ACLED Restricted Travel & Access Policy

Background

As an international non-governmental organization, ACLED operates in a complex global environment and engages in sensitive work related to the monitoring of political violence, protest, and conflict. As such, the organization and its staff may face elevated safety and cybersecurity risks when traveling to or operating from certain countries. In particular, some governments have demonstrated patterns of surveillance, data interception, censorship, or hostility toward organizations engaged in research and data collection on political activity.

Purpose

In accordance with ACLED’s Duty of Care Policy, Travel Policy, and Global Mobility Policy, this policy is designed to ensure the safety of ACLED staff and the security of ACLED’s information systems during international travel. Supervisors should consult this policy, as well as travel guidance procedures, when a team member indicates plans to travel to a high-risk country, as defined below. 

ACLED works closely with our external risk advisory partner, RiskPal, and uses its assessment and platforms to support a safe and secure environment for staff and organizational systems. In addition to guidance from RiskPal and cybersecurity support from CBIZ, the countries listed in this policy also reflect requirements related to ACLED’s insurance compliance. These travel-based restrictions are part of broader efforts to reduce exposure to security breaches, surveillance, and other operational risks.

Due to the sensitive nature of ACLED’s work in conflict and political violence monitoring, certain countries may pose increased risks to staff and/or ACLED’s data and systems. The list below is maintained with the goal of protecting staff wellbeing and data integrity and is reviewed every six months or in response to global developments. Feedback and questions from teams are welcomed by the Operations team.

Scope

This policy applies to all ACLED staff, including employees, researchers, contractors, interns, and any other individuals with access to ACLED systems, devices, or data. Compliance with this policy is mandatory regardless of employment type or contract status, when traveling with the intent to access ACLED systems or data, or to bring a work device.

Team members are not restricted from traveling to the countries listed in this policy under ‘Restricted Travel Policy’ while on personal time off (PTO); however, in any case they must inform ACLED by submitting a travel notification form in advance, and they must not bring their ACLED-issued devices or attempt to access ACLED systems or data while in those countries.

Restricted Travel Policy

ACLED prohibits any access to its systems, data, and work devices by any staff member who is physically located in the following countries:

• Afghanistan

• China 

• Iran

• North Korea

• Russia

• Venezuela

• Yemen

Other Restrictions

ACLED requires all staff to submit travel notification forms before travelling internationally. Specifically, when travelling to the following countries, based on the nature of work / nature of engagements, ACLED will likely fully or partially limit the access to its systems or devices. Please note that the absence of a country from this list does not imply that it is free from risk and all staff are still required to submit notification forms prior to any international travel. 

Policy Requirements

• Operations Notification: Staff members must fill out the RiskPal Travel Notification form for all international trips (exception is ACLED sponsored travel where the Operations team will put a travel protocol in place to mitigate safety and security threats based on the information submitted in the Asana event request form). It is crucial for all staff to always submit travel notifications for assessment of the Operations team prior to any travel. In certain cases, ACLED may not allow its staff to access its systems and devices in certain countries

• Work Devices: Staff are not permitted to bring ACLED-issued or ACLED-managed devices into the above countries listed under the  ‘Restricted Travel Policy’ section under any circumstances.

• System/Data Access: Staff are strictly prohibited from logging into ACLED accounts, systems, drives, software platforms, or other data repositories from within the ‘Restricted Travel Policy’ listed countries. 

• Delegation of Duties: Staff planning personal or professional travel to these countries must notify their supervisor and arrange for work to be covered during the travel period.

• Defined Duty Stations: All employees have their defined duty stations based on their employment contracts and are not allowed to work outside of their duty station area without the Employer’s prior written permission.

This policy applies regardless of the nature of the trip (personal or professional) and is intended to protect both the individual and the organization from potential surveillance, cyber intrusions, and legal or diplomatic complications.

It is important to note that the countries listed in this policy under ‘Restricted Travel Policy’  represent only those locations where ACLED has determined that the risks are so significant that access to organizational systems and data is prohibited under all circumstances. 

However, the absence of a country from this list does not imply that it is free from risk. Threat levels can vary significantly based on regional dynamics, the nature of the trip, and the individual’s role. As such, the Operations team reviews all international travel on a case-by-case basis to assess potential security, legal, and digital risks.  In some cases, even if a country is not listed in this policy, the trip may still be deemed too high-risk, and access to ACLED systems or data may be denied for the duration of the stay.

To avoid disruptions to work or travel plans, ACLED strongly recommends that staff seek prior approval from the Operations team before making any non-refundable bookings for trips where they intend to access ACLED systems or bring a work device. This ensures that appropriate security protocols can be assessed and implemented in advance.

Related Policies and Guidance

• ACLED Travel Guidelines

• Submitting a Travel Notification Guide

• Global Residence Mobility Policy