The Sphere Project, Handbook 2011, Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response, 2011.

The Humanitarian Charter has changed significantly. It is now easier to read, and structured more coherently around a number of common humanitarian principles that govern the actions of states, non-state actors and, indeed, all members of society. Reaffirming the primacy of the humanitarian imperative, the Humanitarian Charter establishes three overarching principles, which are based on both legal and moral/ethical considerations:

-          The right to life with dignity.

-          The right to receive humanitarian assistance.

-           The right to protection and security.

It also introduces principles to be applied during armed conflict: the principle of impartiality, that of distinguishing between civilians and combatants, the principles of proportionality, precaution and impartial relief, as well as that of non-refoulement.

Minimum Standards

The chapters on Minimum Standards have been restructured. Former key indicators for each Minimum Standard have been separated into key actions and key indicators. Guidance notes put stronger emphasis on contextualization. The new chapters provide:

-           Minimum qualitative standards.

-           Key suggested actions to help meet the minimum standards.

-           Key indicators that make it possible to measure whether or not a standard has been attained.

-           Guidance notes addressing practical difficulties, priority issues and dilemmas. 

Clayton Consultants, Personal Security Handbook: Protecting Yourself and Your Family at Home and Abroad, 2010.

Compiled by the international security and crisis management experts at Clayton Consultants, Inc., this handbook is designed to assist you in reducing your personal and family risk through proven security methods and tactics. Knowledge, awareness and knowing how to react could save your life.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Human Rights and Crisis Management - A handbook for members of CSDP (Common Security and Defence Policy) missions, November 2010.

This publication, published by the MFA Finland, aims at being a practical toolkit for the personnel in missions.This handbook is a practical tool to guide and assist personnel in the European Union's civil and military crisis management operations to understand the importance of human rights in their work. It can also play a useful role in human rights training for personnel preparing to serve in the missions and operations. In addition, the handbook is designed to be used as a reference resource in the planning and implementation of operations.  

ActAlliance, Security Handbook,  2008.

The ACT Alliance Security Advisory Group has developed this Security Handbook, and the complementary Principles of ACT Safety and Security (PASS), as means to provide security and safety policy and guidelines to members of the ACT Alliance. 

CALL (Center for Army Lessons Learnt), US Army Commander's Guide to Money as a Weapons System - Handbook, April 2009.

With a focus on Iraq and Afghanistan, the US Army’s ‘Commander’s Guide to Money as a Weapons System Handbook - Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures’ (No. 09-27, April 2009), presents how money is one of the primary weapons used by warfighters to achieve successful mission results in COIN and humanitarian operations.

Warfighters at brigade, battalion, and company level in a counterinsurgency (COIN) environment employ money as a weapons system to win the hearts and minds of the indigenous population to facilitate defeating the insurgents. The handbook argues that Coalition money is defeating COIN targets without creating collateral damage, by motivating antigovernment forces to cease lethal and nonlethal operations, by creating and providing jobs along with other forms of financial assistance to the indigenous population, and by restoring or creating vital infrastructure.

Frontline, Protection Handbook for Human Rights Defenders,  2007.

Human rights defenders are the people whose legitimate work for human rights creates the building blocks of societies based on the principles of justice, equality and human rights.  

This handbook is intended to give human rights defenders at risk practical advice on how to deal with the attacks which they may have to deal with in their work as a human rights defender. This manual is designed as a quick reference handbook giving helpful and practical suggestions on steps to improve personal security.

CARE International - United Nations, Landmine and UXO Safety Handbook, 2000.

The aim of this handbook is to provide general landmine and unexploded ordnance (UXO) awareness and safety information to organisations and individuals working in the vicinity of areas affected by these weapons, and to help them:

• Establish proper safety procedures;

• Avoid contact with mines and UXO;

• Take appropriate action in emergency situations involving mine/UXO incidents;

• Take appropriate action in case of accidental entry into a minefield.

This handbook is NOT an instruction manual for working with mines or UXO, for surveying mined areas, or for finding and removing mines. Proximity to mines and UXO is always dangerous and should be avoided. Only trained specialists should seek out or handle mines and UXO.

United Nations, Field Security Handbook, System-wide Arrangements for the Protection of United Nations Personnel and Property in the Field, 2006.

Collaborative for Development Action and CDA Collaborative Learning Projects, The Do No Harm Handbook - The Framework for Analyzing the Impact of Assistance on Conflict, 2004.

Beginning in the early 1990s, a number of international and local NGOs collaborated through the LOCAL CAPACITIES FOR PEACE PROJECT, also known as the “DO NO HARM” PROJECT (DNH) to learn more about how assistance that is given in conflict settings interacts with the conflicts. We knew that assistance is often used and misused by people in conflicts to pursue political and military advantage. We wanted to understand how this occurs in order to be able to prevent it. The collaboration was based on gathering and comparing the field experience of many different NGO programmes in many different contexts. Through this, we were able to identify very clear patterns regarding how assistance and conflict interact.

