International Code of Conduct Association (ICoCA)

Christian Campos Vásquez, a researcher at Instituto de Criminología y Estudios sobre la Violencia in Lima, examines the recent transformations of criminal organisations in the Andean region 🏔 and the significant risks they pose to public and private security. In these countries, organised crime has evolved into a complex system, shaped by the dynamics of the global illicit economy. Like legitimate businesses, these criminal organisations seek profitability, often exploiting porous borders to expand and connect their operations. The article 👇, based on a recent policy brief by the same author, delves into the fragmentation of these groups, revealing how smaller, localised entities have become key players in international supply chains of illegal goods. The result? A fragmented landscape of crime that fuels violence and instability across the region. 💥 📰 Article: https://lnkd.in/g_38dHgC 📘 Policy brief: https://lnkd.in/gBVb7sab

🔍 Following her participation in ICoCA's Responsible Security Forum last December, Vicky Bowman, Director of Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business (an ICoCA Member) and an ICoCA Board Director, delves into the challenges facing the private security industry. She shares insights from the Centre's recent assessment of Myanmar’s private security sector, inspired by the International Code of Conduct. The findings reveal significant issues similar to those in other countries, including working conditions and wage disparities. 📊 The assessment also highlights the emerging role of technology, such as responsible CCTV use, and the sector's involvement in broader geopolitical concerns like 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘀 and the 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. ⛏ Ms. Bowman underscores the often-overlooked link between security, human rights and the importance of greater civil society engagement.

ICoCA is pleased to have partnered with IEPADES, an ICoCA CSO Member in advancing international standards for private security companies in #Guatemala.   Our recent training to the Guatemala's regulator focused on these crucial standards and highlighted how ICoCA can be instrumental in enhancing transparency within the security sector.   We are thrilled to see our efforts in Latin America progressing steadily. With the recent approval of the Organización de los Estados Americanos (Organization of American States - OAS) resolution text encouraging member states to join ICoCA (https://lnkd.in/ef_N6h2K), we are optimistic about achieving even greater impact in the region.

🇫🇷 🎤 "[...] 𝘢𝘶𝘹 𝘤ô𝘵é𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦 𝘴é𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵é 𝘪𝘯𝘵é𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘥𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘭𝘢 𝘴é𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵é 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷é𝘦 𝘢 𝘫𝘰𝘶é 𝘶𝘯 𝘳ô𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘭. 𝘝𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘻 é𝘵é 𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦, 𝘱𝘳é𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘻-𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘦𝘵 𝘭𝘢 𝘳é𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭à." Au lendemain de la cérémonie de clôture des 𝗝𝗲𝘂𝘅 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 🔥, le Président de la République française Emmanuel Macron a remercié publiquement le CNAPS - Conseil national des activités privées de sécurité, ministère de l'Intérieur. Cette reconnaissance inédite représente un moment clé pour l’ensemble du secteur de la sécurité privée en France. M. Macron a mis en avant le rôle crucial du CNAPS et des plus de 25 000 agents de sécurité privée mobilisés dans la sécurisation des Jeux, mettant ainsi en lumière cet organisme souvent méconnu et l’importance croissante de la sécurité privée dans la gestion des grands événements internationaux. La reconnaissance du Président ouvre ainsi la voie à un renforcement de la collaboration 🤝 entre les acteurs de la sécurité privés et publics. 💬 Discours complet : https://lnkd.in/etgDYNQp ______________ 🇬🇧 🎤 "[...] 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵." The day after the closing ceremony of the 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗢𝗹𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 🔥, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly thanked the CNAPS - Conseil national des activités privées de sécurité, ministère de l'Intérieur. This unprecedented recognition marks a pivotal moment for the entire private security sector in France. President Macron highlighted the crucial role of CNAPS and the more than 25,000 private security agents mobilised to secure the Games, shedding light on this often-overlooked organisation and the growing importance of private security in managing major international events. The President’s acknowledgment paves the way for strengthened collaboration 🤝 between private and public security actors. 💬 Full speech: https://lnkd.in/etgDYNQp

🖋 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗼'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 Private security firms constantly strive to enhance their legitimacy with potential clients. Traditionally, mimicking and aligning with public police forces has been a strategy used by firms to boost their reputations. However, in Mexico, the police's poor reputation has led many firms to distance themselves from the institution and instead align with the armed forces. ⚔ In this article 👇, Logan Puck, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at The George Washington University, explores how military fetishism in Mexico has impacted the branding and hiring strategies of private security firms, further perpetuating the on-going militarisation of internal security matters in the country. 📰 https://lnkd.in/eM4KA26T

