Local Staff International (LSI), an international organisation campaigning for the rights and protection of locally employed personnel, has published comprehensive Guidelines for the Rights & Protection of Local Staff in International Missions.
The Guidelines provide a practical framework for governments, military forces, international organisations, humanitarian agencies and contractors employing local personnel during overseas operations.
They draw on experience from international missions, including those in Iraq and Afghanistan, where locally employed civilians – particularly interpreters and other support staff – played essential roles, sometimes at considerable personal risk.
The full Guidelines can be read or downloaded from this page: Local Staff International.
Recognising responsibilities from the outset
A central theme of the Guidelines is that responsibility for the welfare and protection of local staff should be recognised when missions are planned, not improvised when difficulties arise.
Locally employed personnel may face risks arising directly from their association with foreign military forces or international organisations. Those risks do not necessarily end when their employment finishes or the mission withdraws.
The Guidelines therefore address employment arrangements, working conditions, safety, compensation, accountability and post-employment protection.
They also seek to ensure that responsibilities are clearly identified where personnel are engaged through contractors, subcontractors or other organisations rather than being employed directly by a government or military force.
Practical standards for international missions
The Guidelines propose common principles and minimum standards covering the different stages of a mission.
Particular attention is given to fair and transparent recruitment, clearly defined employment responsibilities, appropriate working conditions, risk assessment and protection against threats arising from association with an international mission.
They also address the need for reliable employment records, accessible complaints procedures, arrangements for injury or other harm, and planning for the withdrawal or closure of a mission.
An important consideration is the position of locally employed staff and their families if deteriorating security makes continued residence unsafe. The Guidelines emphasise the importance of making appropriate protection arrangements before a crisis develops.
The intention is to move away from inconsistent, last-minute arrangements towards more predictable standards of treatment and protection.
An international initiative
Local Staff International brings together advocates, researchers, practitioners and others concerned with the treatment of personnel employed in support of international missions.
Its Guidelines are intended to be applicable across military, diplomatic, humanitarian, development and peacekeeping operations.
They are not legally binding in themselves. LSI is encouraging relevant governments, organisations and other bodies to endorse their principles and incorporate appropriate standards into their own policies and operational planning.
The initiative has attracted support from individuals and organisations with experience of international operations and the protection of locally employed personnel, including military associations, former diplomats, veterans and advocates for interpreters and other local staff.
Lessons for future operations
The experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrated both the importance of locally employed personnel and the difficult questions that can arise over responsibility for their safety and future.
Although the circumstances of individual missions differ, the underlying issues are not confined to those conflicts.
Clear employment arrangements, adequate protection and planning for the consequences of withdrawal are relevant wherever international missions rely on local staff.
The publication of these Guidelines is a constructive contribution towards ensuring that lessons from previous operations inform the planning and conduct of future missions.
Further information
Local Staff International – Guidelines and supporting information
Download the full Guidelines (PDF)
Companion research report
LSI has also published a companion research report, Falling Between the Cracks of Law: Legal Protection & Advocacy for Local Staff, by Sara de Jong and Betsy Fisher.
It examines legal proceedings and advocacy undertaken on behalf of locally employed personnel across nine jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom. An accompanying index covers more than 60 cases between 2009 and 2025.
The report looks particularly at the interaction between employment, immigration and other legal frameworks, and the remedies that have sometimes been available to local staff. It complements the Guidelines by examining what happens when protections are inadequate or disputed. Local Staff International
Read about the companion report.
BAFF engagement with local staff issues
Along with some of its individual members, British Armed Forces Federation has been engaged with local staff issues from its earliest days, going back to the original BAFF Steering Group in 2006, and earlier. While we have no resources at this time for individual cases, BAFF remains ready to support sensible campaigns and to provide signposting. We'll return to this when the BAFF reorganisation is further progressed.