In this second episode of Field Notes from the Front Line: Voices of Responsible Security, we speak with Cho Thandar Thein from EXERA, an ICoCA-certified private security company operating across Myanmar.

EXERA shared this initiative as part of the inaugural ICoCA Responsible Security Awards in 2025, highlighting a training programme developed in partnership with the local NGO Step-In-Step-Up (SISU), which prepares young people in Myanmar for entry-level employment. Launched in 2023, the initiative aims to expand opportunities for women in the private security sector, a field that has long been shaped by rigid gender norms and limited access for women.

In conversation with Cho, we explore how the programme works in practice, the challenges of promoting gender inclusion in a traditionally male-dominated sector, and why creating pathways for women in private security can contribute to more inclusive and responsible security practices.

In July 2025, ICoCA called on its private security company members and affiliates, civil society organisation and observers to share their best practices supporting a Just Transition: the shift toward a greener economy that is fair, inclusive and creates decent work opportunities while leaving no one behind. This initiative led to the creation of the first edition of the ICoCA Responsible Security Awards, recognising PSCs and CSOs that exemplify these principles.

In this new podcast series, Field notes from the front line: Voices of responsible security, we'll be speaking with key individuals from these organisations to explore how responsible security practices are being implemented in real-world contexts – and how accountability across the sector can be strengthened.

We’re delighted to begin the series with Jan Leysen and Hans Merket from the International Peace Information Service, or IPIS, an independent research institute working on peace, human rights and responsible resource governance.

IPIS were the civil society organisation winner of ICoCA’s inaugural responsible security awards in 2025, recognised for launching two community-based incident-monitoring systems. Operating in eastern DRC to report incidents in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, and in Tanzania to monitor both ASM and large-scale mining operations, the Kufatilia (in DRC) and Kufuatilia (in Tanzania) mechanisms enhance transparency, accountability and safety. They demonstrate how digital reporting tools, paired with strong civil society partnerships, can strengthen responsible mineral supply chains in diverse and often conflict-affected contexts.

In this episode, we speak with Dr. Alessandro Arduino about his latest book, Money for Mayhem: Mercenaries, Private Military Companies, Drones, and the Future of War. Dr. Arduino shares his insights on the rising influence of private military contractors, particularly from China, Russia, and Turkey, and their impact on global security dynamics. He delves into the role of technology, including UAVs, in modern warfare and discusses the ethical implications of privatizing security. Join us as we explore the future trajectories of private military actors and their significance in shaping the landscape of conflict.

In this episode, we speak with Anne-Marie Buzatu, Vice President and COO of ICT4Peace Foundation, who played a pivotal role in the development of the International Code of Conduct and the founding of ICoCA. Anne-Marie shares insights from her time as a principal architect of the initiative and reflects on the challenges faced during the creation of governance and oversight mechanisms for private security companies.

In this episode we speak to Mark DeWitt, chief legal officer and general counsel at Gardaworld Federal Services. He was on the first intake of the ICoCA’s board of directors and played an instrumental role before the association was founded.

S2E3 - In this episode, we welcome Amol Mehra, director of industry programs at Laudes Foundation. He was one of the founding board members of ICoCA. Amol will tell us more about the process of creation of the ICoCA, and specifically, about the role that the civil society play in the process of ensuring accountability of private security companies.

In this episode we speak to Rémy Friedmann, Senior Advisor on Business and Human Rights at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs who was ICoCA's first Chair of the Board of Directors and guided the Association through its early years.

In this episode, we welcome Andrew Clapham, professor of international law at the Geneva Graduate Institute, and member of  ICoCA's Advisory Group. Having been involved in the development and drafting of the International Code of Conduct, he will walk us through the context, as well as the process of the negotiations that have preceded the Code's establishment. 

After a career in the Gurkhas and Singapore Police, Ian Gordon founded his own private security company, IDG Security, an ICoCA Certified Member Company with operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Myanmar. So what are the pitfalls in recruiting private security personnel from South Asia, and how does Ian avoid these? We talk to Ian about the powerful role agents play, and how this is leading to third country nationals contracted as private security guards ending up as bonded labourers in many complex environments.