Going Locally, Safely: the localisation agenda and security risk Management

Joint LWF, ICRC and EISF event

On June 28th 2018, the ICRC will host an event at the Humanitarium discussing the security challenges posed by the global push towards the "localization" of humanitarian action. In some contexts, local organizations are already leading the humanitarian response, while in others they are increasingly called upon to assume a greater role, often through partnerships, in regions that may be high-risk and where international aid actors' access is hampered. Greater localization can impact the security risks faced by local and international humanitarian actors with implications for how these actors should work together to manage and mitigate security risks.

To better understand these challenges and how to overcome them, the event will aim to answer some key questions:

•  How are international actors currently dealing with the issue of security risk management when working with local actors?
• What would local actors like to see in order to improve their security risk management?

Introduction and Moderator:

• Eva Svoboda - Deputy Director of International Law and Policy | ICRC

Setting the Scene:

• Lisa Reilly - Executive Director | European Interagency Security Forum

Panelists:

• Jacob Aleer - Senior Support and Liasion Officer | Lutheran World Federation (South Sudan)
• Jawad Sahibzada - Founder and CEO | Saibaan Development Organization (Pakistan)
• Oscar Alfonso Zuluaga Abdala - National Director for Cooperation, Innovation, Projects Management and Resources Mobilization | Colombia Red Cross Society (Colombia)

Partners in the organization of this event:

• The Lutheran World Federation (LWF)

• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

• European Interagency Security Forum (EISF)

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Background

Several global initiatives, including the Grand Bargain localization work stream, aim to increase funding to local actors, improve their access, and strengthen their capacity. However, there are several security risk management (SRM) challenges that arise when looking at the localization agenda. Localization efforts may, firstly, change the perceived neutrality, independence and impartiality of international and local organizations, which could affect the security risks they may face.

Furthermore, statistics show that local staff members are more likely to be involved in serious incidents than their international counterparts. Why this is the case is debated by experts but nonetheless evidences local actors’ vulnerability to security threats. Are local actors fully equipped to manage the security risks they may face? Currently, there is little SRM support specifically for local actors, and when there is, it is often in the form of trainings by international partners that do not necessarily translate into a sustainable security approach designed by local actors that is adapted to the context.