International organizations and alleged duty of care breaches: A growing ethical, reputational and financial challenge

Abstract

The interest of the international community in the duty of care of international organizations towards their employees has continually increased over the course of the last decade. As field operations become more complex, the security environment more volatile and the dangers and risks more diversified, greater attention has been paid to duty of care principles. The overall objective of this chapter is to present evidence of the growing ethical, financial and reputational challenges that international organizations face as a consequence of alleged breaches of their duty of care towards their civilian personnel. The chapter gives a quantitative and qualitative account of the rising trend of the international jurisprudence in addressing issues related to breaches of the duty of care obligation, provides a general overview of the literature devoted to the topic and a quantitative analysis of persons injured and/or fatalities. Furthermore, it addresses the reputational impact on the organization in the aftermath of an alleged breach and the financial consequences. It also explores the issues of safety, health, well-being, stress and work/life balance handled by the Office of the UN Ombudsman and Mediation Services. Specific datasets regarding the type of insurance provided by international organizations to their employees working in dangerous areas are, for the most part, not publicly available. Their circulation is therefore a calling to a higher responsibility that would allow international organizations to adopt common standards and better understand the main trends regarding the implementation of duty of care practices and guidelines.