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To facilitate the operationalization of the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy on United Nations Support to Non-United Nations Security Forces (HRDDP), UNOCT has developed a dedicated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This SOP provides a framework and step-by-step practical guidance to ensure that support to non-UN security forces is aligned with HRDDP requirements.

The HRDDP applies to all forms of UN support, whether directly or indirectly provided to non-UN security forces. This includes military, police, intelligence, and border control entities, as well as authorities directly responsible for their management, administration, command, or control.

At its core, the HRDDP seeks to ensure that UN support is not provided where there is a real risk that recipient forces may commit grave violations of international law, particularly international humanitarian law, international human rights law, or international refugee law, and where relevant authorities fail to take appropriate corrective or mitigating action. The Policy is designed as a preventive and risk management tool, rather than a vetting mechanism.

The SOP clarifies roles and responsibilities across UNOCT:

• The Under-Secretary-General (USG) holds overall accountability for HRDDP implementation.
• Programme and project managers are responsible for applying HRDDP requirements throughout the project cycle, from design through implementation and monitoring.
• Senior managers ensure that teams have the guidance and resources needed for compliance.
• The HRDDP Secretariat, housed within the Human Rights and Rule of Law Section (HRRoLS), provides technical support, validates risk assessments and mitigation measures, maintains a repository of assessments, and reports annually to the USG.
• The Programme Review Board (PRB), the Office¡¯s primary internal governance and control mechanism for capacity-building and technical assistance activities, plays an advisory role in complex or high-risk cases, issuing recommendations to the USG. It also reviews whether proposed HRDDP compliance measures taken or proposed are sufficient and, where necessary, conditions its recommendations for approval on subsequent compliance.

The SOP sets out a structured six-step process for implementing the HRDDP:

1. Applicability Assessment
   Determine whether the HRDDP applies, based on the nature of the beneficiary and the type of support provided.
2. Communication of Obligations
   Clearly communicate UN responsibilities, including HRDDP requirements, to national authorities and beneficiary entities.
3. Risk Assessment
   Assess whether there are substantial grounds to believe that the beneficiary may commit grave violations. This assessment should draw on UN and other reliable sources, including reports from OHCHR, treaty bodies, special procedures, and other relevant mechanisms.
   Risks are categorized as:
   - Low risk: Support may proceed with appropriate monitoring.
   - Medium risk: Mitigation measures must be identified and validated before support is provided.
   - High risk: Support may need to be withheld or suspended.
4. Mitigation Measures
   Identify and implement measures tailored to the risks identified. These may include human rights training, accountability mechanisms, reporting requirements, or changes to policies governing the conduct of the recipient entity.
5. Engagement with Authorities
   In medium- and high-risk cases, communicate concerns and proposed mitigation measures to national authorities following validation by the HRDDP Secretariat.
6. Monitoring and Reporting
   Continuously monitor risks during implementation. Programme managers must report to the Secretariat any significant changes or new information regarding violations, which may trigger reassessment, adaptation of mitigation measures, or suspension of support.