In 2008, SMI is undertaking two research projects. The first is a call for papers and commissioned research on the legal accountability of international aid agencies, and the second, a practices review on malicious acts insurance for aid workers, as well as liability insurance for the management and governance of international aid agencies.

Legal Accountability of International Aid Agencies: Risk and security management on behalf of staff

Staff of international organizations and aid agencies have always faced considerable risks to their health, liberty, and life. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the risk for aid workers has increased considerably in recent years.

How best to address these risks remains unclear. Organizations active in conflict zones are making efforts to assess prevailing risks and to improve the security of their staff. In the private sector, occupational health and safety standards, specific to each type of industry, exist and are often compulsory, heavily regulated, and monitored by government agencies. These standards also carry severe penalties in the case of non-compliance and negligence. In the non-profit sector, the underlying legal principles regarding the accountability and liability of individuals and organizations for the provision of due diligence and the exercise of their duty of care for the safety and security of their staff still lack clarity and comprehensiveness.

This research identifies existing law and practice and possible regulatory gaps and impediments in the implementation of the rights and duties under consideration. This research project aims to contribute to the establishment of common rules, applicable to all aid agencies, regardless of their legal character.

Malicious Acts Insurance and Liability Insurance for the Consequences of Security Incidents: The practice of international aid agencies (Best practice review)

This practice review falls under the overall objective of the Security Management Initiative (SMI) to contribute to the improvement of risk management and security management practices of international agencies that will both enhance their operational capacity and preserve adequate occupational health and safety policies for national and expatriate staff working in high risk environments.