NGO's and Private Security Companies

The use of PSCs still remains very much a taboo topic within the humanitarian aid community. INGO’s are still mainly dependent upon a broad donor base and cannot afford to put their reputations at risk by association with potentially controversial partners.

In his essay "Liaisons Dangereuses: The Cooperation between Private Security Companies and Humanitarian Aid Agencies", Marc von Boemcken states:

"... a comprehensive and shared database of different security firms containing information on their affiliations, recruiting practices as well as experiences of former as well as current clients would prove to be a valuable resource for any country office contemplating the employment of a PSC."

Indeed, there are a number of questions that they may want to ask when considering using a private security company.

1. If of international character, where are they registered, and/or are they registered and/or licensed also in the country where you want to use their services?
2. What are they willing to tell you about their owners and shareholders and their affiliation with other companies or subsidiaries?
3. What information are they willing to give about their clients and the services they have provided to different clients; do you get a selective sample or a fuller record?
4. Whom of former or current clients could you get references from? (Other clients may not necessarily know more about the full range of activities of the company than you do!)
5. What range of services do they offer?
6. What precise service are you looking for?
7. If they provide armed guards, are they properly licensed to carry arms and trained to use them?
8. What is the background to their personnel, and what procedures do they have for screening their personnel before hiring them?
9. Does the company subscribe to an internal or external code of practice? What does it say about:

• Compliance with international and national laws and regulations;
• The clients they will not work with;
• The services they will not provide;
• The integrity of subcontractors they in turn may work with;
• The background of staff they will employ;
• Relations with manufacturers/suppliers of security equipment/arms;
• The practice of ‘commissions’ or other inducements for information or services;
• The confidentiality surrounding clients and information about clients obtained in the course of service;
• Procedures and actions following a suspected or reported breach of the ethical code?