United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Jun 2023
InterWorks conducted the eCentre’s Safety In the Field exercise from 11-16 June 2023. It was held at the at the Seapine Hotel (formerly Suan Son Pradipat Hotel) and Fort Dhanarajata infantry training center in Thailand, with support from the Royal Thai Army per their longstanding arrangement with the UNHCR eCentre. Participants were from diverse backgrounds, offices, and countries, representing UNHCR, the World Bank, NGO and Government counterparts.
The objective of the workshop was to address basic elements of personal security for staff in the field, and to highlight security risk management tools and strategies for maintaining operations in complex security environments as well as inter-linkages between security and protection. Thus, this course is a complement to the eCentre security risk management workshop. The workshop is highly participatory, emphasizing hands-on application of tools and skills. Participants discussed real-life cases, best practices and lessons learned from the humanitarian and development fields. They were also required to apply lessons in practical and realistic exercises and field simulations.
The length of this year’s SIF workshop was reduced by one day to 5.5 days. This change meant dropping agenda items related to security risk management, specifically security planning and critical incident management. The focus of the workshop shifted solely to personal safety and security strategies, including sessions on immediate responses to various security incidents – hostage taking, terrorist attack, hostile crowds, active shooters, etc. The session on the centrality of protection was also maintained. The revised agenda worked well and can be maintained for future SIF workshops if wanted.
Facilitators, organizers, resource speakers are very talented and accommodating, likewise with sense of humor and very compassionate on what they are doing.
– Workshop participant