YRA announces formation of "Security Advisory and Risk Management Unit"

The Free Media Union held a press conference today, Thursday, at its headquarters in Qamishlo to announce the formation of the "Security Advisory and Risk Management Unit." A press statement was read during the conference by the head of the Security Advisory and Risk Management Unit, Ahmed Mohammed, which stated:

What is the Security Advisory and Risk Management Unit?

It is a unit established specifically to provide support and assistance to all Syrian journalists and media workers who carry out their work in difficult environments, both inside and outside Syria.

This unit works to provide all means of support and assistance to protect journalists from targeting, kidnapping, injury, or death during their work. It also aims to strengthen relationships with external organizations and entities that are concerned with the safety of journalists and combating impunity for crimes committed against journalists and media workers, making it a powerful tool that active parties in conflict areas may seek to avoid confrontation with.

Objectives of the Unit:

1. Strategic Objective: To raise security awareness among Syrian journalists by providing training sessions to promote physical safety and professional conduct while working, to prevent mistakes that could lead to harm. It also includes support for data and information security through remote or in-person training, depending on the circumstances.

2. Tactical Objective: To offer consultations to journalists who seek advice from the unit regarding carrying out journalistic work in risky situations. The unit will support them with the necessary procedures to complete their plans without compromising their physical or digital safety. This will be facilitated through communication via the unit’s official email.

3. Emergency Objective: To provide rapid intervention through the unit's dedicated hotline, which will receive distress calls from journalists during their work in case of emergencies such as injury, siege, death threats, or attempted murder. In such cases, the Risk Management Unit will guide and support the journalist to help them escape the emergency situation and direct them to the safest course of action. The unit will also coordinate with nearby journalists to provide assistance and appeal to relevant bodies capable of offering support.

Initial structure of the Unit:

The Security Advisory and Risk Management Unit consists of a director, a deputy director, team members, and advisors.

Director: The head of the unit, responsible for issuing decisions related to the unit’s work mechanisms and communication with official and non-official entities to achieve the unit’s goals.

Deputy Director: Assists the director in their tasks.

Team Members: The core team of the unit, responsible for monitoring emails and hotline communications, collecting and analyzing information about past incidents involving journalists, and developing strategies to address similar threats. They are also responsible for contacting and supporting journalists who seek help.

Advisors: Experienced professionals who may not necessarily be Syrian journalists. They could include security experts, retired military officers, former police officers, foreign security and peace experts, trainers offering remote training for Syrian journalists, and communications and information security specialists, among others.

The unit's future plan is to sign protocols with external unions and entities for information exchange, support, training, and assistance. For example, the unit could sign protocols with journalists’ unions in other Arab countries such as Yemen, Egypt, and Iraq to exchange information, assess risks, and provide support to foreign journalists working in Syria.

Foreign journalists will have the right to benefit from the Syrian Security Advisory Unit’s services, including security assessments of cities and regions and risk evaluations to help them develop their work plans and return to their countries safely. In return, unions that have signed a protocol with the unit and the Free Media Union will be expected to provide support and assistance to Syrian journalists needing help in these countries.

Contact Information:

Phone: +963 934372067

Email: [email protected]

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