Japan NGO Initiative for Safety and Security, JaNISS

After 2000’s, in the time when security situation for humanitarian and development workers getting more and more challenging, Japan NGOs have been making efforts on their own to improve their capacity in security management, and occasionally formed ad hoc fora for certain countries and situations like Afghanistan, South Sudan and Middle East for security management. However, in response to the incident in February 2015 in Syria that involved Japanese citizens, a need for an initiative arose for all Japan NGOs as community to improve security management and make advocacy for the public.
In September 2015, a study group was formed by concerned NGOs. Then, in June 2016, a workshop was organized by Japan Platform, inviting facilitators including from InterAction and UNHCR, and an action plan was agreed upon and adopted by participant NGOs which pledged their commitment to it. JaNISS was formed by those NGOs on the purpose of implementing the plan to improve the security management capacity of all Japan NGOs.

Name	Japan NGO Initiative for Safety and Security, JaNISS
Establish	1st August 2016
Office and Contact	c/o Kansai NGO Council 2-30 Chayamachi, Kita-ku Osaka-city, Osaka 530-0013 JAPAN e-mail:janiss-info@janiss.net
Mission Statement	JaNISS offers support and coordination for Japan NGOs, engaged in humanitarian and development fields, to improve their capacity in management concerning safety and security. To establish common Standards for Japan NGOs on safety and security and to design and manage their review system. To improve capacity of Japan NGOs in management of safety and security, to provide information and opportunities of training and to introduce resource persons. To make advocacy for Japan’s government, media and public opinion on Japan NGOs’ security management.
Directors	Megumi Michiyama, Plan International Japan (PLAN) Takehiro Hozumi, Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR) Reiko Kobayashi, Japan International Volunter Center (JVC) Rika Yamamoto, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) Masumi Fukuhara, Save the Children Japan (SCJ) Takashi Kase, Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA)
Auditor	Miki Ikeda(Certified Public Tax Accountant)