ICoCA is honoured to have participated in the CRDF Global and U.S. Department of State West Africa Security Conference in Accra last week. 🌍 This event provided a unique opportunity to delve into the roles of Private Military and Security Companies and assess the profound impact of foreign interference and malign influence (FIMI) in the region. Participants, including key government officials, military personnel, law enforcement, civil society and media representatives, received training and tools to effectively counter 🛡️ disinformation, recruitment and proliferation activities. During the conference, Antoine Perret, PhD. from ICoCA, detailed our organisation's rigorous methods for due diligence and highlighted the existing frameworks for overseeing international private security operations. His insights underscored the importance of maintaining high standards in private security to mitigate risks and enhance regional stability. 👏 Thanks to the organisers for their impeccable coordination and to all the participants for two days of enlightening and productive discussions. Antoine was also delighted to finally meet Fidel Amakye Owusu in person at the event! Dr Sorcha MacLeod Joana de Deus Pereira Ph.D Raphael Parens Mirna Adjami Guy Lamb Michelle Small Sabelo Gumedze Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar Whitney Grespin Chris Kwaja Marta Kosmyna

South Africa recently declared its intention to prosecute ⚖️ nationals fighting in the Israeli Defence Force. In 1998, South Africa adopted stringent legislation prohibiting and regulating the participation of its citizens and nationals in foreign armed conflicts. Despite these efforts, several legislative shortcomings have allowed South Africans to continue providing significant military assistance to foreign states and institutions. 👇 Marko Svicevic and Martha Magdalena Bradley (she/ her) examine South Africa's legislation seeking to regulate foreign military involvement, highlighting recent cases of South Africans who participated in conflicts in Mozambique and Gaza. In 2006, more comprehensive legislation was adopted to prevent such involvement. However, nearly two decades later and despite recent threats of prosecution, this legislation remains ineffective and prosecutions under South African law against those involved in foreign armed conflicts remain negligible. 📰 https://lnkd.in/ehfKtWBj

On 24 July, we celebrated 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗗𝗮𝘆. 👮♀👮♂️ As the private security sector continues to grow and play a crucial role in safeguarding businesses and communities worldwide, it's important to shed light on its workforce and understand the dynamics that drive this essential industry. Unfortunately, studying 🔎 this sector has proven to be quite challenging. Due to the prevalence of illegal employment and underreporting, acquiring accurate and up-to-date data is a significant hurdle. We've gathered below some data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) Private Security Services Sector Statistical Profile. While this resource offers valuable overviews and trends on the private security workforce, it's essential to acknowledge that the figures may not be entirely current or accurate. 📄 Source: ILO Private Security Services Sector Statistical profile, February 2022, https://lnkd.in/grH66VGa

🎉 𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘀' 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 👮♀👮♂️   Today, on 24 July, ICoCA joins the world in honouring security officers – the unsung heroes who ensure our safety and security. International Security Officers' Day is observed annually on the date 24/7, in recognition of the 24/7 nature of security work. ICoCA reaffirms its dedication to ethical practices within the security industry. We aim to empower security officers to uphold human rights and professionalism, united in our mission to create a safer world. 🛡️ Join us in expressing gratitude to these brave individuals: get involved, spread the recognition and reflect on the valuable contribution security officers make each and every day! 🙏 A huge 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨 to all our Members and Affiliates who contributed to the video below, representing over 25 countries worldwide and wishing everyone a "Happy International Security Officers' Day" in more than 20 languages! AB Offshore Marine Services Limited Absolut Security Solutions African Skies Limited Alastora Charles Nassif SAC Dip AlGHADEER SECURITY COMPANY (GSC) Alqabdah Security Company ARB Security Archer International Group of companies "Argus" Belstone Dart International Bob Morgan Services Ltd. (BM SECURITY) Commissionaires Canada EXERA Hanwei International Security Services Horn Risk Management GardaWorld IDG Security Iraq Star PSC Physical Risk Solutions Pilgrims Africa Pinnacle Security Secorp Inc Septimius Security SGA Security - Security Group Africa SUMAJKT Guard Talon Security VxL Enterprises WS Insight

In the video below 👇, Rebecca DeWinter-Schmitt, PhD, Associate Director of the Investor Alliance for Human Rights, introduces our 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗦𝗚 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, designed to educate and equip investors on integrating security considerations into their ESG strategies. Many investors may not fully grasp the extent to which their investments involve private security, which spans diverse sectors and global landscapes, and the associated human rights implications. The Guide not only raises awareness 💡 about the hidden risks within portfolios, but also provides practical tools for engagement. From initial company selection to ongoing monitoring the Guide outlines actionable steps for investors, empowering them to advocate for responsible security practices and ethical standards throughout the investment lifecycle. ♻️ Shareholders can leverage their influence to drive positive change in how companies manage security risks globally. 👉 Explore the 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗦𝗚 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 and join us in promoting sustainable and responsible investment practices: https://lnkd.in/ebT__Xr6