US Federal Emergency Management Agency,  Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks against Builldings, December 2003.

InterAction, Handbook on Counter-Terrorism Measures - What U.S. Nonprofits and Grantmakers Need to Know, 2004.

Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA),  Manual for Conflict Analysis, 2006.

European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), Security Training Manual - Trainers' Guide

Shaun Bickley, Safety First: A field security handbook for NGO staff (London: Save the Children, 2003, 3rd edition). Save the Children handbook that provides safety and security guidelines for the field. For sale through Save the Children UK website.    KEYWORDS: safety and security 

FLOSS manuals, Bypassing Internet Censorship, n.d.

This manual provides an introduction to the topic of circumventing internet censorship, and explains some of the software and methods most often used to do so, as well as the ethical issues raised. It provides information on avoiding surveillance and other means of detection while bypassing censorship. 

T.J. and Tina Wesbrock, Security Manual for NGOs Working in Insecure Environments (Church World Service, May 2000).

This manual was devised to address the “change in the trend of acceptance [under which NGOs have traditionally operated] by certain factions and governments”. It is intended as a tool to guide all personnel, rather than a blueprint for security management. It contains chapters on the mission; risk management; personal protection; conflict management; operational alert levels; site security; vehicles and transport; communication procedures; explosive devices; land mines; hostages; emergency survival; armed protection; evacuations; and reporting.

KEYWORDS: safety and security, risk management 

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900SID/LHON-5TLD8D?OpenDocument

United Nations Mine Action Service, Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Safety Handbook (New York: UNMAS, 2005).

This handbook’s aim is “to raise awareness and provide basic safety information concerning the threat of landmines and other ERW to organizations and individuals working in war-torn areas, and to help them establish appropriate safety procedures; avoid contact with mines and ERW; and take appropriate action in emergency situations”. Sections describe the different types of landmines and explosive remnants of war; recognising dangerous areas; basic safety advice; emergency procedures in a minefield; and assisting a victim. It is not intended as a stand alone document but should be complemented by country-specific information and analysis.

United Nations Mine Action Service, Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Safety Handbook (New York: UNMAS, 2005).

This handbook’s aim is “to raise awareness and provide basic safety information concerning the threat of landmines and other ERW to organizations and individuals working in war-torn areas, and to help them establish appropriate safety procedures; avoid contact with mines and ERW; and take appropriate action in emergency situations”. Sections describe the different types of landmines and explosive remnants of war; recognising dangerous areas; basic safety advice; emergency procedures in a minefield; and assisting a victim. It is not intended as a stand alone document but should be complemented by country-specific information and analysis.

CARE International, Safety and Security Handbook, (Geneva: CARE International, 2004).

The handbook provides general safety and security guidelines for CARE International staff applicable to most situations when used in conjunction with country-specific safety and security guidelines. It covers roles and responsibilities; the assessment process; policies and procedures; personal safety and security; safety and security incidents; and stress management.

Manual Bessler and Gerard Mc Hugh, Humanitarian Negotiations with Armed Groups; A Manual for Practitioners (New York: UN OCHA January 2006).

The authors define humanitarian negotiations as those “undertaken by civilians engaged in managing, coordinating and providing humanitarian assistance an protection for the purposes of: (i) ensuring the provision of protection and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations; (ii) preserving humanitarian space; and (iii) promoting better respect for international law. They provide guidance on humanitarian negotiations with non-State armed groups, and address motivations and partners; framing the negotiations; working toward more effective negotiations; negotiating on specific issues; and unintended or unanticipated consequences of negotiating.

Reporters Without Borders, Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents, (Paris, September 2005).

This handbook vaunts bloggers as “the new heralds of free expression”. It contains articles on how to set up and run a blog, personal accounts of bloggers, and advice on how to blog anonymously, get round censorship, and ensure the privacy of email.

KEYWORDS: cyber security, digital security, internet surveillance  

www.rsf.org/IMG/pdf/Bloggers_Handbook2.pdf

United Nations Mine Action Service, Landmine and Explosive Remnants of War Safety Handbook (New York: UNMAS, 2005).

This handbook’s aim is “to raise awareness and provide basic safety information concerning the threat of landmines and other ERW to organizations and individuals working in war-torn areas, and to help them establish appropriate safety procedures; avoid contact with mines and ERW; and take appropriate action in emergency situations”. Sections describe the different types of landmines and explosive remnants of war; recognising dangerous areas; basic safety advice; emergency procedures in a minefield; and assisting a victim. It is not intended as a stand alone document but should be complemented by country-specific information and analysis.