (Germany) and United States Department of State. The organisation engages with legal NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch on protection of aid workers and collaborates with private sector actors including logistics providers like DHL and security companies involved in UN contracts.